iPad 2: You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet

By Jesse Herman
MacNewsWorld
Part of the ECT News Network
01/07/11 5:00 AM PT

My feeling is that those people who held off buying the original iPad in anticipation of the iPad 2 will be pretty happy with their decision. By the same token, those who bought the original iPad will sell it on eBay and put the money toward the new one. One thing's for sure: The iPad 2 is going to sell like Cadbury Cream Eggs on Easter Eve.

The original iPad was pretty much awesome, although it was missing some features that clearly should have been included. After some design leaks, it is fair to say that some of these issues are going to be resolved with the iPad 2.

For starters, there is going to be a camera. It is amazing to me that Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), of all companies, would decide to leave one of its products devoid of a camera. When one thinks of Apple, built-in cameras are one of first things that come to mind. It is hard for me not to be paranoid when on my iMac, suspicious that Steve Jobs is watching me through that lens, making sure my homework is getting done.

Most likely the reason it was left out was so people would want to buy the iPad 2. It is the only reasonable explanation.

It goes without saying that the camera will be front and back-facing (Facetime, Excellent), which is great for people who want to see who they are talking to, quite a revelation for the porn industry. Not me though. I still prefer the imagination and sticky pages, but I'm old school.

Speaking of this nonsense, Apple should also be reducing the fingerprinting and overall smudge resistance of the screen. Other obvious improvements will be with visibility in sunlight, as nobody would expect Apple to say "We did not think it was important for people to see in the light of day this time around."

The iPad 2 will be much thinner, with a flat back, which will be great to avoid the "rocking" of the first one, which has a curved back. This is the exact same progression of the iPhone products, which ditched their curved ways with the iPhone 4.

The size of the screen may be the same or a little smaller. iPad junkies will need to make sure they keep a tight grip. If the iPhone 4 is any indication, the breakability of the device may increase.

With the iPhone 4, the front screen actually sits up a bit higher, making it more prone to cracks. Whispers of a smaller bezel make it seem likely the next iPad will also break more easily.

A wide-range speaker has been reported by several outlets. This makes sense for business and personal use. My personal request for business presentations is for a built-in projector. This applies with about anything, though, because projectors are awesome and need to be everywhere. A few years ago, Oprah talked about this, and it seemed it would happen. Hopes still abound.

There are going to be three versions of the iPad, supporting either -- or a combination of -- WiFi, UMTS and CDMA. Needless to say, the Verizon iPad won't send shockwaves when announced, but it will involve much hype and excitement nonetheless. That announcement was expected at CES, but Verizon made no mention of its iPlans. (Apple, of course, is not there. Apple is like the guest invited to a party who does not show -- the one people then like to bad-mouth out of spite.)

Other rumors that are still up in the air are the possibility of a USB port and a dual-core CPU. Dual-core processing would allow for greater multitasking capabilities, and a USB port would make the iPad 2 more flexible. Both features would be great but are not dealbreakers.

The buzz surrounding the iPad 2 release is pretty big, and competitors have certainly done their best to flex their proverbial muscles. My feeling is that those people who held off buying the original iPad in anticipation of the iPad 2 will be pretty happy with their decision.

By the same token, those who bought the original iPad will sell it on eBay (Nasdaq: EBAY) and put the money toward the new one. One thing's for sure: The iPad 2 is going to sell like Cadbury Cream Eggs on Easter Eve.

All of the talk about "competition" is falling on deaf ears. The reality is that when it comes to hardware issues and repairs, the iPad is in a league of its own -- basically the only player in the tablet computer world.

This does not mean the competition does not pack a punch; it just means that their products will end up in the trash cash a little-too-much sooner.

The Galaxy Tab from Samsung runs on the Android operating system and has an ample array of features.

Get ready for Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and HP (NYSE: HPQ) tablets to overcrowd the field pretty quickly.

Even so, it's not just the hype, but the reality of the iPad 2 that will shake, bake and stiff-arm the competition.

Jesse Herman is a freelance writer and founder of the RepairLaunch repair services network. Print Version E-Mail Article Reprints More by Jesse Herman

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