>Apple iPad 2 Hongkong Release Date Still Not Happening

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Apple promised an April Release date for the iPad 2 in Hongkong, but its already pass April’s first week and its still not happening. What could be causing this delay? April arrives, so as the excitement of most asian countries that will finally have a taste of the Apple iPad 2. Apple has confirmed that the release date for the Apple iPad 2 is this April 2011. The only problem is that they did not indicated what date it actually is. The iPad 2 has been leaked into Hongkong by local vendors, pricing the device twice from its regular $499-$850 range. Well this will be over soon as the Apple iPad 2 arrives in Hongkong, Korea and Singapore this month.

A couple of countries were announced to be going to have the Apple iPad 2 shipped, Included in the list are countries outside the united States. “While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we’ve changed the game again with iPad 2,” Steve Jobs, Apple’s chief executive officer, said in a statement. “We’re experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the US, and customers around the world have told us they can’t wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone’s patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone,” he noted.

Japan had its shipment of Apple iPad 2 delayed after the incident that crippled the country, The 25 countries where iPad 2 were promised to go on sale at the end of March in placed that include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Britain. What kind of delay is causing this? Will the Apple iPad 2 really make it this April? The demand of the iPad 2 in Hongkong is high and people are starting to get disappointed as release date still not happening.

>No More Microsoft Stores, Thanks

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Agreeing with me is not a prerequisite for Technologizer contributors. (Actually, I always learn more when our other writers — and commenters — have a take that’s in conflict with mine.) I was happy to read Ed’s post on why he shares Steve Ballmer’s apparent belief that Microsoft should build many more Microsoft Stores. But even though Ed makes his case cogently, I’m still not sold on the argument that Microsoft should mount an Apple-like campaign to sell products directly to consumers through hundreds of retail outlets. Here’s why.

1. “Microsoft” is not a unifying concept. For one of the world’s largest companies, Apple makes shockingly few products — and they all work together, look alike, and appeal to a certain kind of person. They’re a matched set, and it makes sense for them all to be on display in one place. Microsoft, on the other hand, makes all kinds of stuff aimed at all kinds of people; there’s nothing tying together Xbox, a Microsoft mouse, and SQL Server. Yes, I know that Microsoft Stores focus on consumer products, but even then, “Microsoft” is a corporation, not a lifestyle or an aspiration or a rallying cry. (That helps to explain why Microsoft Stores look so much like Apple Stores that they’ve been roundly mocked for their copycatting.) When I first heard of

Microsoft Stores, I said that the notion of a Microsoft Store feels like that of a Procter and Gamble Store; I still feel that way.

2. Microsoft Stores can’t support Microsoft products like Apple Stores can support Apple products. It’s possible for an Apple “Genius” to know nearly everything there is to know about a Mac, an iPhone, or an iPad, in part because Apple is responsible for (as Steve Jobs likes to say) the whole widget. The world of Windows, however, involves a nearly infinite array of PCs from many, many manufacturers. No Microsoft expert can truly be an expert on all of them. And while Apple Geniuses who fail to solve problems on the spot can accept Apple products for warranty service — no matter where you bought them — a Microsoft Store can’t fix the Acer PC you bought at Best Buy or the HP one you bought at Office Depot.

3. Microsoft can’t tick off its partners. When Apple started opening its own storefronts in 2001, Apple products weren’t widely carried by big retailers-they were mostly stocked by mom and pop stores (some of whom were not pleased with Apple getting into the retail business). As Ed says, Microsoft products are readily available at major stores just about everywhere. I don’t think that Best Buy would be thrilled if Microsoft Stores started popping up across the nation. And I know it would be nonplussed if Microsoft took Ed’s suggestion and began offering exclusive deals through its stores that Best Buy couldn’t match. I don’t think Microsoft can afford to be as capricious about the feelings of major retailers as Apple was about independent Mac shops a decade ago.

4. There’s just too much stuff. Even a smallish Apple Store can stock every Apple computer, every iPhone, every iPod, and every iPad, plus every Apple accessory and a goodly selection of third-party products. A Microsoft Store is doomed to incompleteness: it can contain only a smattering of Windows computers, an incomplete selection of other Microsoft products, and a sampling of third-party offerings. I don’t even know whether the Microsoft Stores that already exist have every Windows Phone 7 handset on display.

