Apple invented the tablet computer and sold millions of iPads even during an economic downturn and low confidence.

Apple released the iPad 2 and it is similar to the original iPad, except it is thinner, faster and with two cameras now, except Apple now offers white and black in every price and configuration.

The iPad 2 is really really thin, measuring only 8.8mm and is actually thinner than the iPhone 4 and third less than the first gen iPad But even with the thinner design the quality hasn't suffered at all. The back of the iPad is made from aluminium machined to fit the iPad internal components andf the front of the iPad is created with the same scratch resistant glass. It's got a home button at the bottom of the screen and a new front-facing camera at the top, cool. But apart from this, the iPad 2 is very similar to iPad. The sleep wake buttons and headphone jack are in the same place as the original iPad at the top, and the volume and mute rotation lock switch is on the right edge of the device. Down at the bottom there's the iPad universal dock connection and internal speaker, and the speaker's grille now wraps around the back displaying a greater surface area for much better sound quality.

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The good news is the comtability of the iPad 2 and the iPad are pretty similar, and except for the original iPad cases the iPad 2 is compatible with the orginal iPad docks, video cables, speakers and chargers, but the first gen iPad docks don't fit perfectly, so we recommend getting an Ipad 2, and for the keyboard Apple recommends its Bluetooth wireless keyboard.

One fo the main iPad 2 accessories receiving a lot of press Apple's new smart cover, which was designed to as an alternative for third-party cases made for the first iPad. Apple's hinged cover comes in leather and polyurethane and has multiple colours, with black being the most popular. It simply attaches magnetically to the left or right edge of your iPad 2 with two aluminium hinges with highly strong rare-earth magnets. Additional magnets in the cover will detect when the cover is open or closed and turn your iPad 2 to automatically on or off. It's a great idea if you want better protection for your iPad go to iCasestore.com.au to see a huge range of ipad cases, covers, bags and accessories, and you can always turn off the sleep wake in Settings.

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The iPad cover is part of the iPad accessories range and has two stand options. Our personal preferance is one fo the iSmart cases sold iCasestore.com.au whith a stylish contemporary design adding to the look of your iPad 2 instead of detracting from it, as some do some cases.

There is new stuff on the iPad 2 as well, but in no means is it a huge change from the original iPad but we think you will like it.

The iPad 2 has two cameras now with record video or take photos. The back camera is smartly positioned in the top right corner so it doesn't get covered by hands when in portrait orientation. In design it looks a lot like the chrome ringed lens on the iPhone 4 and has a 720p video capture. Unfortunately there is flash for the cameras and the camera sensor is not as good as the one used for the iPhone 4. And in similar fashion to the fourth generation iPod Touch, the iPad 2 takes photos or some would call video stills.

But at this stage of the game the iPad 2 camera doesn't replace a camera or smartphone camera. One of the problems is the size of the iPad 2 because it's too big and a tablet is not really deisgned for this pupose, but it still works none the less. People look but we don’t think they are jealous looks when using the iPad to take photos or shoot video, it just doesn't look right in our opinion and it wont replace your point and shoot camera but it still takes decent photos.

The camera is really there to support Apple's Face Time video chat app now available for Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad 2. FaceTime on the iPad is pretty futuristic and pretty great, and worksgreat for this purpose where as smaller iPhones and smaller tablets fall short, and the iPad's 9.7 inch screen can show people faces at life like size, which works really well. Sure the desktop and laptops have fae time video but it holding the the iPad and someones face in your hands on the iPad is pretty futuristic in our opinion. However FaceTime is only a Wi-Fi feature, which means in-car iPad video calls probably wont work.

The iPd 2 new spec boasts a dual-core A5 processor boasting twice as fast speed with nine times graphics performance.

In addition, the full HDMI AV output compatibility can mirror its output to a TV over a standard HDMI connection. The supported resolution will go up to 1080p, but it doesn’t matter so much because video playback and most apps usually dont go past 720p. The iPad 2 video-out solutions for wont limits users to just video playback or presentations because everything you see on the screen can be mirrored on your TV incuding video, games, photos and the home screen. Motorola Zoom and others now cant brag the iPad doesn’t have HDMI compatibility anymore.

The iPad 2 now has the same three-axis gyroscope sensor as the the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch which gives it a more detailed sense of its orientation in space like holding a Nintendo Wii remote where the appeal is for gaming for more precise motion control and a more realistic navigation in virtual environments. In a first-person shooter game like N.O.V.A., For example, in a first shooter game like N.O.V.A you're able to move the iPad 2's screen up, down left or right to see the game's surroundings, pretty cool.

