Desktops and Notebooks: Apple iPad 2 Debuts with Massive Lines, Big Expectations
Long Lines
At least three of Apple's stores in New York City saw long lines for the iPad 2. At the company's flagship Fifth Avenue location, the first customers to claim their device were greeted by hordes of press photographers.
The Epic Wait
At another store on the Upper West Side, customers lined up around the block for the chance to get their hands on the iPad 2.
Predicted Sales
Some analysts predicted that the iPad 2 would sell anywhere from 500,000 to 600,000 units during its first weekend of release.
Upgrades
The iPad 2 comes with hardware upgrades such as a dual-core A5 processor and front- and rear-facing cameras.
3G
Both Verizon and AT&T offer 3G service for the iPad 2.
Resolution
The iPad 2's 9.7-inch capacitive touch screen boasts a 1,024-by-768 resolution.
Thinner
The iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner than the original iPad.
Rear Camera
The iPad 2's rear camera records video at 720p, at 30 frames per second. The front camera can be used for FaceTime video chat.
Business Device
Although marketed primarily as a consumer device, Apple likely hopes the iPad 2 will continue the company's momentum in the business space.
Battery Life
Apple claims the iPad 2 is capable of 10 hours of battery life.
Location Finding
The iPad 2 includes a digital compass and assisted GPS.
Pinch-and-Zoom
As with the original iPad (and all iOS products), the iPad 2 allows touch-screen navigation via gestures such as pinch-and-zoom.
Game Center
Apple's multiplayer Game Center is a relatively new feature of iOS.
Apps
Apple hopes its wide variety of apps and games will allow it to maintain a competitive advantage over not only the rising number of Google Android-based devices, but also upcoming tablets from Research In Motion and Hewlett-Packard.
Playback
The iPad 2 supports a wide variety of video formats. However, the tablet continues to not support Flash, which prevents it from displaying a portion of the Web's rich content.
Productivity
Ever since the original iPad's debut, Apple has made the aggressive sell that the tablet—in conjunction with a growing number of apps—is ideal as a productivity device.
GarageBand
Apple has tweaked certain apps for the iPad 2's launch, including GarageBand, which lets users compose music.
iMovie
The touch-optimized iMovie is another revamped app released in conjunction with the iPad 2.
The iPad 2's e-mail takes advantage of its wider screen.
Music
iTunes also takes advantage of the iPad 2's screen real estate.
E-Reader
The iPad's e-reader application, backed by Apple's e-bookstore, makes it a formidable opponent to dedicated e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook.