5. It’s just not necessary. Apple began opening its own stores in part because it was hard to find Apple products for sale, and even harder to find salespeople who could answer fundamental questions such as “Why should I buy this $1000 Mac instead of a $500 Windows machine?” It isn’t difficult to find Microsoft and Microsoft-related products. And because they’re the default — at least when we’re talking computers — they require less explanation. I can’t imagine that anybody doesn’t buy a Microsoft product because there aren’t more Microsoft stores — but if every Apple Store on the planet were to mysteriously disappear tomorrow, Apple would be in deep trouble.

I should note that I’ve never been in an Microsoft Store: there aren’t any here in the Bay Area, and I haven’t encountered any in my travels. It’s possible that visiting one would leave me less skeptical about the whole idea. Then again, it might reinforce my gut feeling.

Ed, if you’re reading this — feel free to step in and tell me why I’m wrong…

>Apple steps up iPad 2 campaign to push functionality over hardware specifications(Video)

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Apple has started airing a new spot promoting iPad 2 as a collection of “delightful, even magical” integrated functions rather than just a device with various hardware specifications.

The new ad continues the series of iPad commercials that have focused on its capabilities, with little if any mention of its hardware specifications. However, the new ad strikes a new sentimental tone portraying the device as being natural and intuitive to the point where the underlying technology vanishes.

“This is what we believe,” the new spot says. “Technology alone is not enough. Faster, thinner, lighter; those are all good things. But when technology gets out of the way, everything becomes more delightful, even magical. That’s when you leap forward. That’s when you end up with something like this,” fading to “iPad 2” in
titles.

Apple coyly refused to address some technical specifications of iPad 2 at its release (including the amount of system RAM), focusing instead upon its features, including two new first party apps, iMovie and Garage Band, that take full advantage of iPad hardware without any discussion of what it is they are taking advantage of.

Apple prefers to focus on the functionality of iPad and its other unique features (including the hard to duplicate library of 65,000 iPad-optimized titles in the App Store, integration with iTunes, and its iBooks Store) because these are all aspects that competitors will be unable to match in the next few years.

Competitors, including RIM’s forthcoming Playbook, Android licensees’ new 3.0 Honeycomb tablets, and HP’s new TouchPad will have less trouble matching or even exceeding the technical specifications of iPad 2.

Samsung recently announced that its newest batch of Galaxy Tab devices would be slightly thinner and lighter than the iPad (although critics complained that even the non-functional prototypes aren’t actually thinner), while Motorola advertised its Xoom tablet as having twice as much RAM (although that extra RAM doesn’t appear to make it faster at browsing or most other tasks, and doesn’t make up for Android 3.0’s 20-something apps compared to iPad’s more than 65,000).

By working hard to keep a focus on functionality and user experience rather than just hardware specifications, physical dimensions and pricing, Apple makes its tightly “curated” integration a key differentiation, the same aspect the company pushed in its Get a Mac campaign that contrasted a positive, simple Mac experience to the frustrating, troublesome problems PC users face.

Apple largely lost that message in the 90s when it allowed third party PC makers to equate their product experience to Macs while focusing on CPU speed, RAM, disk storage, and price, the same thing Android and Windows Mobile licensees are promoting today among mobile devices.

>Will Sony Supply the iPhone 5 With an 8MP Camera?

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Will the iPhone 5 have an 8-megapixel camera? Reports say that Sony CEO Howard Stringer let the cat out of the bag during an interview with Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal.

“It always puzzles me,” Stringer said. “Why would I make Apple the best camera?”

Both the 5-megapixel camera on the iPhone 4 and the 3.2-megapixel device on the iPhone 3GS have been supplied by OmniVision. Electronista first revealed in February that Sony could replace OmniVision as the camera provider for Apple’s smartphone, creating a beefed-up 8-megapixel sensor for the device. Electronista said Sony would take over for OmniVision because the latter wouldn’t be able to produce the camera in time for the launch of the iPhone 5.

