Wednesday, March 02, 2011

iPad 2

So yeah, I plan on getting an iPad 2 as soon as I can. The new model looks nice. I'm a little disappointed that there isn't a retina display but the new A5 chip and much improved graphics performance makes me a bit happier that I waited. The cameras are good and the gyro is nice (I just like that it will be comparable to my iPhone). I expected thinner, but not quite this thin. The new magnetic cover looks slick too.

I think I'll probably get a 64GB model. I'm using about 15GB on my iPhone and really don't watch much video on it, but I think some extra space is a good idea here. I think I also want a cellular model. I'm more interested in the GPS (big maps and star charts) than the cellular data and the fact that there's no contract makes it appealing. The question is, do I get the AT&T or Verizon one? I have an AT&T iPhone and it's been ok for data but weak for phone calls. it probably makes sense to get the Verizon one to have some coverage where one might be weaker. iOS 4.3 adds a wifi hotspot capability to my iPhone so if there's AT&T coverage I could use it. Though I don't know what the added cost will be for that feature. I wonder if AT&T will offer a bundle discount? I doubt it.

There are rumors that the iPad 3 will come out "in a few months" for the holiday season and it will be a much bigger revision than this one was. I'm not sure I believe it. First off, it's only March 2nd. If it comes out Nov 1st, that to me seems more like a year from now than a few months. The big feature I'd expect is a retina display which would be great but not something I couldn't wait another rev for. Sure it will be thinner and lighter and faster, but that's always going to be the case with Apple. I'm sure iOS 5 will run on this one as will any mobileme cloud services improvements. Given the MacBook Air, I don't expect an iPad with an integrated keyboard. That covers most rumors. The only weakness I see with the current one is that it still loses the reading at the beach market to the Kindle.

1 comment:

Michael Critz said...

Get the 64 GB AT&T wireless version.

AT&T’s GSM is faster than Verizon. Their respective theoretical max speeds give AT&T a significant edge. When I travel I have a Verizon 3G USB modem. The Verizon service usually clocks in around 300kbps whereas my iPhone gets 1.1Mbps.

One recommendation is to buy whichever iPad you like — even a WiFI model — and pay for the personal hot spot feature on your iPhone. That might save you $10 a month.

The biggest downside to the WiFi iPad is that it doesn’t have an actual GPS chip and still relies on WiFi triangulation service.

I opted for the 64 GB version because I knew I’d use it for backing up & editing photos while on assignment. I’m super excited to see iMovie finally make it to the iPad. I would gladly buy a 128 GB model if it meant I didn’t have to carry my laptop to video shoots.