ipad 2

The manufacturer went in as confident as ever, attaching the slogan "2011: Year of iPad 2" to the launch, which might approach plausibility given the resounding success of last year's first addition that moved around 15 million units.
But stiff competition is surfacing all around as seemingly every other manufacturer tries its hand in the tablet market _ RIM has the Playbook, HP the Touchpad, Samsung the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Motorola the Zoom, LG the Optimus Pad.
So has Apple pitched its media darling into the future with the right trajectory to burn off the competition and tempt owners of the first model to upgrade? Let's take a look.
APPEARANCE
Apple continues the shape of the first model in the new release with the same 9.7-inch touchscreen housed in a bezel, either black or white. But the body gets a big trim with a 33% reduction in thickness _ making it thinner than the iPhone 4 _ and a modest 90g reduction in weight.
The aluminium case carries over, and remains as slippery as ever, especially when viewing in bed. But that is where the new Smart Cover comes into play.
It is a clever design that doubles as a stand for watching videos on the iPad 2 hands free, and also allows for a more comfortable typing angle. Apple has redeemed itself here, but the addition of more equipment will put some off.
INSIDE
The big improvement under the bonnet is the new A5 dual-core processor that reportedly doubles the power of the original, and offers nine times the graphics performance with the new GPU (graphics processing unit).
The other stand-out improvement is the inclusion of both a front- and back-facing camera that were notably absent on the original unit. They bump the multimedia potential of the device, and enable video conferencing that is as easy to set up as simply answering a call.
At the press conference, Apple pushed the iMovie and GarageBand apps as examples of how software is starting to unlock the potential of such a device, showing again Apple's commitment to integrating software with hardware.
VERSIONS
The iPad 2 ships in two major versions, either with or without 3G. Three different HD sizes are available _ 16, 32 and 64GB. And black or white models are available for each configuration.
AVAILABILITY
The Apple iPad 2 was officially released in the US on Friday to long queues of drooling punters. The company will begin shipping to international markets (excluding Thailand) on March 26. No official date has been set yet for the Thailand release, but judging from the delay with the first model that arrived only in December, it might be better to import one personally if you are antsy. Grey market units, imported stock that often sells only with a warranty from the retailer if at all, should emerge in MBK and elsewhere soon enough, but buy at your own risk.

VERDICT
The new iPad 2 is definitely the best tablet on the market. Apple has improved things enough to safely subordinate other manufacturers to a catch-up role for the rest of the year.
The price has remained interesting low, while the original model drops by US$100 (3,030 baht). Perhaps the manufacturer is hoping to make its money through sales of apps and other content, much like the strategy of the Amazon Kindle _ the future source of portable device profits?
With the enhancements to the hardware, and the inclusion of the cameras and the Smart Cover, the iPad 2 emerges as a great device to consume content.
Tech heads were probably already sold on the iPad 2 pre-release. But more discerning buyers might even be swayed by Apple's ever-improving marriage of software and hardware that should see off the Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" operating system challenge. Owners of the first iPad should be lured too, as a year is too long to wait for the next upgrade.