Stringer’s statements have given additional fuel to this report. He also reveled that 15 Sony factories in Japan, including a camera sensor plant, were damaged by the earthquake in the beginning of March, thus delaying part shipments.

According to another report, there could be some truth to these rumors. A report surfaced earlier this week that said the iPhone 5 won’t make its debut until October or later. The report, which originally appeared on Macotakara and was translated by AppleInsider, also said that Apple hasn’t even ordered components for the next-generation iPhone. So even if Sony is slated to provide the iPhone 5’s camera, those plans might not be set in stone.

Macotakara predicted an iPhone 5 launch in the first half of fiscal 2012, it isn’t likely that Apple would miss the opportunity for holiday season sales, and AppleInsider predicted an October or November launch.

The iPhone 5 rumors have been floating around for several months now. The most recent reports contend that the phone will have an edge-to-edge screen. Other rumors claim that the design of the back of the phone could be different, ditching glass for aluminum and moving the antenna from the external frame.

>BlackBerry to Match Apple on the Price of Its Tablet (Photos)

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OTTAWA — Research In Motion challenged Apple on Tuesday by announcing that its BlackBerry PlayBook would be sold at the same price as the iPad 2.

But the success or failure of the BlackBerry tablet, which will have a base price of $499, is unlikely to be determined in the aisles of Best Buy, Staples, RadioShack or the other retailers that will begin offering it on April 19. Many analysts believe that the PlayBook’s main customer base, like that of the original BlackBerry smartphone, will be corporations and government buying in bulk at a discounted price.

“Maybe ‘PlayBook’ is a misnomer,” said Tony Cripps, an analyst with Ovum, a unit of Datamonitor, who is based in London. “R.I.M. would be crazy not to maximize its advantages in the enterprise market.”

The PlayBook will be the first tablet that is directly price-competitive with Apple’s offering. By comparison, both the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab cost more than the iPad 2. Hewlett-Packard, which is also expected to sell its TouchPad tablet to corporations, has not yet announced the price of its device.

While Best Buy began accepting advance orders for the PlayBook on its Web site on Tuesday, the primary buyers of the PlayBook are unlikely to be paying retail. From the first days of the BlackBerry hand-held, R.I.M. carefully cultivated relationships with the information technology departments within corporations and governments. Its products have long included security and control features that are of more interest to people who run computer systems than to the employees using the BlackBerrys.

Jeff Orr, an analyst with ABI Research, said that R.I.M. had been consulting with its large customers about the PlayBook for several months. “They’re playing to a market where they definitely have a closer relationship than Apple,” Mr. Orr said.

That has produced some initial corporate interest. Sun Life Financial, a large insurance and financial services company in Toronto, has agreed to buy about 1,000 PlayBooks and said that it had already developed an application for the devices.

But beyond the identical prices, R.I.M. and Apple have taken several different approaches to their tablets. The PlayBook, for example, has a 7-inch screen compared to the iPad 2’s 9.7-inch display. But unlike the iPad 2, the PlayBook can display Web pages that use Adobe Flash software. and it has a much higher resolution camera for video and still photography.

At first, the PlayBook will be available only in a version that connects to the Internet through Wi-Fi. R.I.M. has said that more advanced, and costly, models for use on wireless carriers’ networks will be available from Sprint this summer. Following Apple’s lead, R.I.M. said that in addition to the base model with 16 gigabytes of memory, the PlayBook will be offered as a 32-gigabyte version for $599 and a 64-gigabyte model for $699.

Despite the embrace of the iPad by consumers, the demand from businesses and governments for tablets remains, at best, unclear. “It’s still very, very early stages,” said Mike Abramsky, an equity analyst with RBC Capital Market, a unit of the Royal Bank of Canada, who said that small businesses currently accounted for most nonpersonal use of tablets.

Still, Mr. Abramsky expects that sales to corporations and governments will account for about 30 to 40 percent of all tablet sales by the end of 2012.

Mr. Abramsky said that many corporations would probably prefer the PlayBook because of their history with the BlackBerry smartphone. But at the same time, he said he also expected that companies would find ways to integrate iPads and tablets based on Google’s Android operating system, if for no other reason than to accommodate employees who bring their personal devices to work.

