News March 2, 2011

Apple’s iPad 2 and More Event Roundup

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

Any Apple fan loves an Apple event, and there is a big one hitting today, March 2. What will we see? Well, since the iPad 1 is no longer available, the iPad 2 is a lock. But what features will it have and will it really be just the iPad 1.5 the blogosphere has been spewing about? We’ll see soon.

And what else will we see? There are lots of guesses but we’ll know for sure once Apple announces it.

We wish we were there in person, but instead we’ll be monitoring all of the feeds … and we’ll share the news with you as soon as it’s out!

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo
Images from Engadget

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

And Steve is there!

200 million iBooks accounts. (Sorry Apple I use Kindle.)

Just shipped the 100 millionth iPhone. WOW!

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

There is something serious going on here. Noted iPod, iPhone and iPad and the “next” addition… That doesn’t sound like the iPad 2. (Update… It is!)

15 million iPads sold as of December. That is more than every tablet pc ever sold.

Apple- “2011: Year of the Copycats?”

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

As expected, we are going to see dual-core processors, up to a 2X faster CPU and up to 9X faster graphics.
And as expected, it has two video cameras and the same gyroscope as the iPhone and iPod touch.

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

The first generation iPad was 13.4 mm while the new one is 8.8 mm think.

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

The new iPad will work on AT&T and Verizon and will come in back and white. It will have the same 10 hours of battery life of the first generation.

And it comes in at the same pricing!

Shipping March 11th.

Whats new…

HDMI out and it works with all apps. The adapter is just $39.

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

New case… Errr cover, that attaches with magnets. Open it and the iPad wakes up. Close it and the iPad goes to sleeps. (comment- SWEET!) 5 colors in each of polyurethane and leather. Cases are $39 and leather ones are $69.

Releasing iOs 4.3 with the iPad 2. Will see Safari and Airplay enhancements, home sharing and more. And 4.3 will add personal hotspot for iPhones. (but not iPads… Booo)

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

PhotoBooth is on the way and the iPad 2 will let you stream 9 video chats at once. And of course FaceTime is there too.

New apps for the iPad- iMove for iPad and GarageBand! Nice!

GarageBand and iMovie- $4.99 each on March 11th.

Gear Diary Apples iPad 2 and More Event Roundup photo

Tags: Apple, Apple iPad

B&N NOOK and Kobo for iOS Both Post Updates

Booqpad Folio for iPad 2- Hi-Tech iPad Meets Low-Tech Pen and Paper

About Dan Cohen

View all posts by Dan Cohen

Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him.

Joel McLaughlin

Wow. Steve came out for this! Some are saying he looks good but I think he looks awfully skinny.
- http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
  
  I wouldn’t mind being that skinny, but I sure don’t want to get cancer and chemo to get me there!
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  Yeah, but nothing like the ‘near death’ tabloid stories
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

Interesting that he started by talking about iBooks. Implication: better support/bigger library for iBooks? Not going to buckle in the face of negative press on their new in-app purchasing model? Curious.
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  He sort of buried in by putting it first – loads of books sold, tons of accounts since they are linked to other accounts … NEXT!
  - http://www.geardiary.com Carly Z
    
    Yep. And 100m iBooks downloaded sounds nice, but considering that iBooks is so tiny that they don’t even get broken out when marketshare numbers are listed, it must be NOTHING. Or they’re counting the free book that each download of iBooks comes with.
    
    Look at the numbers: they’re consistently Amazon 65-70%, B&N 20-25%, everyone else (Sony, Kobo, iBooks, Baen, Smashwords, etc) 10%. iBooks must be REALLY FREAKING TINY if none of the market research reports can even get a read on their marketshare.
    
    Probably why Steve leads with hard #s instead of broader market %s, and why they are so thrilled to get Random House.
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

Steve *and* John Ive being there together I bet is a move to put “Steve is dying and uninvolved and Ive is moving back to Australia” rumors to rest. Won’t work.
Joel McLaughlin

I think it’s a bit unfair for Apple to pound Honeycomb tablets….a device that has JUST shipped! What was the iPad like when it first came out? About the same I bet! (regarding the apps that is)
- http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
  
  Agreed.
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

SFGate “liveblog” running about 8 minutes behind events; Engadget, only a couple. Oops.
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

Wouldn’t it be hilarious if today’s big announcement *wasn’t* about an iPad 2?
- Joel McLaughlin
  
  COULD happen….or maybe they are bringing out an iOS TV or something weird….I doubt it though.
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  I would say that if it isn’t about that, then the iPad 2 will still be announced but as a sideline … which would be really something amazing …
  - http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
    
    OK, we have iPad 2!
Joel McLaughlin

The Apple RDF is in FULL effect in the video they showed.
Francis Scardino

Nice left hook Steve, Honeycomb out for a week and source not yet on the market. Let it begin.
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  Of course, in a one hour test Honeycomb crashed more than my iPad EVER has. Reviews say it isn’t ready for Prime time … releasing beta as product isn’t cool.
Joel McLaughlin

Who big surprise….NOT. Apple A5 Processor…..dual cores….

