shownotes_MCM20110313

iPad 2 First Look
  Design
    Extremely thin.
    Lighter by just 0.2 lbs, but you can feel the difference.
    Feels good in your hand, but "slick". I feel like I might drop it at times, but don't.
    Controls wrap around the back and take some getting use to
      Cables still dock straight in, so there is an odd "gap" at the back edges.
    Mic hole larger and in top center.
  Performance
    1GHz Dual Core A5 Processor. 512MB of RAM
    Battery seems to drain faster even when in sleep mode. I haven't had enough time to compare useable battery life as it hasn't cycled yet.
    Boot times from cold boot are faster
      30 seconds iPad 2, 0:45 sec for iPad.
    Spotlight searches are considerably faster
    App performance seems about the same
      Need to wait for apps that take advantage of dual core
    Safari seemed about the same to me despite the benchmarking
    Games I also don't notice a difference.
  Display and Graphics
    Specs are the same as original iPad. 9.7-inch LED-backlit with IPS technology. 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
      The brightness range seem to be extended. Darker at low brightness and brighter when in middle.
      Text does seem to be slightly "crisper"
    Off angle viewing is better too.
  Sound
    Speaker seems to be about the same, possibly a little more "Tinny", but hardly discernible.
  Cameras
    I wasn't expecting much, but they were a disappointment even from that.
    Less than 1MP resolution for both cameras
    640 x 480 resolution for front. 960 x 720 rear.
    In moderate to low indoor lighting all my shots were riddled with noise with both video and stills.
    In outdoor light the rear camera still has some noise and that soft "muted" or blended edges.
    Outdoor daylight video looks great.
    Facetime is also good on the iPad, but the image in my testing was still pixelated. Slightly better than on my iPhone 4 though.
  Smart Cover
    Very neat design, almost looks fused to the iPad when locked in place
    Latch works as advertised.
    Stand mode is much more stable in the vertical and more solid than I thought it would be in "keyboard" mode.
      Stand also works great as a "pistol" grip for 1 handed operation and shooting video/snaps.
    Floppy when rolled around to back when in use. Doesn't have magnets on the back
    Tends to "slam" down when closing. Not sure it will harm the iPad, but feels abusive.
    No protection for the back, so I'm afraid to set it down. Might go for a skin for the back.
  Final Thoughts
    Thoughts on storage size
      I think 32GB is the minimum except for a few cases (web and email device only).
    For those who don't already own an iPad this is a great upgrade.
    If your a current iPad owner and you have to have the latest and greatest you can find ways to appreciate the new features and justify spending the upgrade costs.
    If your happy with your iPad I can't find a compelling reason to recommend an upgrade
Closing
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