Last week Apple announced the iPad 2, the second version of its tablet that last year took the world by storm and created a new global market for these portable wireless devices.
Apple said the iPad 2 will be available immediately in the USA and in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25. Once again Malta does not feature anywhere and the company simply added that the device will be available “in many more countries around the world in the coming months. Further international availability and pricing will be announced at a later date.”
In the past weeks i-Tech exclusively reported how in recent weeks Apple held talks with the Maltese mobile communications providers on the possibility of officially launching the iPad in Malta, complete with data plans and support services. Though iPad can be bought from Maltese retailers in Malta (at a premium) and from online shops, there is no official local customer support for it yet.
Apple announced the iPad 2 with an entirely new design that is 33 per cent thinner and up to 15 per cent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen. However, contrary to expectations, this is the same retina display featured on the iPhone 4.
The iPad 2 has Apple’s new 1GHz dual-core A5 processor for fast performance and graphics and now includes two cameras, a front-facing VGA camera for FaceTime and Photo Booth, and a rear-facing camera that captures 720p HD video, bringing the innovative FaceTime feature to iPad users for the first time.
iPad 2 comes with iOS 4.3, the latest version of the mobile operating system announced at the same launch event, with new features including faster Safari mobile browsing performance; iTunes Home Sharing; enhancements to AirPlay; the choice to use the iPad side switch to either lock the screen rotation or mute audio; and Personal Hotspot to share an iPhone 4 cellular data connection over Wi-Fi. iOS 4.3 will be available for download by other iPad and iPhone users.
Additional iPad 2 features include a built-in gyro for advanced gaming; HSUPA support for enhanced 3G upload speeds and HDMI video mirroring that lets users mirror their iPad screen on an HDTV using an optional adaptor.
The company said that though it is thinner, lighter, faster and packed with new features, iPad 2 still delivers up to 10 hours of battery life that users have come to expect. It will be available in black or white.
Another innovation is the protective Smart Cover that comes in a range of vibrant polyurethane and rich leather colors. Designed with a unique self-aligning magnetic hinge that makes it easy to attach and remove, the new it automatically wakes iPad 2 when it’s opened and puts it to sleep when it’s closed, and has a soft microfiber lining to help keep the screen clean. It also folds into a stand for typing or viewing videos.
Apple has not increased the storage capacity, with models available at 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.
The full specs are available at www.apple.com/ipad.
AFP reports how Apple’s iPad and other internet-connected media tablets are draining demand for laptops and notebook computers, sharply lowering its worldwide PC forecast this year.
Research firm Gartner said consumers are diversifying their computing across a raft of new mobile devices, ending five years of strong growth in demand for the portable PCs.
Worldwide PC shipments are expected to reach 387.8 million units in 2011, a 10.5 per cent increase from 2010, the firm said, lowering its previous forecast of 15.9 per cent growth. For 2012, PC shipments of 440.6 million units would represent a 13.6 per cent rise from 2011, down from the prior estimate of 14.8 per cent.
“These results reflect marked reductions in expected near-term unit growth based on expectations of weaker consumer mobile PC demand, in no small part because of the near-term weakness expected in China’s mobile PC market, but also because of a general loss in consumer enthusiasm for mobile PCs,” Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner, said in a statement.
Over the past five years, sales of laptops and notebooks have driven the personal computer market with average annual growth rates nearing 40 perc ent, the firm noted.
“However, due to the spread of low-cost embedded Wi-Fi modules, internet access is now available through a multitude of mobile devices that allow consumers to engage in virtually all their favorite online activities without the need of a mobile PC,” Gartner said.
Sales of consumer mobile PCs in mature markets were projected to average 10 per cent annual growth from 2011 through 2015. Worldwide, the professional market was expected to continue to show double-digit growth in 2011 and 2012 as aging PCs are replaced.