>Apple confirms iPad 2 on track for March 25 international launch

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Despite continued sellouts of the iPad 2 in the U.S., an Apple spokesperson has confirmed that the international launch of the touchscreen tablet will proceed as planned on Friday, March 25, a new report claims.

“Everything that is on [Apple’s U.K.] website still holds true; the website says 25 March and that’s when it’ll be,” an Apple spokesperson told TechRadar.com earlier this week.

Rumors that Apple would delay the international launch of the iPad 2 were fueled last week by immediate sellouts of new shipments of the device and long lines that continued in the week after launch. Last week, analyst Brian White of Ticonderoga Securities questioned whether Apple would be able to produce enough iPad 2 units to launch in more than two dozen countries this Friday after checks to several key Apple Stores.

Also stoking speculation of iPad 2 delays were reports of supply chain disruption caused by a massive earthquake in Japan that took place earlier this month. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told investors last week that the production status from Apple’s Japanese-based component suppliers remained unclear, with many partners unable to accurately quantify the extent of their damage.

Late last week, a report from iSuppli identified five components in the Pad 2 that are likely sourced from Japan: NAND flash from Toshiba Corp., DRAM made by Elphida Memory Inc., an electronic compass from AKM Semiconductor, a touchscreen overlay glass likely from Asahi Glass Co. and a system battery from Apple Japan. The report noted that while some of the suppliers’ facilities were undamaged, “delivery of components from all of these companies is likely to be impacted at least to some degree by logistical issues now plaguing most Japanese industries in the quake zone.”

Apple announced last week that it is delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan “while the country and [Apple’s] teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster.”

The iPad 2 is scheduled to go on sale March 25 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. According to Apple, launch dates and pricing for further international launches will be announced at a later date.

Last year, overwhelming initial demand for the original iPad forced Apple to delay the first-generation tablet’s international launch by a month. The company went on to sell 15 million iPads from April to December 2010.

