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iPad 2 review
To say Apple's iPad 2 is an easy tablet to review is somewhat of an understatement. The device, a follow up to last year's wildly successful (and currently market-defining) iPad, is nearly identical when it comes to software, and though improved, closely related on the hardware side as well. With a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display, the general size and shape of the device has remained the same, and though inside there's a new dual core A5 CPU, more memory, and a pair of new cameras, most of the iPad 2's changes are cosmetic. Still, the previous tablet soared far above most of its competitors when it came to the quality of both the hardware (if not its raw specs) and its software selection -- something Apple still stands head and shoulders over its adversaries on. So this new model, a thinner, sleeker, faster variant of the original may not be breaking lots of new ground, but it's already at the front of the pack. But is the iPad 2 worth an upgrade for those that took the plunge on the first generation? More importantly, does the device have what it takes to bring new owners into the fold? Those questions -- and more -- are all about to be answered in the full Engadget review, so read on!%Gallery-118761%
Hands on with Hangman RSS HD for iPad
I am fond of fellow TUAW blogger Dave Caolo and friendly with Brian Akaka, and were it not for those associations there is no way I would have tried out Hangman RSS HD for iPad by Finger Arts, because on paper the game just sounded absolutely dire. But Dave had given it a spin at Macworld and found it playable, and Brian Akaka asked very nicely if I would give it an honest try. And what do you know? I liked it. A lot. Hangman RSS HD turns out to be insanely addicting and challenging. It's a standard hangman game played with real time RSS feeds from all over the world. That means you're just about as likely to find a story about horrible events as one that's...family friendly. The first game I played was about a 9-year old Yemini bride. I nearly didn't make it to the second game, but I'm glad that I persevered. Once you understand that the game uses unfiltered, real world topics you'll be able to switch your attention to the word challenges and catching up on the news. There's not a lot to explain about how the game works. Nearly everyone has played Hangman, the game where you get several chances to guess the letters in an obscured word. When you guess too many wrong letters, you lose. Hangman RSS keeps track of your successful solutions and you can challenge yourself to keep getting longer and longer "runs" of wins. There are several levels of game play, where the number of obscured words increases from one to two, to three, and so forth. A small semi-obscured clue appears at the bottom of each puzzle, and you can "dig" into a story to read the original articles directly from the game. The iPad delivery really lends itself to reading the news web pages. Its expansive screen means the tiles and interaction elements really have room to "breathe." The game is a very good match to the iPad. I found myself playing this game for hours. I also (inadvertently) learned how to spell the names of much-mourned Polish leaders. There's a lot of that going on in Hangman RSS. When you play with real news, there's a bitter that goes along with the sweet. It's real but it can be hard. Hangman RSS HD for iPad costs $2.99 at the App Store.
Apple iPad review
Finally, the Apple iPad review. The name iPad is a killing word -- more than a product -- it's a statement, an idea, and potentially a prime mover in the world of consumer electronics. Before iPad it was called the Apple Tablet, the Slate, Canvas, and a handful of other guesses -- but what was little more than rumor and speculation for nearly ten years is now very much a reality. Announced on January 27th to a middling response, Apple has been readying itself for what could be the most significant product launch in its history; the making (or breaking) of an entirely new class of computer for the company. The iPad is something in between its monumental iPhone and wildly successful MacBook line -- a usurper to the netbook throne, and possibly a sign of things to come for the entire personal computer market... if Apple delivers on its promises. And those are some big promises; the company has been tossing around words like "magical" and "revolutionary" to describe what many have dismissed as nothing more than a larger version of its iPod touch. But is that all there is to this device? Is the hope that Apple promises for this new computing experience nothing more than marketing fluff and strategic hyperbole? Or is this a different beast altogether -- a true sign that change has come to the world of the PC? We have the definitive answers to those questions (and many more) right here, so read on for our full review of the Apple iPad! %Gallery-89661%
Andy Ihnatko: iPad is pure innovation, one of best computers ever
Uncle Walt has weighed in, and most of the other big tech pundits are starting to weigh in on the Apple iPad. The Chicago Sun Times columnist and Mac geek extraordinaire Andy Ihnatko has offered his input, not only in the first of what he says will be many posts about the device, but also in an interview on Leo Laporte's TWiT Live MacBreak Weekly. The headline says it all -- Ihnatko says that the iPad is one of the best computers ever. He starts his review by saying that the iPad meets or exceeds all of the hype that preceded the release, and then goes on to mention that "it's a computer that many people have wanted for years." As in Walt Mossberg's review, Andy comments that it can easily last 10 hours on a charge, it can hold just about any piece of media you ever want to carry with you, and that it does the "dull compulsories of computing (Mail, the web, and Microsoft Office-style apps) so well" that the iPad will, in many cases, take the place of a standard laptop computer. Ihnatko, who has had the pleasure of playing with an iPad for the last week, gushes about Apple's innovation, saying "I'm suddenly wondering if any other company is as committed to invention as Apple. Has any other company ever demonstrated a restlessness to stray from the safe and proven, and actually invent things?" The result? As he says, "The iPad user experience is instantly compelling and elegant... It's a computer that's designed for speed, mobility, and tactile interaction above all other considerations." Ihnatko thinks that Apple got the design of the iPad right because "the excitement slips away after about ten seconds, and you're completely focused on the task at hand... In situation after situation, I find that the iPad is the best computer in my household and menagerie." During his TWiT Live interview, he stated that "battery life is frickin' incredible." With the most aggressive use, he was able to get 6 - 7 hours of use, but when he set the device for more sedate battery usage (volume and brightness both turned down), he was able to get over 11 hours of use. For those of you who are used to getting your laptop scorched by a Macbook, you'll be glad to hear that the iPad never gets warm. Ihnatko was demonstrating web browsing on the device, and was amazed at how fast scrolling occurred. We'll try to get Andy's TWiT Interview link up a bit later for your viewing pleasure.
