Will's Tech Korner

 

The iPad 2 was announced March 11.  I had the opportunity to get a hold of this new “post PC device.”

 

The new iPad has a few substantial improvements over the original iPad.

One of which are the cameras.  The iPad 2 has two cameras built in.  One is on the front, and one is on the back.  The front-facing camera is mainly for making ‚ÄúFaceTime‚Äù calls.  Facetime is an app that allows anyone with an iOS device or Mac with a camera (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad 2 and Mac) to video chat with each other.  The rear-facing camera can record HD video at 720p resolution.  Unfortunately, neither of the cameras is very good.  The rear-camera takes still photos at a mere 0.92 megapixels.  To put that into perspective, most of today’s digital cameras are about 9-12 megapixels.

Another new feature is the thinness.  The new iPad measures 0.34 inches thin compared with 0.52 inches on the first iPad.  The back of the iPad 2 is much more rounded, this, along with the thinner profile, makes it much easier to hold and grip.

A useful improvement is the weight of the new iPad.  It weighs in at 1.33 pounds.  This doesn’t seem like a huge difference from the original iPad at 1.5 pounds, but it really makes a difference.  I found that I am able to hold and use the iPad 2 for a longer period of time than with the original iPad.

A question you might be asking is “should I get one?”  I think it depends on what you want.  If you have never owned an iPad, you should visit an Apple Store and experience it first hand.  On the other hand, if you already have an iPad 1, it probably isn’t worth the high upgrade price.  For more info about the iPad, go to www.apple.com/ipad.

Be sure to send your tech questions to kscope@kishwaukeecollege.edu.