Compare by yourself: iPad 2 vs. iPad 1st Gen

The original iPad lacked a lot as compared to the new released iPad 2. Of course, this goes for every hardware that’s one or more generations old but things are mighty different for a first generation device, especially one when creating a new platform. In spite of all this, Apple sold 15 million iPads in 2010 over a period spanning nine months. Here’s the comparison between the 2010 iPad and the new iPad 2 model introduced on March 2nd, 2011. Compare by yourself how iPad 2 beats the iPad first generation.

A comparison chart of iPad vs. iPad 2nd Generation

ipad 2 vs. ipad

Explore detailed features for iPad vs. iPad 2

Design:

While the iPad 2′s screen is still the same 9.7 inch as the previous one, the thickness has been decreased by 33%. As compared to 13.4mm, iPad 2 is only 8.8mm. The weight has decreased from 1.5 pounds to 1.3 pounds. The iPad 2 will be offered in both black and white right from day one. So that’s a new option we see in iPads.

Processor:

The previous iPad’s A4 processor has been replaced by a 1Ghz A5 processor on the iPad 2. While A5 consumes low power just like the A4, it is a dual-core processor offering upto 2x speeds on the iPad 2. Similary, the upgraded GPU is said to be upto 9 times faster than previous model. We saw one glimpse of this during the Photo Booth Demo where different video streams were being rendered in real time.

Camera:

Ask anyone what do you want to change in the original iPad? The first suggestion, as you might have already guessed, is a camera. While we can’t not do without a rear camera, a front camera is a must.
The new iPad 2 has two new cameras. Just like the iPod Touch 4G, front camera captures VGA quality video at 30fps. Rear camera is capable of capturing 720p HD Video with audio. Stills with 5x digital zoom can also be taken from the rear camera.

Price:

If you have been following Apple for a while, which you really do if you are a regular CallingAllGeeks Reader, you would know that Apple refreshes the product line once every year with new and better specs but maintains the previous price point. Likewise, iPad 2′s prices remain unchanged.

New Apps exclusive to iPad 2:

There are two new iPad applications which will come preinstalled on the iPad 2 once it hits the stores on March 2nd. The two apps FaceTime and PhotoBooth obviously won’t come to the original iPad due to the lack of a camera. Though we’ve seen hackers enabling FaceTime on iPad 1 to receive video and voice chat. By the way, iPad 2 comes out with Apple iOS 4.3 which features with significant improvements on AirPlay and Safari performance.

Video mirroring and Movie playback:

iPad 2 supports video mirroring. With HDMI cable iPad 2 outputs video to HDTV or projectorsup to 1080p. Perfect for making that college or office presentation. Like iPad 1st Gen, the iPad 2 plays H.264 and MPEG-4 video up to 720p, 30 frames in MP4, MOV and M4V format. But with the help of a transcoding tool like Pavtube Blu-ray Video Converter Ultimate, you can easily put DVDs, Blu-rays and all kinds of videos to iPad and iPad 2 for playback.

So, I believe I’ve done a little more than scratching just the surface of the iPad 2 here. Thinner, faster and FaceTime capable iPad 2 really beats its predecessor.

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