>Apple iPad 2: 10 Reasons Customers Pounced on It

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Apple’s iPad 2 has sold almost 1 million units, according to some analysts. But what made the device such a success? Read on to find out.
When the iPad 2 launched March 11, just about everyone knew the tablet would sell extremely well. After all, it was coming off the success of its predecessor and it had Apple’s logo on it. In most cases, that’s enough for any device to be a success.
But few thought that the iPad 2 would be as successful as it seems to be. According to one analyst, Apple could have sold up to 1 million iPad 2 units in the device’s first weekend of availability. Officials with technology retailer Best Buy said that in some stores, their stock ran out in 10 minutes. Apple’s online-ordering page says the iPad 2 won’t be available for four weeks to those who buy one online now. By all measures, the iPad 2 has been a blockbuster hit.
But why has the iPad 2 been such a success? Read on to find out.
1. The cameras matter
It’s clear now that the addition of both a front- and rear-facing camera to the iPad 2 has been a key selling point to consumers. The original iPad lacked cameras, making the device a tad less appealing than some of its competitors, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom, both of which offer dual cameras. Plus, with FaceTime support now available on the iPhone, iPod Touch and Macs, in addition to the iPad 2, consumers are seeing a lot of value in Apple’s video-conferencing feature.
2. Pricing
When Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPad 2 March 2, he made it clear to consumers that the latest tablet would be offered at the same price as its predecessor. The cheapest iPad 2 retails for $499; the most expensive option goes for $829. At those prices, five out of the six versions of the iPad 2 are cheaper than its chief competitor, the Motorola Xoom. It hits every price point, and along the way, it makes for a far more affordable option for people on any budget.
3. Steve Jobs’ hype
When Jobs said in January that he would be taking a medical leave of absence, some wondered if he would ever come back. But at the March 2 event unveiling the iPad 2, he did just that. And because of that, much more light was shone on that event than would have otherwise been there. The hype machine was going full throttle, and millions around the United States learned of all the benefits of owning an iPad 2 as they also heard about Jobs’ health status. It was an extremely savvy move, and by the looks of things, it paid off in a big way.
4. The online sellout helped
It didn’t take long for the iPad 2 to sell out on Apple’s Website. It also didn’t take long for reports on that sellout to reach the mass audience. Whenever supply shortages become known to the public, it usually means good things for companies. Consumers think the device is more valuable than they had originally thought, those sitting on the fence are more likely to go out and buy the device, and all those sellouts remain in the headlines for quite some time. Apple benefited greatly from the sellouts.
5. The white iPad
When Apple announced the iPhone 4, the company promised a white version of the device. The only issue is, that model has yet to hit store shelves. The white iPad 2, on the other hand, was available on launch day. Chances are, the white version appealed to a large group of customers who were tired of the same old black finish, and it’s likely that it only helped Apple sell more tablet units.
6. They don’t know about the Motorola Xoom
Over the past several weeks, Motorola has done a fine job of advertising the Xoom, its 10.1-inch tablet that runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The only issue is, that advertising wasn’t as successful as it could have been, and not enough people know about the features the device offers. That opening was enough for Apple to capitalize on, and going forward, it seems that the chances of the Xoom coming close to matching iPad 2 sales figures are slim, to say the least.
7. The original iPad looked obsolete
Those who owned the original iPad were forced to look at all the updates Apple made to the tablet, including adding dual cameras and a slimmer, lighter body, and really question whether the device they owned was enough for them any longer. Based on the reported sales figures, quite a few people seemingly believed it wasn’t.
Apple’s strategy of updating devices each year has proven extremely successful. It knows how to deliver what people really want without giving customers everything. By doing so, it attracts both new and old customers that push its sales figures higher each year.
8. New buyers are ready to join the market
According to one report, a whopping 70 percent of all iPad 2 buyers were new to the tablet market. That’s an extremely important figure. It means that a growing number of people are seeing value in Apple’s tablet. Plus, it means that going forward, Apple will only enjoy even more success as all those newcomers who couldn’t get the iPad 2 on launch day pick up a unit in the coming weeks and months.
9. Allow history to be the guide
Apple’s unit sales of mobile devices have been growing since the company first launched the iPhone. In 2008 alone, research firm Gartner found that iPhone sales were up 245 percent, compared with the prior year. Moreover, at the end of Apple’s 2010 fiscal year in September, the company reported that it sold nearly 74 million iPhones since its launch in 2007. Earlier this month, it revealed that it has now sold more than 100 million units. Considering Apple sold 15 million iPad units last year and could have sold up to 1 million iPad 2 units in a single weekend, it seems history is repeating itself.
10. The timing was perfect
Once again, Apple timed the launch of its tablet perfectly. Rather than wait until the summer when several tablets would be on store shelves competing against the original iPad for months, Apple offered up its iPad 2 before many of its rivals had a chance to release their devices. That move effectively cut off any advantage the competition might have thought it had. Even worse for those vendors, it probably cut off their ability to sell as many devices as they had hoped.