Apple: Show me something everyone else is NOT DOING.
- Joel McLaughlin
  
  Also…that IS a lie….the Xoom is dual core….and SHIPPING ALREADY!
  - http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
    
    But he actually said ‘in volume’. Not a lie.
- Francis Scardino
  
  Bingo. Who’s the copycat…..
  - Joel McLaughlin
    
    EXACTLY!
- http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
  
  Exactly. Dual-core is nice. Faster is nice. Cameras are nice. Thinner and lighter is very nice. None of them are enough to get me to trade up from my current iPad, though.
  - http://www.geardiary.com Dan Cohen
    
    this isn’t as much about pepople trading up as it is about getting new buyers to not lookelsewhere I think.
    - http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
      
      Exactly … WHY would someone buy anything else now? Galaxy Tab is over, Xoom is called ‘half-baked’ in reviews – same for Honeycomb … we have yet to see a real iPad competitor with a mega-list of caveats.
    - http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
      
      Good point.
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  Something everyone else isn’t doing? Selling millions of tablets? Samsung was caught in a lie … and Moto is getting mediocre reviews …
Joel McLaughlin

Sorry…the white iPad looks NASTY and cheap. I know it will be high quality, but the white frame makes it look really bad in my opinion.
Joel McLaughlin

Hmm….Android tablets can make a real run if they can lower the price.
Travis Ehrlich

As a fanboy I think it looks great! I want one and will start saving. Looks like my wife might be inheriting an iPad 1!!!!
- http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
  
  The only way I would get one would be if I could sell my current one on eBay for the replacement cost. Or I *suppose* to give one of my kids a really, really, really nice birthday present in May . . .
http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson

Wow … HDMI out, mirrored view,excellent.
Francis Scardino

Sweet, more dongles.
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  Agreed – I understand the philosophy: simplistic unified industrial design with add-ons for marginal use items. But that doesn’t make it any more fun …
  
  Like the case, though.
Joel McLaughlin

The cover looks BAD as in NOT good. Plus it is WAY to expensive….$69 and $39? Are you kidding me?
- http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
  
  I like the whole idea of it and would get one if it worked on the iPad 1, but I’m with you, Joel: fugly.
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  I actually like the case, but perhaps that is because I use my keyboard dock ~25% of time, meaning takign it in and out … but $39 seems steep by ~$10
  - http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
    
    I use my CaseMate w/ my BT keyboard most of the time. When I’m just watching movies or something, it’s Compass stand time.
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

Wish the friggin’ case worked on the iPad 1, durn it! Also wish *someone* would recognize that those of us who enjoy reading eBooks on a tablet-sized device would like a cover that holds it up in portrait mode.
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

Facetime on the iPad is nice, sure, but since the iPhone 4, it’s kind of a given, don’t you think? One of those things that would be more of a shock if they *hadn’t* supported it.

Also interested to see how well Skype works on the iPad, if at all.
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

One of my twitter followers asked if you can plug in an external hard-drive to the iPad 2. Don’t think so. Anyone else?
- Joel McLaughlin
  
  It can probably be done….as long as it’s powered by an external power supply. The iPad 2 probably doesn’t have enough juice…
Joel McLaughlin

iMovie looks good on the iPad….I always thought it should be done there.
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  Absolutely agree – tried it on my Touch but found it too cramped.
http://www.geardiary.com Judie Lipsett Stanford

The iPad 2 + FaceTime = Porn Industry home run. W00t!
- Joel McLaughlin
  
  Heh heh! At least it’s not 3D!
  - http://www.geardiary.com Judie Lipsett Stanford
    
    YET! just wait …
  - http://www.geardiary.com Carly Z
    
    I told my co-worker about this comment, and we were joking that Apple is going to take a 30% cut…my coworker pointed out pimps take 50%, so 30% would be a bargain!
    - Joel McLaughlin
      
      There’s some scenes though that you would never….ah…well nevermind…
http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson

GarageBand for iPad … just killed off a host of products …
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  Can’t wait to do real 8-track recordings … this is so far beyond what anyone else has managed.
  - http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
    
    … and for $4.99 … sweet!
    - Joel McLaughlin
      
      Waiting to see if some of the Android devs can improve there offerings. There’s already a four tracker out there that you can do this kind of thing with….but it’s NOWHERE near Garageband (one of my favorite Mac apps ever).
  - http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
    
    Wonder what the Beatles might have done with an iPad back in ’67! [laughter]
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

