I spent some time today checking out the iPad 2 in the Doncaster Shoppingtown store. I can say that there are aspects which to me a below what I expect from Apple.
I was looking at the white iPad 2 and to me it looks like the white was stained. Perhaps it is just the way the light hits it, but it looks like the white colour you'd see from something that has aged.
The second point is what were they thinking with the grey aluminium back. An all white or all black unit would have looked very classy. But now it just looks like a black or white front on a grey back.
The screen I was looking at also had patchy areas of darker areas along one edge. I've heard of the yellow light issue, but the screen wasn't consistent. I've attached a photo so others can see. Perhaps the demo units in the store get a bit of rough treatment, but I actually think that is good because it shows how good the units will stand up over time.
The reason I wanted to check out the iPad 2 today was I haven't been able to find information I could rely on about the resolution of the cameras. I did some testing and was really disappointed with the result. One person in a JB Hi-Fi store told me they're the same cameras as used in the iPhone 4 and that is simply not the case. Or perhaps I should say if they are, they're operating at a much, much lower resolution. The Apple store attendant didn't know and even after reading the specs on the online Apple store I still didn't know.
On the other hand I'd just tried a Windows 7 tablet (which I wouldn't buy because I think other units will be better) and since Windows 7 on a tablet had been given such bad coverage in the press I was very pleasantly surprised with the unit.
It is much easier to be surprised when our expectations have been lowered, but with Apple I expect so much more. To me it really feels like Apple cut back on the iPad 2 and could have delivered much more.
I really do think the Apple iPad 2 is a great unit and when I see my web site on the unit it looks fantastic (OK except the text tips don't work because mouseovers don't work) and that makes me want to buy a unit. But there's always something that stops me.
In the past it has been the inability to upload or from the browser which is a standard feature of every browser that I know, the lack of external memory, the need to have another computer to transfer files with iTunes. Yes no Flash is an issue because there are so many sites that use it, but I suspect that will change over time.
If these comments sound negative it is only because I was disappointed with what I found. That's OK because at least once you know, you can factor that into your decision. For example I prefer the black which to me will look cleaner and not have that tarnished look. The patchy screen I think would be covered by warranty. I can live with a grey back and once I know the camera resolutions aren't as high as I'd like, well so be it.
To show that I'm not entirely negative I was also showing another customer how great the PDFs look. I have excerpts of books from Australian authors (which are available from the http://www.book.justlocal.com.au/) and I use the PDFs to test various devices. So far I feel the iPad makes them look the best out of the tablets.
I also recently tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab in Optus store at Doncaster Shoppingtown and in portrait mode the PDF text wasn't readable and the browser malfunctioned a number of times displaying my main web site. So to me, the Apple iPad is still ahead, but the restrictions designed into the iPad, plus these latest things that niggle me, suggest that I should wait and stick with my trusty netbook and iPhone 3GS for the time being.
Kelvin Eldridge
http://www.onlineconnections.com.au/
I was looking at the white iPad 2 and to me it looks like the white was stained. Perhaps it is just the way the light hits it, but it looks like the white colour you'd see from something that has aged.
The second point is what were they thinking with the grey aluminium back. An all white or all black unit would have looked very classy. But now it just looks like a black or white front on a grey back.
The reason I wanted to check out the iPad 2 today was I haven't been able to find information I could rely on about the resolution of the cameras. I did some testing and was really disappointed with the result. One person in a JB Hi-Fi store told me they're the same cameras as used in the iPhone 4 and that is simply not the case. Or perhaps I should say if they are, they're operating at a much, much lower resolution. The Apple store attendant didn't know and even after reading the specs on the online Apple store I still didn't know.
On the other hand I'd just tried a Windows 7 tablet (which I wouldn't buy because I think other units will be better) and since Windows 7 on a tablet had been given such bad coverage in the press I was very pleasantly surprised with the unit.
It is much easier to be surprised when our expectations have been lowered, but with Apple I expect so much more. To me it really feels like Apple cut back on the iPad 2 and could have delivered much more.
I really do think the Apple iPad 2 is a great unit and when I see my web site on the unit it looks fantastic (OK except the text tips don't work because mouseovers don't work) and that makes me want to buy a unit. But there's always something that stops me.
In the past it has been the inability to upload or from the browser which is a standard feature of every browser that I know, the lack of external memory, the need to have another computer to transfer files with iTunes. Yes no Flash is an issue because there are so many sites that use it, but I suspect that will change over time.
If these comments sound negative it is only because I was disappointed with what I found. That's OK because at least once you know, you can factor that into your decision. For example I prefer the black which to me will look cleaner and not have that tarnished look. The patchy screen I think would be covered by warranty. I can live with a grey back and once I know the camera resolutions aren't as high as I'd like, well so be it.
To show that I'm not entirely negative I was also showing another customer how great the PDFs look. I have excerpts of books from Australian authors (which are available from the http://www.book.justlocal.com.au/) and I use the PDFs to test various devices. So far I feel the iPad makes them look the best out of the tablets.
I also recently tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab in Optus store at Doncaster Shoppingtown and in portrait mode the PDF text wasn't readable and the browser malfunctioned a number of times displaying my main web site. So to me, the Apple iPad is still ahead, but the restrictions designed into the iPad, plus these latest things that niggle me, suggest that I should wait and stick with my trusty netbook and iPhone 3GS for the time being.
Kelvin Eldridge
http://www.onlineconnections.com.au/
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