>Apple May Have Sold 500,000 IPad 2 Tablets on Debut Weekend, Analyst Says

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Apple Inc. may have sold as many as 500,000 iPad 2 computers after retail outlets ran out of the tablet-style device on its debut weekend, said Piper Jaffray Cos. analyst Gene Munster.
Stores run by Apple, Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. contacted by Munster’s team had sold out of the device, he said in a research note yesterday. Online orders via Apple’s website are taking up to a month for delivery, up from less than a week when sales began.
Early estimates suggest demand for iPads remains buoyant even as competitors such as Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. enter the tablet market. Apple sold more than 300,000 units of the first iPad in the 24 hours after its April debut.
“IPads are sold out across virtually all channels,” Munster said in the research note. “We were unable to find any availability.”
Munster said Apple will probably surpass his early prediction that 5.5 million iPads would be sold this quarter, which ends this month. Munster, based in Minneapolis, said that 70 percent of the customers surveyed by his team were first-time iPad buyers, signaling Apple is expanding its user base.
Apple may have sold three times as many iPad 2s in the debut as the first iPad, according to Trip Chowdhry, an analyst with Global Equities Research. All of the handful of Best Buy stores surveyed by Global Equities sold out of the iPad in four minutes, Chowdhry wrote.
Thinner, Lighter Model
The new model, which comes in white and black, is lighter, thinner, includes a more powerful processor and has front and rear cameras. It ranges in price from $499 for a base model to $829 for the top-of-the-line version.
Materials used in the iPad 2 cost about $326.60, according to research firm IHS ISuppli, which based its analysis on a version that has 32 gigabytes of memory and works with the mobile phone standard know as global system for mobile communications. That’s up from $320 for the earlier model.
Apple expanded the number of retail outlets where the device was available, including 236 retails stores in the U.S. and thousands of AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless, Best Buy, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and Target stores.
“Demand for the next-generation iPad has been amazing and we are working hard to get iPad 2 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Apple. The company has not issued a first-weekend sales figure for the iPad 2.
Apple similarly didn’t have enough of the iPhone 4 in the days after its June introduction.
102 Tablets In Works
Through December, Apple had sold 14.8 million iPads, generating $9.6 billion in sales, making it one of the fastest- selling consumer-electronic devices in history.
Rivals including Motorola Mobility, Samsung Electronics Co., Research In Motion Ltd. and Hewlett-Packard Co. are introducing tablet computers to compete with the iPad. Overall, there are 102 tablets from 64 makers either on sale or in development, according to consulting firm PRTM.
On March 11, hundreds of people lined up at the Fifth Avenue store in New York. Store workers handed out free hot chocolate and water to those waiting.
“I’m a student, and I hate carrying my laptop to school. It’s like five pounds and the iPad is a lot lighter,” said Jay Narang, 19, a sophomore at Baruch College. “I was going to get the first one, but I knew they were going to come out with one with cameras, so why not just wait?”
Francis Degode, 44, lives outside of Brussels and said he came to New York for the release because it would take too long to get one at home. Degode got in line at 6 a.m. in the rain on March 11 to get his first iPad.
“The iPad 2 is faster, and there are two cameras. It’s very useful,” Degode said. “It’s the gadget of the year.”

>Why You Should Not Buy An iPad 2: iOS(Gallery Foto)

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Like many tech enthusiasts, I followed last week’s Apple event closely. Steve Jobs unexpectedly took the stage, but the company announced an expected product: the iPad 2. Although not nearly as revolutionary as the original, the second generation model brings refined hardware improvements. Extras such as cameras are also a great addition, however there is one major flaw: iOS.
Do Hardware Specs Matter?
This questions comes up quite often and the answer is not simple. Apple’s original iPad was a game changer since there was nothing else like it on the market. Tablet PCs had been around for ages, but they still ran a desktop operating system. While I adore Windows 7 and use it primarily for all my work, it is far from being ideal for tablets. With the introduction of iOS, hardware specs for tablets became more along the lines of a smart phone rather than a laptop computer.
Although 2010 was definitely the year of the iPad, 2011 has an entirely new landscape. Competition such as the BlackBerry PlayBook, HP TouchPad, Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10, and LG G-Slate each offer a very similar set of features. There are some benefits and drawbacks to each which we highlighted in our series of infographics, but the specifications are roughly the same. They are so close in some regards that it truly does not make a difference to consumers.
Software Matters Too

While hardware specifications were all the rage for ages, easy to use and intuitive software has pushed for consumer friendly devices. Apple made a great decision when they chose to run iOS on the iPad instead of Mac OS X last year. The interface was efficient, familiar, and simple. The iPhone was already a hit and the iPad was a perfectly complement to the family.
Although I do not own an iPad, I spent some time using and reviewing it last year. There were many missing features at the time, however iOS ran incredibly smoothly. Fast forward a year later, not much has changed aside from the addition of multitasking. The new iPad 2 makes things faster with a dual-core processor, but the operating system is nearly identical.
This creates a major issue for Apple as we head into the flooded market of tablets in 2011. The current iOS for the iPad is essentially an enlarged version of the operating system for the iPhone and iPod touch. The platform was a great start, but the original design does not take advantage of the tablet form factor. Although I was hoping for a new refreshing interface, Apple did not announce a major software revamp for the iPad 2 aside from a few minor enhancements.
The Competition Has Caught Up

