Apple iPad 2 Review

Last Updated on March 29, 2020

The iPad took the computer market by storm when first released. Such was the brand loyalty to all things Apple and especially all technology with the “i” prefix, that very little detailed reviewing took place.

Once the iPad started to be used by many, several competitors emerged, criticism of iPad features began and, in response, Apple launched the iPad2. Available in several colors, there is still, however, something quintessentially Apple about this tablet in white. The new tablet addresses criticisms of the first model and still has iconic status, despite there being a far greater number of rivals now available in the market.

No review of tablet PCs is complete without a look at Apple’s contribution, although reams have been written before about this particular tablet PC.

Features

The iPad under review is the 16GB version with WiFi, although it is available in 32GB and 64 GB version and with WiFi plus AT&T 3G or Verizon 3G. The processor in the iPad2 is 1GHZ, but they have doubled the memory of the original iPad to 512 MB, which you will notice if you play complex games, or want to download graphic heavy items, the loading time is noticeably faster.

The iPad was never that heavy, but this version is only 1.3 pounds in weight, partly due to thinner glass in the screen. The battery will last for 10 hours, and, this is confirmed by users who have had their iPad2 on all day, working at full speed, reading, downloading, watching a movie etc. It is back lit so is comfortable to read indoors although outside is not quite as good as there is still some screen glare.

Apple has added cameras to the iPad2 one facing one rear, not as good as most phone or digital cameras, but adequate. An additional use of the web cam equivalent camera is Apple’s FaceTime, their equivalent of Skype which allows face to face conferencing or chat with family or colleagues. Apple is renowned for its apps, and there are 70, 000 of them available from the iPad store at this point!

Extensive assortment of iPad accessories is available on the market today.

Usability

The iPad2 is ridiculously light, so great for business users always on the go, and it is curved slightly with a tapered edge so is very comfortable to hold. There is still no SD slot on the iPad2 so if you want to carry a lot of graphic documents, movies, songs etc, you will need to buy the 64 MB version.

Apple have still not added Flash support to the iPad2, clearly thinking ahead to when they believe it will not be necessary, but for the user, it will depend on the type of browsing you do.

If you do browse a lot of flash websites then the iPad2 is not for you, an Android supported tablet is a better choice. Another drawback to the iPad series is the need for adaptors if you want SD/USB and HDMI usage, which adds to the things you need to carry around.

Customer Views

Fans of the iPad2 are heavy app users, also those who use a tablet computer a lot every day. Their most positive reviews are about how light and slim the ipad2 is and how Apple has addressed most issues arising from the iPad 1.

There is still a lack of ports, but many Apple users are fans and users of cloud technology so do not see the need for USB and HDMI ports.

Overall verdict

This is still a beautifully stylish tablet, and the level of application software available is extraordinary. It is probably one of the lighter and most ergonomic tablets on the market, and it is neither the most expensive nor the cheapest.

If you have nothing of the eReader, smart phone or tablet market range at home, then the iPad2 is the most stylish and user friendly way to start enjoying this type of technology.