I have an iPad 1 and don't really blame anyone if they don't upgrade
to the iPad2 (and wait for the iPad 3 that is rumored to come this fall).

No USB.
No Thunderbolt.
No SD (or SDXC).
No Retina Display.
No 4G.

For me, I really wanted the Retina (2048x1536) display for reading manga.
Most of my manga would completely fit at that resolution (except for double page
spreads). Also, the 1536 vertical resolution would be really good for light novels.

I was hoping for at least some innovation in terms of the display and Apple didn't
even mention anything about the Ipad 2 screen.

Personally, the biggest benefit to me would be the new A5 processor, which can
handle 1080p output. This would be great for my H.264 J-drama vids
with japanese subtitles (transcoded using Handbrake and a customer iPad
Handbrake profile I found on the net).

Also, VLC (which was taken off the App Store a while ago, but is still on my
iPad), might actually run my vids at full-frame rate. The iPad 1 is too weak
to play 720p or 1080p vids using just CPU.

Anyway, it's not that big of a deal in the long run.
I could just wait for the iPad 3.

Of course, with the high resale value of Apple products,
I could get a decent amount for my iPad and spend
$100-$200 to get the iPad 2.

Also, I'm wondering if the iPad 1 CPU is powerful enough for Garageband.
Since iOS 4.2, you can now hook up midi keyboards to the iPad and use
the iPad as a sound source (right now, I use Pianist Pro).

I'm still wondering if I should sell my iPad 1 and upgrade to the iPad 2.
But if anyone does decide to do so, I suggest you do it before March 11
(the iPad 2 release date). At that point, the value of the iPad 1 is likely
to take a nosedive.

I'll wait and see what the iPad 4 is like, around the same time as I survey how the non-Apple consumption-tablet market has developed.

Wait, so you mean they're releasing the "Solution to a problem that doesn't exist, an awkward balance between netbook (but much worse) and iPod (but much less portable), TWO"

Strange world

zachandhobbes Wrote:Wait, so you mean they're releasing the "Solution to a problem that doesn't exist, an awkward balance between netbook (but much worse) and iPod (but much less portable), TWO"

Strange world

Although I think an iPad is not very useful for most people, it's possibly the most useful tool for an academic in the humanities.

Thanks to the sadistic reading lists of philosophy professors championed in the name of "academic rigor", I have to read around 200-300 pages of dense philosophical text on a weekly basis. Most of this reading is the form of pdf articles.

When it comes to reading article after article, the iPad wins hands down. A netbook just doesn't compare. Of course, there's the option of printing each article. However, the amount of money spent on paper and ink over a year or two would probably be greater than the cost of an iPad. Likewise, I'd rather not carry around a pound or two of articles and then shuffle through them when I need to read one.

A few of the professors and many of the other graduate students in my program have iPads or at least an Android equivalent. All of them look back in regret at the days of having to either print out or read articles on their computers. Someday, I hope to do the same...

I don't think the ipad 2 is meant to be an upgrade machine really (unless you're an apple nut), more like an update to keep the ipad competitive.

Yeah, a lot of academics have said that they love it.

But don't let advertising and popularity fool you--it's a waste of money for most people.

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It is possible to connect some USB devices on iPad 1.

iPad 2 is on sale March 11 in US, and March 25 in most of Europe. Woohoo!!!

It is a significant upgrade. I don't get the hate here, but I won't even bother Go Apple!!

I'm far more impressed with Kindle than with both those iPads but I do see tons of situations/scenarios where padlike device would be very handy. As for this upgrade its really a cosmetic one but also necessary since every manufacturer will have dual core phone this year.

I will probably get one of these to complement my portable setup. Not sure I can be bothered waiting six months for a possible retina version. In that case, I could just sell it a couple of weeks before the 3rd one appears and then upgrade anyway.

Edit: Oh, and Fabrice: out of curiosity, what Mac do you use for development? I just ordered an MBP15 with the high-res anti-glare screen; I figure the extra pixels will come in handy.

I'll probably get one in August for grad school.

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astendra: I switched to a 27 inch iMac (late 2009 model) about a year ago. Best computer I've ever had, and I spent 10+ years on PC. I switched in two tries, though

I also have a Mackbook Pro (2009) as a bonus from my last job. I never use the laptop at home, but it's nice to have as a backup if my desktop PC (personal computer!) breaks and also for travelling. I continue to enjoy my PC gaming with Windows 7 installed on Bootcamp.

