iPad 2 review roundup, notes of interest

Mark Gurman | Mar 9 2011 - 6:22 pm PT

iPad 2 comes out in 2 days (March 11th) and you know what that means… reviews! Here’s a roundup and some notes of interest.

Joshua Topolsky for Engadget:

-Unbelievably thin

Pictures don’t quite do the iPad 2 justice — it feels really, really great in your hands. Not only does the construction give it a feeling of heft and permanence, but the thin profile combined with the new, tapered edges make holding the device a real joy

-Bezel is slightly thinner

-Has 512 MB of RAM, 1 GHz A5 clocked at 800 MHz

-Clearer speaker

The sound seems clearer if somewhat quieter than the old version, and we can’t say that there’s a major improvement as far as the placement goes.

-Battery life is slightly better than original iPad’s.

-iPad 2 cameras “are really pretty bad”

More after the break…

Jason Snell for Macworld:

-4.5/5 stars for all models

-Easier to handle than iPad 1

FaceTime works on the iPad 2 much like it works on the iPod touch; in the Settings app you log in with an Apple ID and set an e-mail address to use as your FaceTime “number,” so people can call you. From the FaceTime app, you can call people in your contacts list and set favorites. (FaceTime on the iPad is, like FaceTime on the iPhone 4, supported only over Wi-Fi connections.)

Walt Mossberg:

http://s.wsj.net/media/swf/microPlayer.swf

As new contenders move into the field, Apple isn’t likely to keep its 90% share of the booming tablet market. But the iPad 2 moves the goal posts, by being slimmer and lighter, boosting speed and power, and holding its price advantages, available apps and battery life. As of now, I can comfortably recommend it as the best tablet for average consumers.

David Pogue:

My friends, I’m telling you: just that much improvement in thinness, weight and speed transforms the experience. We’re not talking about a laptop or a TV, where you don’t notice its thickness while in use. This is a tablet. You are almost always holding it. Thin and light are unbelievably important for comfort and the overall delight. So are rounded edges, which the first iPad didn’t have.

Slashgear’s Vincent Nguyen:

How much, exactly, did Apple have to do to maintain its tablet lead? Even a year after its launch, the original iPad consistently held rivals and upstarts at arms-length across most of the key metrics. Challengers fell short of its battery life, couldn’t match its pricing, struggled with usability and floundered in the absence of a well-stocked App Store and huge developer support. Yes, there were flaws and omissions, but Apple was still the company to beat in the fledgling consumer tablet segment.

http://asset.slashgear.tv/sgplayer.swf

USA Today:

The iPad 2 doesn’t deliver everything on your tablet wish list. But when it comes to the ever-evolving state of the art, iPad 2 is second to none.

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1