Update (Tuesday, March 15, 2011): iPad 2 Sales Soaring
iPad 2 sales have been sky-rocketing. Apple sold close to, or over 500,000 iPad 2s last weekend. It's reported that in many cities several retailers like Best Buy, Target and Walmart ran out of stock on the very first day of the launch.
Sources claim a sale of 400,000 to 500,000 iPad 2s as compared to 300,000 of the original iPads in its first weekend. There appears to be a large number of sales made to first time owners of iPad.
iPad 2 retailers should be replenishing the tablet stock this week. Buyers also have the option of ordering online through the Apple or the AT&T site. However this involves a waiting period of 3-4 weeks for Apple and 2-3 weeks for AT&T before shipping the product out.
Apple takes one more step further with the launch of iPad 2
Apple has always been known for introducing products with out-of-the-ordinary designs and innovative features that have never failed to take the consumer market by storm. Years ago this started with the iPod revolution. Today iPod with its several designs and models has been a must-have possession for music lovers. Then came iPhone which was akin to having a mini-computer with a phone in your pocket. With its sleek design and features and increasing popularity, it soon proved to be a phone that everyone was proud to flaunt.
The launch of iPad
Apple did not stop at that and the market saw the advent of Apple's popular touchscreen tablet device, the iPad, which went on sale in April of last year. The aesthetics and the ease-of-use of iPad was worth raving about. Though there was a section of the consumer market that was apprehensive of the usability of the tablet and called it merely a status symbol, people gradually starting to appreciate the ease-of-use, portability and convenience it brought whether you had to surf the internet, check emails, use it as a music jukebox or for document processing and file-management.
It soon gained popularity amongst students who preferred studying their notes from the iPad. It's longer-than laptop battery life and light-weightedness made it popular amongst those who are frequently on the go. Right now at the App Store, there are thousands of apps available to download that open a whole new world of features to the iPad. iPad apps are expanding the learning experience both inside and outside the classroom. From interactive lessons to study aids to productivity tools, there's something for everyone. iBooks on iPad has introduced a novel way to buy and read books.
The world of business apps for iPad will transform the way you work. On iPad, you can review and edit common office documents such as Microsoft Office and iWork files. You can also create beautiful presentations from scratch, craft complex spreadsheets, annotate PDFs, and access important files on your corporate network.
The increasing popularity was clearly evident from the iPad sales which shot to 7.46 million by September 2010, which was just 6 months after its launch. Reports say that the last 3 months of 2010 saw an additional sale of 7.33 million iPads.
Though Apple's Steve Jobs introduced the iPad as a device that would occupy the world between smart phones and laptops, potential customers weren't convinced because of certain missing and expected features. To mitigate these gaps, Apple unveiled the iPad 2 on March 2. The long anticipated iPad2 will debut the market on March 11, 2011. The iPad 2 has also been rumored to be called "iPad HD".
Here are some of the upgrades to the iPad2 in comparison to the original iPad:
Faster Processor with great graphics
iPad2 has 2 core processors (dual-core) in one A5 chip. This is an upgrade to the A4 processor in the original iPad. You'll notice the difference when you're surfing the web, watching movies, making FaceTime video calls, gaming, and switching from app to app. Multitasking is smoother, apps load faster, and everything just works better.
With up to nine times the graphics performance, playing games on iPad is even faster, smoother and more realistic. Even with the sleeker design and higher power, Apple claims the battery life will still stay the same amazing 10 hours.
FaceTime again with two cameras
iPad2 has 2 cameras - one on the front and one on the back. The Apple fans got a taste of FaceTime with the launch of iPhone 4. It has been gaining so much popularity lately that iPad2 has decided to add the FaceTime functionality to the iPad2 through the two cameras. The front camera puts you and your friend face-to-face. Switch to the back camera during your video call to share where you are, who you're with, or what's going on around you. When you're not using FaceTime, let the back camera roll if you see something movie-worthy. It's HD, so whatever you shoot is a mini-masterpiece.
More variety with Two Colors
iPad2 is available in both black and white whereas the original iPad was only available in black.
Lighter and Thinner in your hands
Apple promises to deliver what it advertises about iPad being 'Less in your hands, More at your fingertips'.iPad2 will really make you feel the difference when you hold it your hands. iPad2 is up to 15% lighter than the original iPad. The iPad2's WiFi-only model weighs about 1.3 pounds. The lighter weight could mean a lot for those always on the go and for those who like to carry their iPad around like any other book.
Apple is known to give a lot of importance on the sleekness and thinness of their gadgets. iPad2 is 33% thinner than the original iPad. It is 0.34 inch (8.8 mm) thin.
Introducing the iPad Smart Cover
The iPad Smart Cover protects your iPad without adding bulk to its thin, light design. It works with iPad such that the smart magnetic technology built into each really pulls them together. Open the Smart Cover and your iPad wakes up instantly. Close it and your iPad goes to sleep automatically. The smart cover also acts as a perfect stand for the iPad when you are watching movies or playing games.
The above lists only the major visible upgrades. There is much more in store including the gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, HDMI out and the features supported by the new operating system iOS 4.3
Undoubtedly, iPad2 will prove to be incredible technology under your fingers. It definitely is up to an individual whether he would like to invest in iPad2 after having invested in the original iPad. One would think pricing and affordability would be a concern here, but history has it that Apple has its strategies well-thought of, be it design, development or marketing. The release and sales of the several upgraded versions of iPod and iPhone are excellent examples. It is rumored, that the new targets for 2011 is that Apple will ship up to 4 million iPad2 per month, reaching a total of 40 million iPads for 2011. And despite competition from big brand vendors like Samsung, Motorola and more, analysts predict that iPad2 will continue the Apple's tablet dominance in the market.
Latest on the iPad2
So the latest for those waiting to possess the iPad2 is that it goes on sale Friday March 11 at 5PM and two weeks later in 26 other countries. Unfortunately, Apple is not taking pre-orders for their second generation iPad. Reports reason that when pre-orders began for the Verizon iPhone, there were so many pre-orders that it took both the Verizon and Apple online stores down within two hours. Though the sales were enormous, the reality lines were short at Verizon stores since most people pre-ordered online. Apple does not want this to happen again. Apple wants long lines for iPad2 which would provide better advertising for a major Apple product release. March 11 would see many who owned the original iPad upgrading to the newer model, while many others who didn't get the first generation iPad buying their first iPad.
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