Problem with the iMac is its both my work computer, gaming computer and DVD player so now that I work at home, I spend a lot of time behind it (X_X).

That's partly why I am really excited to get an iPad. I'm looking forward to be able to spend at least an hour a day away from my desk, those times when I am just browsing, watching YouTube, and maybe light editing.

Another reason I'm excited about it is Air Display. Even with a ridiculous 2560x1440 res, having a separate display is really useful because you can keep something on the screen without switching front/back all the time, and also without cluttering your desktop. I'm looking forward to put iTunes music, Grooveshark, Adium (chat) etc on the second display. I'll have to see in practice but clearly this looks much more practical than using the laptop as a secondary screen.

OP Wrote:Also, I'm wondering if the iPad 1 CPU is powerful enough for Garageband.
Since iOS 4.2, you can now hook up midi keyboards to the iPad and use
the iPad as a sound source (right now, I use Pianist Pro).

GarageBand on iPad 2 uses the accelerometer to emulate soft/strong pressure! This is awesome. I can't wait playing with this thing. I'm not sure whether that was meant to work on iPad 1 as well. I think he said "accelerometer". The gyroscope is new in iPad2.

iOS4.3 is coming soon as well, with ability to stream your iTunes media directly from your desktop computer through the WiFi!

Oh and gyroscope!! Does this mean we will get 3D games on iPad2, just like in the Wii head-tracking demo?

The iPad2 will be the same price as the iPad! Reportedly the iPad's price has been dropped by 100$, I see it now as low as 379 € in Belgium.

PS: just for giggles:
The Mother Of All Android Malware Has Arrived: Stolen Apps Released To The Market That Root Your Phone, Steal Your Data, And Open Backdoor

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OP Wrote:I'm still wondering if I should sell my iPad 1 and upgrade to the iPad 2.

If I could do it without much loss, I would. Personally I was waiting for iPad2 partly because of the iPad's curved backside. It's nice aesthetically, but not very practical to lie flat on a table. The iPad2 is 33% thinner too.

Right now I have to decide if I really need 32GB or even 64GB, and if I want the white one

Get the 64gb if you can.

I have a 64gb WiFi.

My music (with kanji lyrics) takes up 25gb.
Jdrama takes the rest.

IPad is good for singing Japanese songs
Because the lyrics fit on one screen.

Once you start putting music and video your iPad fills up quickly.

If you are only using it for apps and books, 16gb is more than enough.

@Fabrice: Nice! Still not sure if I should stick with the 15", or go with a smaller laptop and keep my desktop. I mean, I'd get the 17" just for the screen resolution and dump the desktop, but I imagine it'd be a bitch to carry around because of sheer size.

Either way, I think the iPad will make an excellent secondary display, especially for reference documents and such. Switching between too many windows can be very distracting. Also, it will definitely beat reading on a smartphone.

Since I already own a 32GB iPhone 4, I can't see myself using the iPad for music, so I might just stick with the 16GB one. I don't see myself using it to watch movies at this stage either, but it's not like I'd need more space to do that - just load up one or two at a time, then rinse and repeat.

I dunno... I've tried the iPad a few times, and I just can't get excited about it. It reminds me too much of a giant cell phone. iPad 2 feels like an incremental upgrade. I don't see the hype. If you love Apple stuff, you'll love it. If you don't, you won't.

I prefer open source/free software stuff, so I don't particularly like Apple's approach. I never could cotton to iTunes' Big Brother approach. (And I found it annoying that I had to install it on every computer I own, and managing it is a pain in the butt.)

I tried the Xoom, and while I find Honeycomb interesting, Motorola's implementation is lame and overpriced. $800 is too much. No GSM version. You have to send it away for a week or so to get the 4G working, the micro SD card slot comes disabled. No SD card slot, either. (Micro SD? Seriously? That's way too expensive.)

I'm waiting on the Toshiba Honeycomb tablet... maybe they will finally get it right? I love Honeycomb as a "step forward" in a mobile OS... but it isn't without issues.

As for the so-call "trojan" brouhaha, well, anyone who didn't see it coming is naive (to be kind). Open systems will always be more vulnerable than closed systems. Popular platforms will be attacked more often than unpopular systems. So Android is vulnerable. In other news, the sun is bright, fire is hot, and water is wet.

