Should you buy the iPad2?

Those of you who have been waiting in anticipation for an iPad with cameras need wait no more - the  iPad2  has finally been unveiled. It comes with a front and back camera, so you can take photos and do video conferencing as well.

There aren't that many differences with the original iPad though. There's no SD card slot or any removable storage slot of any kind. There's no USB slot. And of course, there's still no support for Adobe Flash.

The new one is a bit thinner though. It also comes in white. And there's a faster processor. But that's about it.

The price is the same as the original was, with the lowest-end model going for US$499 (the original iPad price will drop to US$399).

So, should you buy the iPad2? It depends.

If you've been wanting to get an iPad all along but are not the early adopter type, preferring to get the second generation version, then the iPad2 is for you.

But if you are the early adopter type and bought the iPad the moment it was available (or in my case, even before it was officially available), then there's no point getting the new one since the differences are minimal.

Besides, there's plenty of chatter that an iPad3 is on the way, in time for the Christmas season. Some speculate that it could come as early as the Fall. Why? Because there are tons of competitors emerging on the scene and Apple has to always be one step ahead. So, it has to release new versions as fast as it can, the reasoning goes.

But that also brings to mind another question: Should you buy a rival product instead? For sure there will be many flooding the market this year. Practically every computer maker in the world is coming up with its own Tablet of some kind!

Why buyers prefer iPad

For me, the answer is obvious: Stick with the iPad (original or newly improved version) because it's not just the hardware that counts.

In terms of hardware, many of iPad's competitors have better specs. Better screens, faster processor, removable storage capabilities, Flash compatible, USB-enabled. You name it, whatever the iPad is missing, they have it. But the iPad is still more popular. And it's not just because it's cool.

The iPad has something no one else has: A really big and viable app store. Sure, Android's got its Market but it pales in comparison to Apple's App Store. The former is like a field of grass growing wild, while the latter is a landscaped garden with the plants carefully tended.

We've seen this story before. Challengers of the iPod stopped at nothing to provide more capacity, more features, better this and better that. Yet, everyone prefers iPods. Why? Again, not necessarily because of the ‘cool’ factor but that Apple had a huge iTunes store selling songs. The other MP3 device makers didn't have that. And they lost out because of it.

So, there's no question that if you want to get a Tablet, it should be the iPad2 (or iPad, if you're a cheapskate and are willing to settle for an older version to save US$100). But do you want a Tablet computer in the first place?

That's a very good question. In fact, a backlash against the iPad has emerged, as illustrated by a popular Slate column entitled: ‘Why I hate my iPad’ by John Swansburg. He declared in his column: ‘A salad spinner would have been a better investment, and I don't even eat that much salad.’

The reasons he gave for regretting his purchase were the usual ones, most notably how difficult it is to type on the damn thing. I realised  that the moment I got my iPad and tried it out. And I had even bothered to buy a keyboard for it!

If you want to do some serious work - writing or editing articles, touching up photos, mixing audio tracks or piecing together some video clips - you'd be much better off buying a MacBook Air which is not that much more expensive than the highest-end iPad but far more work-friendly.

But make no mistake, the iPad is a gorgeous-looking thing and if you play with one while hanging out at Starbucks, your coolness quotient will automatically go up a notch or two.

If you look carefully the next time you're at a Starbucks outlet in Bangsar, you might even catch me playing with my iPad.

OON YEOH is managing editor at AsiaReach Media. You can follow him on Twitter.