iPad Second Generation Product Review

According to Apple here are a few things we can expect to see in the release of the 2nd Generation iPad:

Dual Core A5 chip

iPad Smart Cover

Thinner

Lighter

Dual Cameras

HD Video

10 Hour Battery Life

Starting Price $499

Let us review a few of the new features:

Dual Core A5 Chip -

The iPad 1st Generation is fast and responsive. I was amazed at how agile and sensitive the interface responded to tactile input. If the promise is TWICE AS FAST with the new Dual-Core A5 chip, this 2nd Generation iPad will be a screamer! This will make multi-tasking between applications smoother and faster loading.

I never considered a tablet computer as a gaming platform (and I still don't) but the video acceleration on the 2nd Generation iPad is supposed to be 9X faster! That means that video and video games should run without clipping, tearing or choking while rendering.

10 Hour Battery

One word - WOW... Not only has Apple succeeded in reducing the over-all weight of the iPad 2nd Generation, but they have managed to increase the battery life too. Not sure how they do it, and I don't really care - but this is just one more reason I feel that the investment is worthwhile.

TWO CAMERAS - FINALLY!!

A friend of mine wanted to Skype on the 1st Generation iPad, but we didn't know that the camera port (which DOES exist on the 1st Generation iPad, but no camera is present) was empty. We loaded Skype and.... Nothing. It was an experiment, but we were deflated none the less. So the 2nd Generation iPad has the back-to-back camera arrangement and comes with a video conferencing package called FaceTime. And get this - it's HD. I can honestly say, that I can see several uses for this in my profession.

FaceTime -

Think of video chat on steroids. You can now make video calls from your iPad 2nd Generation to another iPad, an iPhone 4, the new iPod touch or to a Mac desktop machine over wi-fi. You can also take snapshot images and use PhotoBooth to edit, manage or upload to your favorite Web 2.0 site for sharing.

SmartCover -

If I have had any gripe with the 1st Generation iPad, it has to be the lack of a REALLY GOOD COVER. Sure, there are some covers out there that come close to being the right one for me... but the price was always the prohibitive factor. Apple recognized the need for consumers to protect their investment and developed a fashionable (multiple color) yet protective cover that fits your iPad perfectly. Open the cover and the iPad wakes up, close the cover and the iPad goes to sleep. It transforms into a stand and comes in 10 different colors.

AirPlay | Video Mirror | AirPrint

Three new additions that I will really come to enjoy is the wireless HDTV and speaker connection. Yup - streaming wirelessly. Video mirror allows us to plug in a Apple Digital AV adapter or VGA adapter into an HDTV or projector. Your audience will see what you see. I am going to LOVE this when I do my presentations! Finally AirPrint is the wireless printing feature. I try NOT to use hard-copy as much as possible, but if you really need to do it, there it is.

In summary, I am impressed. The screen size is a bit smaller, but if this will be your first iPad then you won't notice the difference because there isn't anything to compare it to. Rumor has it that the 3rd generation iPad is in active development, but a release date is yet to be disclosed. What to do? Wait for the 3rd gen release, or purchase now and kick yourself for buying too early? That is a question that only we, as individuals can resolve. Either way it will be money well spent.

Follow my blog for rumors on the new iPad 2nd generation AND the iPad 3rd generation, and information on how you could own a next generation iPad for LESS than retail.