Before iPad 4 is launched

Dear Readers,

Yes. All three of you. I am quite distraught that the device I am holding in my hand, launched just a year back, is already outdated. And so is going to be my post. Add to that the financial loss incurred in spending few thousands more than what it costs now. Having said all that the iPad 2 is the last product to be launched by the great Steve Jobs. The same man who launched the Macintosh, the iPod and the iPhone. Off you go, the new iPad owners, for a six!

Unpacking the iPad (any version) is a goose bump inducing affair. I graduated to a smart phone last year when I got my Optimus One, running on Android 2.3. The experience on an iOS is something else. There is certain Aura behind an iPad that makes go crazy the first time and every time you use it. It has been over a month since I started using it and even now as I draft this post, I am excited. Yes, I am indeed typing this fairly long post on the iPad. The 9” something screen has a virtual keyboard with keys big enough to fit the fingers of a sumo wrestler. If your job involves heavy amount of typing, you do have an option of plugging in a wireless keyboard, available at an extra cost.

The browsing experience is surreal. Way better than an iphone or a desktop PC. Infact that is what the iPad is designed for. Like the man himself said, it gives you the feeling you are holding the internet in your hands. It is kind of like those witch balls you read about in fantasy tales, you sit in a quiet cozy room and you get to read about happenings across boundaries and timelines. Some of these websites when opened on an iPad offer you the option of a reader, which is amazing for reading long texts.

Right, I dont wish to dwell into tech specifications. The tech blogs are doing an awesome job already on that. I personally believe hardware specs do not matter. You may build a device with dual or quad processor but what matters eventully is the user experience. The iPad is fast, very responsive and fairly good at multi-tasking. But what separates the iPad from the rest of the tablet PCs is the battery. The battery is so good I am considering using it to power my ceiling fan and a bulb to beat the power cuts in Chennai. OK. What I meant really is, with moderate-high usage involving web browsing, youtube videos, twitter and facebook I find that the battery lasts 2-3 days comfortably. Perfect for travel.

Do I miss the free Apps on the Android market ? No. To my surprise I found that the App Store contains sufficient number of free Apps to meet most of my needs. And I find the overall quality of the Apps superior to the Android Market, now called ‘Play’ for some reason.

Do I miss flash support ? No again. At least not yet. What I definitely miss is pairing my iPad with my android phone on Bluetooth. Weird but true, it says the device is not supported. Makes sharing photos and other media lot more tougher. There should be a fix somewhere written in a hacker’s blog, but that is not how it is supposed to be.

All in all the iPad 2 gets a 5 on 5 for me. If you are a gadget freak and if you a have huge wallet or a rich friend in the US, you should GO FOR IT! Oh wait! May be you should wait for the new new new iPad.