Edward C. Baig: iPad is a winner
Edward C. Baig at USA Today is among those at top newspapers who posted their first take on the iPad this evening. His verdict? Definitely a winner. Look out, Nintendo and Sony. Amazon, go cower in the corner with the Kindle. The iPad will be giving all of them a run for their money, Baig says. "At the very least, the iPad will likely drum up mass-market interest in tablet computing in ways that longtime tablet visionary and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates could only dream of," Baig points out. Ouch. Point to Steve Jobs. Baig's review goes through a rundown of the iPad that we're all familiar with -- both its strong points and its faults. But, he points out the magnificent capabilities -- especially when it comes to things such as e-books as he describes the hands-on experience with one particular app that's more like an e-book: "The iPad's splendor and power may be best shown by The Elements: A Visual Exploration. The $13.99 program is more electronic book than traditional app, but it's not like any e-book you've seen. The periodic table of elements comes to life when you touch your finger against any element. Handsome photographs of objects spin around so you can observe them from all vantage points." Read Baig's complete review at USA Today. And see an iPad video review by his co-worker, Jefferson Graham, after the jump.
David Pogue weighs in on iPad, David Pogue weighs in on iPad
Pogue's tech-centric review (appropriate for those, he says, who meet the following standards: "Do you use BitTorrent? Do you run Linux? Do you have more e-mail addresses than pants?") reiterates the standard complaints -- no Flash, not enough storage, no ports, too pricey. Then the 'for the rest of us' review proceeds to dismiss those considerations. He calls it "a new category of gadget" and "a good goof-proof computer for the technophobes, the aged and the young" (that's a lot of people). Pogue wraps with the following endorsement: "[T]he techies are right about another thing: the iPad is not a laptop. It's not nearly as good for creating stuff. On the other hand, it's infinitely more convenient for consuming it - books, music, video, photos, Web, e-mail and so on. For most people, manipulating these digital materials directly by touching them is a completely new experience - and a deeply satisfying one. "The bottom line is that the iPad has been designed and built by a bunch of perfectionists. If you like the concept, you'll love the machine. "The only question is: Do you like the concept?" Jetpacks, tablets - once we get those "meal in a pill" things, we'll know it's the future.
Uncle Walt delivers his verdict on iPad
Here we go, cats and kiddies. Walt Mossberg's had his iPad for a week now, and he's got to tell us all about it. Quotes below are transcribed from his video review. "The question in my mind is just how important will this be... On one level I think this has the potential to challenge the laptop, it has the potential to, I think, even challenge the whole user interface we've had on computers and sort of set up a slow evolution towards multitouch and gesture and away from the mouse-driven interface.... That's it's potential. But it depends on whether -- not everyone, but enough people decide that they can carry this instead of a laptop or a netbook. That is, that it can do much of what they want to do on their netbook or a laptop most of the time... so that they can just pick this up and take it with them, or use it around the house, and not crack open that bulkier, heavier laptop. We don't know the answer to that. "My own judgment, after a week of testing it, is that for a lot of people, it really will do the trick." Walt goes on to point out the things the iPad won't do: high-level office work, heavy word processing, video chats, etc., but he allows that not everyone will miss these features. He did a battery test playing videos back to back from 6 am to 5 pm -- 11.5 hours, about 15% over the specified 10-hour battery life. "I think Apple, all and all, has done a beautiful job with this thing.... This is a robust, general-purpose device. How did it perform as an e-reader? I thought it did very well; I enjoyed reading books on here more than I so on my Kindle, because of the size of the screen and the sharpness of the screen, and the fact that you get color illustrations -- and I'm a fan of the Kindle, but I would pick this." Uh, Amazon, you might want to do some reading... You can see Walt's complete review over at All Things D and the WSJ, and his video below. Suffice it to say, he's enthusiastic, and so are we. [h/t 9to5] Photo courtesy All Things D
