iPad 2 review

34. I love this product, I honestly couldn't live without it. But if like me you were a bit shocked with the price here's a tip on how to get this item for basically a £5 and a little bit of work!
All you need to do is go to www.thefreescene.co.uk and sign up for the gala bingo or any offer you like.
Its all been proven by BBC Newsnight, CNN and Channel 5's Gadget Show. This is how I got mine
I hope this helps someone!

33. Although the ipad has paved the way. The samsung galaxy 10.1 should certainly have the upper hand now. Flash is the way forward.

32. Tried the I-Pad and Motorola out the other day. No comment re useability as you would need to use regularly to see which you would prefer however the weight difference is astronomic. I was blown away with how light the Ipad was and how heavy the Motorola was. I'm jesting here of course because I really couldn't tell the difference. 50 grams are you tacking the p here TR?

31. I based my iPad 2 purchasing decision on this review and would have to say it's pretty accurate. Personnally I don't think the below par rear camera is an issue as this isn't the gadget most people will use to take snaps. Overall the iPad 2 is an excellent product that is easy to use with fantastic media options. Top stuff indeed.

30. anyone got any good/bad experiences of gaming with the ipad2? i love my iphone as its so easy and i have pages of apps and games (makes train to work actually bearable)... but getting a bit fed up of the battery running out when im playing games and i then need to call people. also thinking it would be nice to have the bigger screen especially where you need to touch very specific areas on the game screen...so yeah...just wondering if its worth spending the cash?

29. Hmmmm, any idea when the iPad 3 is out?

28. Although I've been checking iPad2Tracker.com everyday, it's still nearly impossible to find an iPad 2. I'm hoping that since they've entered into that contract with AUO, Apple will be able to get these things out much more quickly.

27. @backstroker
We say it as we see it. End of.
Nick, Publisher, TechRadar.com

26. Here are a few great educational iPad apps for kids. Both have excellent videos and narration.
The Deep Blue Kingdom -
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-deep-blue-kingdom/id425904157?mt=8&ls=1#
An Amazing Day At The Zoo -
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/an-amazing-day-at-the-zoo/id420420133?mt=8
More information at http://LearningInfinity.com
Read more: http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/10-best-ipad-apps-for-kids-937546#ixzz1Hv5XUmx5

25. 2009-Poland “As part of a marketing campaign ahead of the iPhone’s launch in Poland, the country’s largest mobile operator Orange is paying dozens of actors to stand in queues.”...
..."“‘We have these fake queues at front of 20 stores around the country to drum up interest in the iPhone,’ a spokesman said,”...

24. 5 days later and still waiting (see my comment #15 from Thursday). Careful, guys, or some cynic will start suggesting dodgy practices.

23. Think this video really sums things up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmWnAE-SFeM

22. The iPad may be the web's darling and the genesis of a new product category but its shortcomings and some ugly bugs are rearing their heads within days of the product's release.
For all its geek gadget appeal and innovation, a look at the spec sheet and Apple's support forums reveal a less than perfect device.
1. No USB
Lacking USB input, the iPad becomes a locked down device where the only peripherals you can use are ones that link through Apple's proprietary dock connector. And in case you didn't pay Apple enough for your iPad, they get a cut of every accessory as that port is licensed.
Without that USB port, you can't easily hookup a keyboard, mouse, digital camera, USB modem or any other useful add-on.
2. No presenter notes
The Mac faithful have been waiting for years for a decent portable presentation solution and they were all betting on the iPad.
Sadly, the iPad has failed to deliver. Keynote for the iPad lacks a bunch of its desktop versions' features including the ability to playback video on slides and some visual effects. And there's no way to display presenter notes on the iPad while it's connected to a projector.
3. Can't connect to wireless projectors
For a device that's being sold on its connectivity credentials, the iPad is unable to connect to the latest projectors in any way other than with Apple's optional cable.
4. Dealing with Office files
At the iPad's initial announcement, Apple made a big deal of the availability of their iWork productivity suite. Now users are fuming that they can't open Microsoft Office files and are finding all sorts of basic features missing.
Users have found that they can't create spreadsheets in Numbers and then export them for sharing with colleagues as Microsoft Excel files. Pages can import and export Word's formats but lacks support for headers and footers, footnotes and other essentials.
Keynote is causing grief with reports of poor font support, broken animations and video playback. Worse still, some edits on the iPad, when synced back to a desktop Mac, result in the loss of critical elements such as speaker's notes.
5. Flaky WiFi
One of the most active threads on Apple's iPad forums deals with weak WiFi connections with users reporting fluctuating signal strength on their iPad even where their notebooks are reporting full signal strength.
In some cases, connections are getting completely dropped and users need to re-enter WPA credentials to reconnect.
Some users have found that even when they have a reliable connection that performance is poor.
One user posted results from the speedtest.net app both on his iPhone 3GS and the new iPad. The iPad download speed was rated at 1.83 megabits/sec whereas the iPhone 3GS download speed of 14.77 megabits/sec was more than eight times faster.
6. No SD slot
Many people were hoping to use the iPad as a way to backup photos while travelling. For that, they''ll need to stump up for Apple's iPad Camera Connection Kit. The lack of an SD slot means that you need this pair of connectors that convert the dock connector to either an SD slot or USB
9. No file system access
Most handheld and portable devices appear as an external storage device when connected to a computer. That makes them handy for grabbing files from a colleague's computer. However, to copy files to the iPad's Document Manager, you'll need to use iTunes or get the files emailed to you. You can't even browse network file shares.
Micro-SIM
On one hand the use of the Micro-SIM might seem like another example of Apple being an early adopter a new standard. Or, perhaps, it's a way for Apple to keep their carrier partners happy by blocking customers from using the SIM cards from their 3G modems or mobile phones.
Either way, there's no way you'll be able to get a 3G capable iPad without at least buying a new SIM card from your carrier.
-. No printing
A portable computer that can be used on a local network, but can't talk to printers - what was Apple thinking? Everyone knows that there's no such thing as a paperless office and that being able to print documents is useful. It's not that it can't be done, as third parties have sprung up with printing solutions. But to not have it natively built into the iPad is damn annoying.
-Itunes. That's THE number one reason not to buy. Beautiful hardware, great apps by others, imovies or learning music great too but the joy of those is outweighed by the horror of itunes and more importantly the dreadful updates that make things go wrong and then you aren't allowed to roll back + being forced to use Safari - frustratingly, hair-tearing-outly BAD!

21. @nitrofick
Wrong about you having English as your mother tongue? Certainly not about your inability to understand Gary Marshall's original article, the one you link to and patently misconstrue. It is a satirical attack on how much of the media reacts to Apple's new / updated products and not a review, as you claim.

20. I agree with this review. Guys, please dont fancy Apple product blindly.
We have to admit that there is some hassle without adobe flash player although it could drain battery for example.

19. @ripsnorer
You are of course wrong!

18. I can't believe widgets are seen as such an important element!
Agree about the camera, that is bad but everything else has reasons behind it. Retina screen would cost more and maybe use more power, same with flash (however good it would be to have).

17. or would you prefer Apple-Brain, all fruit and no pips (seeds for growth):-)

16. obviously this reviewer is a tosser|!