Camers are great etc but lets remember the things that made the original iPad an incredible invention. For example if you've ever used an iPhone or the iPod Touch, the iPad 2 will all f a sudden feel like a long lost family member. There's lots of the iPhone's features including Apple designed apps for web browsing, maps, email, photos, music, video and You Tube. Of coursea lot more apps can be installed using the built-in App Store software or by connecting the iPad to iTunes via your computer using the cable that comes with it. And if you already own apps for an iPhone or iPod Touch it's easy to transfer your apps to the iPad, a cool feature indeed.

When the original iPad was launched it had an iOS 3.2 which seem rather old in today's standards, where you couldn't switch between applications with multi tasking or organise apps into folders and support for document printing and AirPlay streaming of music, videos and photos wasn't available until late 2010.

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Now the iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3 featuring a lot of new features and best of all improvements on the original iPad. Try the new apps for Photo Booth "a portrait taking app" and FaceTime video chat. Plus the Safari web browser is faster now for improved JavaScript rendering. And the app includes a Home Sharing option for streaming media over your home network from local computers. If you want flexible control over the function of the switch above the iPad's volume buttons, the iOS 4.3 allows you to use it as a rotation lock or mute for system alert sounds, for example FaceTime calls.

Something we didn't like in the original iPad that Apple hasn't improved in the iPad 2 is the Adobe Flash support for Apple Safari for browsing the web. For some reason Apple isn't supporting Adobe's tool for presenting video and graphics on the web which means many corners of the web are inaccessible on the iPad or present broken content. But in general the iPad 2 web browsing experience is the best you'll find on any tablet in the market with navigation being responsive with zooming text fluid and managing multiple pages at once no problem.

Just like the iPad features, for example Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi 802.11n, 3G and 10 hours of battery life are available which are still the level other competitors are just tying to match.

Let's talk about Wi-Fi versus 3G

For people travelling or on the road Apple offers internet access through an integrated 3G mobile data connection.

We think there's only upside to buying a 3G compatible model except paying a little extra for the 3G capability above Wi-Fi models. An the iPad doesn't have long term contracts so even if you dont use the iPad's 3G you can cancel the data plan.

In adition iPad 2 3G models have GPS (A-GPS) capability, so users can accurately see their location on a map and use the navigation and location apps. But don’t forget the Wi-Fi only models can use simple Wi-Fi hot spot triangulation techniques to guess location but  they are obviously not as accurate.

So if you don’t think you will use your iPad 2 away from home you may as well buy a Wi-Fi model for less money.

Now let's look at the iPad 2 as a reader

In the beginnning Apple promoted the original iPad and iBooks app as a great ebook reader. But the iPad only had a small amount of publishers at the tim and it was twice as thick as a Kindle, their biggest competitor in the space.

But now with the popularity of the iPad the publishing industry are on board and Apple claim over 100 million iBook downloads. And Kindle and Kobo and competitors have now added apps for the iPad as well a industry leading magazines such as The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and more have specially developed iPad publications. And then there's the speciality publications like comic books, sheet music and more that are now on the iPad, so the iPad has now got loads of content.

But many say the iPad 608g weight is a bit heavy compared with the Kindle 3's 246g. And even with the iPad's top quality IPS LED-backlit display it isn't better than E Ink displays when reading outdoors. Plus the iPad will only provide 10 hours of reading charge compared to the Kindle DX of four days without needing a recharge.

But not to despair Apple iPad 2 fans, the iPad has is a very good e-reader and while there lower price options none wil have as many features as the iPad and the iPad 2 is now thinner.

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Let's talk about what the iPad is missing

Whil there are plenty of great things to about the iPad we have to mention some of the things missing because tablets are somewhere in the middle of the practicality of laptops and the convenience of smartphones, but doesn't replace either device, yet anyway.

So don’t for a minute think the iPad 2 is a laptop replacement and laptops and netbooks have a better typing experience, unless for example you buy the TYPKing Aluminium Keyboard case at iCasestore.com.au which has an excellent keyboard. Plus you're notusing a mouse or for editing or navigating documents and spreadsheet and if you need the full Adobe Flash-enabled web experience the desktop and laptop computers are a better option with more compatibility with the internet formats such as games and video content.