Moral of the story: don't put cracked software on your phone, and be a little more careful what you do with it.

One suggestion I saw somewhere was to have a certification program for software in the Market-- sort of like a "Google Certified" seal that an app is safe. That way, the market remains free, users will know which apps are definitely safe, and there will be an incentive for devs to get their apps certified. (But no draconian requirements.) Let the invisible hand of the market do the dirty work, instead of the lawyers.

I'm not sure if tablet would be useful for me. Myabe I just wait next gen tablets and see if they become more interesting and more finished product. But also one what might going to be interesting is Samsung galaxy Tab 8,9". I think it can have more use for me. It's not too small or big =]. Hopefully Samsung have some interesting things to fight against iPad2.

Also I already have samsung galaxy S which is quite enought for me. And I'm going to upgrade it to Galaxy II, so I'm not sure why I would need tablet anymore?

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chamcham Wrote:I'm still wondering if I should sell my iPad 1 and upgrade to the iPad 2.

Here's the answer, from Team COCO: Conan: Apple Gets Cocky About iPad 2. Teehee

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chamcham Wrote:Get the 64gb if you can.

I have a 64gb WiFi.

I'm following several podcasts from TWiT and Dan Benjamin, and they often mentionned the Macbook Air as an alternative to the iPad where iPad's content creation falls short.

Now I checked Apple Store and the Macbook Air has a 11 inch model that is "only" ~320 € away from the 64GB iPad model (assuming the old iPad pricing that will be in place for iPad2).

The Macbook Air uses flash storage, it's a lot thinner and lighter than a Macbook Pro. Also OSX Lion is bringing some cool iOS user interface to the desktop, and more gestures. For example, I believe you'll be able to swipe sideways just like on iPad to choose applications.

So if I was looking for a better content creation tablet... I would consider the Macbook Air.

I'm still going for the iPad2 because I want the tablet format, and the ability to use it as a secondary display. I was really pumped up to get an electronic book reader since the Kindle came out, but I don't know.. the Kindle just doesn't cut it for me. The web is ubiquitous nowadays for content delivery, and I was waiting for a device that I can both use to read ebooks and webpages rendered with 100% fidelity.

By the way, this was a pretty quick reaction by Google re: the malicious code.

http://www.androidcentral.com/google-tel...cious-apps

TL;DR: Google has outlined how they will the problem for people who had their phones involuntarily rooted by the malicious apps, and will be sending them a special app to patch their borked phones.

They still need to fix their long-term strategy for this, because the problem isn't going to go away anytime soon. I guess it's time for phone anti-virus now.

ファブリス Wrote:

chamcham Wrote:I'm still wondering if I should sell my iPad 1 and upgrade to the iPad 2.

Here's the answer, from Team COCO: Conan: Apple Gets Cocky About iPad 2. Teehee

That's funny.

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Noticeable improvements for browsing thanks to the extra memory. Side to side comparison of iPad and iPad2 Safari with multiple tabs open:

Screenshot comparison of Infinity Blade on iPad2: more detailed textures, anti-aliasing, better shadows, and apparently better shader that gives a sheen to metal textures (there's a name for that type of mapping, I can't remember, it's not bump mapping though).

http://toucharcade.com/2011/03/11/infini...vs-ipad-2/

ファブリス Wrote:and apparently better shader that gives a sheen to metal textures (there's a name for that type of mapping, I can't remember, it's not bump mapping though)./

Specular mapping

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Thanks deathtrap

The GPU performance is looking good! It mowns down both the iPad1 and the XOOM tablet:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4216/apple...enchmarked

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Real Racing 2 HD - 1080p Video Out Demo

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Dohhhhhhhh. I ordered a 32 GB White iPad 2 yesterday but Sat morning I was at an Apple Store. There was a white 64GB and a few black 16 GB left. I messed around with an iPad 2 on display for a few minutes to decide whether I really wanted to pay 100 € more and if I would really need the 64 GB or just wait another 3-4 weeks for the online purchase.... that was too long and someone else snatched it

The white iPad 2 is really nice though. It's actually white, whereas the 13 inch Macbooks are more like ivory when you see one for real (edit: the last gens anyway, don't know about the latest "unibody" version).