There are many amazing iPad apps that take advantage of 9.7 inch screen, but the operating system does not go far enough. Google, HP, and RIM have started from the ground up with new tablet operating systems that take the slate form factor into consideration from the OS level. BlackBerry Tablet OS, webOS 3, and Android 3.0 Honeycomb each offer many user interface improvements which are more innovative and intuitive than iOS.
For instance, HP’s latest webOS 3 lets users stack sets of applications together for organized multitasking. Google’s Android 3.0 Honeycomb has an impressive notifications panel for keeping up to date with the latest information without letting pop ups disrupt work flow. It is not just about multitasking and notifications either, these new breed of tablets offer creative home screens with widgets and improved navigation for getting things done fast.
It’s Also About The Apps

In addition to beyond impressive sales, Apple’s App Store count is far ahead of competition. Steve Jobs proudly noted that there are over 65,000 iPad optimized apps while less than 100 are available Android tablets. It is also important not to forget that the quality of apps also matter. Apple’s out of the box apps are amazing and many third-party apps are even better.
However, you will probably change your mind once you try Android 3.0 Honeycomb. The default bundled apps truly highlight the true potential for Google’s new operating system. Everything from the Browser, Calendar, Chat, Contacts, Email, Maps, and Music apps are incredibly innovative. They look gorgeous, have more features, and actually very easy to use. This is a small indicator of the likely nature of upcoming third-party Android tablet apps.
Keep in mind that the Motorola Xoom is the only Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet on the market so far and it is than a month old. Apple iOS for the iPad is about a year a more mature than all the others. Competitors, including Google, are still far behind Apple when it comes to tablet sales, but they are move up the ladder faster with better technology.
To Buy Or Not To Buy
If you are ready for a tablet, you may want to think a moment before dropping cash for the iPad 2. It is a great product, but it is only a slight advancement to the previous iteration. Apple has yet to announce or make any mention of iOS 5. It is unclear what the next generation operating system will offer or if every feature would even carry over to the iPad 2. Other tablets already have a head start with features such as 4G connectivity, integrated mobile hotspots, flash player, video chat over a cellular network, and expandable storage. While the iPad 2 will by no means disappoint if you know what you are getting, consider the available options if you are open to unique alternatives.

>Inside the iPad 2: chip brings 50% browsing boost

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Wondering what makes that iPad 2 you just got tick and how much faster it is than the original iPad? Anandtech, iFixit, iosnoops, and UBM TechInsights have provided some answers.
Processor performance: Let’s address this first–for obvious reasons. Apple has already been very public about the dual-core 1GHz A5 processor–a step up from the single-core chip in the original iPad–and the chip’s “up to 9X faster” graphics” (Apple’s ad copy).
And the verdict from an independent review? “CPU [Central Processing Unit] performance…we found to be a healthy 50 percent faster than the A4 in the original iPad–at least in Web browsing,” said Anandtech in a “performance preview” of the iPad 2. (More detailed benchmarks here.)
But a boost in raw “clock” speed is not the reason, according to iosnoops. “The new Apple A5 processor…may offer twice as many cores as the Apple A4 processor featured in the first generation iPad [but] it appears that each processing core is actually clocked at a slower speed,” said the review site.
iosnoops continues. “While doing some early iPad 2 benchmarks, the team discovered by chance an interesting tidbit: the A5 doesn’t run at 1GHz like the Apple A4, but is instead clocked around 890MHz (the speed of the A5 does not seem to be constant, and varies depending on the apps running on the iPad 2).”
Whatever the case, the iPad 2’s performance is considerably better than the original iPad. “The iPad 2 is much faster. Web pages load quicker, the OS is more responsive, and applications even launch faster,” said Anand Shimpi, who heads up Anandtech, responding to an e-mail query.
That said, it should be noted that the Motorola Xoom (with an Nvidia processor and graphics) surpasses the iPad 2 in some browser benchmarks, according to Anandtech.
Graphics-specific performance: And the new Imagination Technologies’ PowerVR SGX 543MP2 graphics processor? On certain benchmarks, an increase ranging from 3X to 5X, according to Anandtech. Here’s what that review site said about one benchmark–the so-called “fragment lit triangle test”: “While the PowerVR SGX 535 in the A4 (original iPad) could barely break 4 million triangles per second in this test, the PowerVR SGX 543MP2 in the A5 manages just under 20 million. There’s just no competition here.” Gamers rejoice!