In regards to smartphones, it wont replace the smartphone either, at the moment, and most of all the iPad wont fit in your pocket for daily travel. Smartphones in today's world have are now an extension of our arm so if it doesn't fit in your pocket it may not be practical.

Apple's big advantage

The App Store in every iOS device is Apple's big advantage because it loads of interesting, affordable apps and games to keep people interested.

From the beginning when Apple launched the iPad it gave developers tools to create iPad optimised apps and has now got over 65,000 apps made just for the iPad, and is increasing fast. Compared with their Android competitors that are just starting to create tablet-optimised apps and it will be hard to catch up any time soon.

In addition the quality and wide selection of apps for the iPad will supply you with new stuff whenever you get sick of your old apps. Ad because it operates through Apple's App Store, iBooks Store, iTunes Store and iTunes software which run off a common user ID it makes account set-up and purchases easy.

The main menu app for Apple's iTunes store is one-touch access to the Number one music retailer in the world, the world. Plus movie and TV downloads and rentals for only 99 cents. Get podcasts, music videos, university lectures etc which none of the competition has to date.

But Google and the Android Honeycomb tablets with features such as email, web browsing, maps, media playback and contacts are getting closer to the iPad. But if you don’t like third-party apps, games and media downloads there are lots of good tablets now on the market. But you may as well forget about tablets if these things don’t appeal to you.

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Let's talk about the performance of the iPad 2

The iPad 2 is faster and more responsive than the first gen iPad featuring a new dual-core A5 processor and Apple claiming they have doubled speed and increased gaming graphics times nine. In addition the Safari web browser code has been worked on to improve JavaScript load time.

Even if we don’t respond to marketing messages, the iPad 2 is better. The original iPad was hard to beat in regards to general system responsiveness like keyboard latency, scrolling and zooming, and now the iPad 2 has improved again as well as app load times and the time it takes to switch between apps with the multitasking bar.

We ask if the iPad 2 is a gamer's ideal device, and think yes and no. Firstly the iPad has more games than any other tablet and many of the titles have graphic and play quality equal with professional gaming consoles. And with the new processor even graphically intensive games opeate with fluidity and are free from stuttering. But in saying this no matter how fast the iPad 2 can rende pixels it is held back by the iPad 2's 1024x768-pixel display resolution which might be improved next time.

But there is more to screens than pixel density and Apple is still using the IPS panel technology from the original iPad with viewing angles in every direction. Photo and video playback quality remains top notch.

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These days there are a lot of accessories made for the iPad such as cases, covers, stands, dock adapters, speakers, gaming peripherals and more. However the fitted iPad accessories wont fit the thinner Pad 2, and even Apple's dock and keyboard dock for the original iPad are bad fit for iPad 2 even though they will work.

Gladly the universal dock connection has stayed the same with the iPad 2 and you could plug it into the first iPad as wel, including charging cables, video adapters, Apple's Camera Connection kit or any in-car adapter cables.

Apple launched two accessories for iPad 2. The magnetic Smart Cover and a new Digital AV Adapter to connect the iPad to a TV over HDMI. Note. the same AV adapter works with the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad 1 but only the iPad 2 will allow you to output everything from your screen such as the menu, browser, games, apps and more, everything.

But it is possible to show your iPad content wirelessly from your iPad to your TV then use Apple TV. It's a great stand-alone media streamer for iTunes downloads and you can use the  little hockey-puck for Apple TV to push media from your iPad to your TV,  a features called AirPlay. AirPlay streaming works with videos, music and photos plus various apps and web content.

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Is it worth paying the extra money to upgrade from the original iPad to the iPad 2?

The iPad 2 is a step forwad and the 2 number indicates a step forward. .

So if you've got a first-generation iPad and arent sure about upgrading well then dont. But in saying that the iPad isn't all about being sensible, now is it because it's a fun fashionable product, so why not buy the latest.

The iPad 2 has new capabilities in various niche areas that could justify moving to the iPad 2 for a thinner faster model and if Apple's FaceTime video calling service is something you regularly use it's worth the upgrade. Different businesses could also use the iPad 2 HDMI video output mirroring (you need an adapter) to be important for presentations.

And now for most first generation iPad owners you'll find the the iPad 2 thinner with added cameras and better performance, but it may not be necessary just yet to upgrade, maybe wait until the iPad 3 unles money is no object of course.

iPad 2 is the best tablet in 2011with the most apps, thin construction, long battery life and god price with loads of happy customers. But don’t forget there is always going to be strong competition and Google, HP and others will fight hard to catch the iPad market.

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