Am I being cynical by thinking, “Hmm, March 11. That’s just a few weeks prior to end-of-quarter. Apple needing to juice their numbers a bit, and that’s why they’re releasing in March instead of April or June?”
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  I seriously doubt it … though this gives them all of Q2 to see benefit, then Q3 for iPhone, Q4 for iPod Touch and the smaller iPad …
  
  I mean, NOTHING has slowed sales of these things …
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

Steve says: “Anyone can make music now.” It reminds me of “Ratatouille”:

Gasteau: But remember what I said: ‘Anyone can cook!’
Remy: Yeah. Anyone *can*, that doesn’t mean that anyone *should*.
- http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson
  
  Exactly – but there have been auto-composers for years now, with more and more ways for people with little or no talent to construct complete songs. I have long since stopped worrying about such things …
  - http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
    
    Maybe I should give my brother my iPad, then; he’s an awesomely-talented guitarist. Seriously. Also saxophonist.
  - http://www.geardiary.com Dan Cohen
    
    might you be talking about… Beber??? Lol
    - http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
      
      Auto-tune + iPad + Garage Band + cutsie teen == Bieber. “Curse you, Auto-tune!”
http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran

Hey, they showed “Solar System”! I reviewed that one here on GD; I really liked it. It helped my 12 year-old with his science homework *a lot*.
- Joel McLaughlin
  
  That IS a cool app…..however I can’t wait to see Google’s Body app on a tablet!
  - http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
    
    “Elements”, by the same folks, is *also* cool. The text portions of “Elements” are better–the writer is simply more engaging–but the orrery functionality of “Solar System” is simply awesome. (“Orrery” doesn’t appear to be in the dictionary for comments, btw; interesting!)
http://www.geardiary.com Michael Anderson

Post-PC versus Next-PC … interesting distinction. I think most of us see Android as closer to a PC in terms of flexibility and so on, but I am not sure if that is an advantage or disadvantage moving forward …
Joel McLaughlin

The one thing about the presentation I didn’t like at all were the digs at Android and some of the scheming and the HUGE RDF at the event…..Apple the first to ship a dual core tablet in volume? Not hardly. Honeycomb only has 100 apps? Well not too bad considering devices have only been out for a week and only one at that. Apple: your stuff is good enough you shouldn’t HAVE to take digs at Android. However, since you have I think Android will come from behind and snatch the market from you (my prediction….). The fastest way to get your competitors to improve is to make fun of them. I mean Windows people did that for a long time until you blew them out of the water when Mac OS X came out!

The Xoom may not be the Android tablet that people BUY…..HTC and others will make their offerings stable and better. PLUS Android and Honeycomb has the potential to be on all 4 carriers for 3G and will beat apple to 4G. Apple not so much…..but at least they have 2 carriers now.

Not dismissing anything Apple has done. They are winning now and probably will have a good 2011, but Android can and does move faster than Apple. They can blow them out of the water before the iPad 3 is even ready.
http://twitter.com/gadgetfreaks/status/43020599941013504 Gadget Freaks

Apple?s iPad 2 and More Event Roundup #gadgets http://bit.ly/e5ftOl
http://twitter.com/fthead9/status/43020869391482880 Toren Ajk

RT @gadgetfreaks: Apple?s iPad 2 and More Event Roundup #gadgets http://bit.ly/e5ftOl
http://twitter.com/swillz_tunechi/status/43022184402264065 Swillz™

RT @gadgetfreaks: Apple?s iPad 2 and More Event Roundup #gadgets http://bit.ly/e5ftOl
http://twitter.com/gadgetgifts/status/43025293908262914 Gadget Gifts

RT @gadgetfreaks: Apple?s iPad 2 and More Event Roundup #gadgets http://bit.ly/e5ftOl
http://twitter.com/onny_m/status/43027655318179840 o|n|n|y

RT @gadgetfreaks: Apple?s iPad 2 and More Event Roundup #gadgets http://bit.ly/e5ftOl
Francis Scardino

At the end of the day as an Apple outsider it looks like the iPad2 is just an update from the first gen. Mostly that it has similar specs to an iPhone, but now with dual core. No Retina, SD or USB port was a downer but mostly as stated above I think this was too give the public something new for Apple so they won’t look elsewhere. Nothing mind shattering on iOS either but some good new additions. Now what will the world do with the millions of other iPads floating around?
- http://www.geardiary.com Douglas Moran
  
  I don’t think Apple will ever add SD or USB ports to the iPad or iPhone, me. I was surprised that they didn’t add the retina screen, though. My guess is they will next year, and increase the price.
http://twitter.com/techvudu/status/43155952995799041 dino

RT @geardiarysite: Apple's iPad 2 and More Event Roundup http://bit.ly/he4T5f
http://twitter.com/danielchow77/status/43370619575877632 Daniel Chow

Apple’s iPad 2 and More Event Roundup http://goo.gl/fb/iEfTi #ipad