Posts tagged Apple

It has come as a surprise to many that on Friday I bought iPad 2 16GB Wi-Fi in white. After spending 6 months with the 1st gen iPad last year and selling it in favour of the 11″ MacBook Air last November, I didn’t see myself buying another. However that was then, 7 months ago, this is now. And the improvements in iPad 2 become very clear from the moment you take it from the box.

The very first thing I noticed when unboxing the iPad was it’s weight – significantly lighter than 1st gen – 33% lighter, to be precise. It felt much more comfortable to hold, the back feeling much smoother than it’s older brother. And I just love the white. It makes the iPad look so small, neat and clean. When I attached it to my Mac to sync, I noticed the screen seemed more vibrant and clear. Considering no changes were made to the resolution I am left feeling puzzled as to why it looks so much better – maybe it’s the white surround, I don’t know.

So, why did I go back to the iPad? It’s funny because I don’t actually feel like I’ve gone back. I’ve gone forward. iPad 2 feels very very different to the 1st gen. I haven’t sat here with any feelings of déjà vu because it feels like a very different product, if that makes sense. The design changes and the improved hardware ones really set this apart. It’s like this is how the iPad was meant to be – definitely take two!

I have chatted with my good friend Nicky for a number of weeks and asked him a lot of questions about his opinion on the difference between iPad and iPad 2, considering he has experience of both. I knew he would be upfront and honest with me and in the end these chats lead to me taking the decision to buy. However, the decision proved the easiest part – locating one was the difficult bit. There are two Apple Stores in my area: Metrocentre in Gateshead and Eldon Square in Newcastle. I phoned both of these stores daily for the past 2 weeks and there were no stock of the model I wanted: 16GB Wi-fi in white.

On Thursday 23rd June I called the Metrocentre Apple Store at 8.45pm, just 15 minutes before closing time, to ask if they had stock. They did, but wouldn’t give me an indication as to how many, other than “a few” which is fair enough as they aren’t allowed to disclose actual numbers, nor can you reserve an iPad even if you’ll be there in half an hour. I wasn’t about to drive at breakneck speeds to get there for one, but knew if I got there in the morning shortly after their 10am opening time then I was pretty much guaranteed to snag one. And on Friday at 10.30am I did.

Aside from the physical changes I mentioned earlier, the speed bump in this is very noticeable. Switching between pages in Safari is snappy, opening apps is so quick and Wi-Fi signal seems far stronger in iPad 2 – no more 1-bar. Having two cameras on board is great for Photo Booth and the yet untested FaceTime. The quality of the camera isn’t great, we all know that, but this hasn’t stopped family and friends having a great laugh in front of Photo Booth. I also shot a teeny bit of video on Friday and the picture and audio quality certainly wasn’t terrible. The speaker location and quality seems far more improved also.

The one question people have asked me (many many times) is have I bought iPad 2 to replace my MacBook Air? The answer is a firm and resounding NO! My MacBook Air has become my workhorse now, with iMac relegated to being the digital hub, providing streaming to my Air, Apple TV’s, iPhone and now iPad. My 4 year old iMac is starting to very much feel it’s age, so using it as the home’s hub makes far more sense in it’s twilight years, therefore my needs have changed. Because of the small but perfectly formed 64GB SSD in my MacBook Air I cannot put my entire digital life on here. For me the iPad isn’t a laptop replacement, I learned this last year when that was exactly what I was expecting from it, hence my frustrations. I don’t see any similarities between the Air and the iPad – they both serve very different purposes.

I think one of the things that tipped me over the edge and persuaded me to buy the iPad 2 now is anticipation of iOS 5 in the Autumn. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am for iMessage and how typing on the larger screen of the iPad will be an absolute godsend when keeping in touch with my friends, considering this will pretty much replace email contact between myself and my iOS 5 friends around the globe. I will obviously report back when iOS 5 and iMessage drop, to let you know my experiences with that.

I’ve been using the iPad 2 for two days now and I am thoroughly enjoying it. The apps available for the iPad now has risen significantly in the last 7 months, with many of the apps I have on my iPhone now being universal, so no need to buy twice to have on my two devices. There are some HD versions I have recently purchased, such as Megaplex Madness HD which as luck would have it was in a 50% off sale on Friday. It has been played to_death this weekend. Games such as this really benefit from the larger screen – no more eyestrain when keeping my cinema customers happy! And that’s not to mention Sonic and SEGA All-Star Racing – incredible graphics and wonderful to play on the iPad.

I haven’t yet bought any accessories for the iPad, but I will probably pick up a Smart Cover sometime soon. I’m usually a fan of actual sleeves to carry my device around in, but the fact that it doubles as a stand could be useful.