iPad 2 or another tablet PC?
iPad 2: evolution, not revolution
The iPad 2 (http://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/) is clearly not a revolution, but an evolution. The device has become 100g lighter and now weighs a mere 600g. It has also become a couple of millimetres thinner and is available in white or black.
The latest version has the long-expected cameras on board: one on the front and one on the back. Both cameras are designed for video calling (“facetiming”) with other iPad, iPhone or Mac users. However, the cameras are of a much lower quality than those on the iPhone 4 and they don’t produce good photos. The camera at the front has a resolution of 640 x 480, at the back 960 x 720. This is a mere 0.7 megapixels, less than ten times the resolution of a modern digital camera! But then, you can make HD clips using the integrated iMovie. The cameras have no flashlight and no optical zoom lens.
The iPad 2 is equipped with a 9.7" screen and costs as much as the first iPad: from £399 for 16GB with Wi-Fi up to £659 for the model with 64GB, Wi-Fi, a GPS chip and 3G. The new processor makes the iPad 2 run noticeably faster (up to twice as fast for some games) and the device also has a larger internal memory. The screen has the same resolution as its predecessor (1024 x 768) but is brighter. The battery also lasts ten hours.
Tip. If you want an iPad but the iPad 2 is too expensive, some shops are offering the older model with up to £100 discount.
There are tens of thousands of apps for the iPad, and you can watch video, listen to music or the radio, e-mail, surf, read e-books via iBooks or the Amazon Kindle app, etc. On the downside, Flash is still not supported, but more and more websites are optimised for the iPad.
How about the competition?
It’s taken a long time until the first alternative tablet-PCs emerged in the same price category. In Europe, the best alternative is probably the Samsung Galaxy Tab (http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com). This tablet PC runs on Google Android and is currently only available with a 7" screen here (although a Galaxy Tab with an 8.9" and 10.1" screen has just been released). The device has a 16GB memory, Wi-Fi and an integrated 3G modem, and it costs about £340. The 10.1 version may cost something like £600. You can download thousands of apps via the Google Android Market. In practice, the Galaxy Tab appears to work a bit slower than the iPad 2, but weighing only 400g the device is a lot lighter and more portable. The Galaxy Tab is also equipped with a better camera (1.3 megapixels - 2 and 8 megapixels for the 10.1 version). Unlike the iPad, it also lets you make calls via the mobile phone network. The iPad of course allows you to make calls using an app such as Skype or a VOIP app, but this doesn’t always work properly.
Another alternative for the iPad 2 is the Blackberry Playbook (http://uk.blackberry.com/playbook-tablet), a tablet running the Blackberry operating system; it has a 7" screen and a comparable price. However, it’s not clear yet if and when the device will be made available in Europe. Devices that are available already include the Toshiba Folio 100 (10.1" - £330, with Android) and the Archos 101 (10.1" - £269, with Android), but they are less user-friendly.
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