I got to play with the iPad 2 yesterday at BestBuy. They have a display set up with the iPad and the iPad2 side by side so you can compare them. Nice.

Unfortunately they had no internet service...no 3G or wifi. So no way to really compare browser speeds. What few programs they did have installed tough I found to run very similar between the two devices. The iPad2 is thinner and lighter, but not enough to make me impressed. If I did not already know it was thinner and lighter I may not have even noticed it.

Bottom line...I walked out of BestBuy with my new scren glare protector for my iPad and no urge to upgrade. I also told others who where checking them out about the $100 discount on the iPad and saw no one buying or signing up for iPad2. It seemed like there was no real interest in the new device. Just curiosity at best.

Nate

I noticed the same thing. The ipad2 display was on an end cap and somewhat blocked by product sitting in the aisle.
If there were 2 people standing by the display others could not even get to it.
While I was there only a few people even stopped to look at it .
There was no way based on the setup that you could tell if it was a better device than the ipad1.

I believe one of the main incentives for getting the iPad2 is the improved performance of the graphics subsystem. This would require certain kinds of apps to demonstrate, notably games, animated art programs, visualizations, etc. Any kind of app that requires a high fill rate.

Apparently these were not the apps that Best Buy had available to demo.

Cheers,
Mal

My local best buy just replaced their iPad demo models with iPad2's. Of course, they didn't have any in stock, but you could play with them but there was no way to compare models or anything. And naturally, the Xoom demo was around the corner with no big signs or anything. I only knew what it was because I read about it online.

The iPad 2 sign was literally 10ft high, while the Xoom had a 3x5 placard in a side aisle....

I'm sitting here watching Charlie Rose with Walt Mossberg and David Carr talk about the Ipad 2 and they certainly are impressed with it..BTW I found the new cover pretty neat. I didn't realize it folded down and made a stand for typing. They're describing "the cloud" and the new Apple server farm near me at the present and how this will impact Ipad users.

If I didn't have the original I would buy one but zi'll still wait for at least gen 3. I'll have to go by my BB tomorrow and try it. Mine does a good job with display for the Apple products (separate small area with background, table and logo and all the accessories) as well as the ereaders.

Diane

hey i would like to suggest u...
go for ipad 2.......
hope u like it..
thanks....

sharp televisions
Home Theater

Originally Posted by nateccnn

I got to play with the iPad 2 yesterday at BestBuy. They have a display set up with the iPad and the iPad2 side by side so you can compare them. Nice.

Unfortunately they had no internet service...no 3G or wifi. So no way to really compare browser speeds. What few programs they did have installed though I found to run very similar between the two devices. The iPad2 is thinner and lighter, but not enough to make me impressed. If I did not already know it was thinner and lighter I may not have even noticed it.

Bottom line...I walked out of BestBuy with my new screen glare protector for my iPad and no urge to upgrade. I also told others who where checking them out about the $100 discount on the iPad and saw no one buying or signing up for iPad2. It seemed like there was no real interest in the new device. Just curiosity at best.

Nate

If totally sold out, standing in long lines all over the country, and you state there was no real interest ... you need to wake up and review what happened over the weekend... my friend. This was a brilliant strategic move on Apple's part competitively and it shows they are winning the marketplace over.

iPAD is very good ... iPAD2 is a solid upgrade.

Because of security in the big stores like BBY, they are tethered ... so you have to fight the cable. The best demo is when you can sit down in a chair, relax and hold the iPAD2 in one hand ... that is when the 33% thinner new one shines... it also is a little lighter, but those two factors are important when reading... beit on the internet, books, magazines, whatever is on your screen. Screen resolution is identical, but performance is up considerably. Safari has been sped up in iOS4.3 and while data transfer via the internet will be about the same, page reloads, tab browsing, etc will be noticably faster. Graphic support is up to 9x times faster, but in the real world is more like 7x... but that is significant. Two new programs, GarageBand, and iMovie need that upgrade. The gaming community will really go for that upgrade ... believe me... the new 3D gyro will have them drooling.

The dual cameras open up the world or video/audio telecommunications ... video conferencing. The cameras are not great for still ... that was not the key goal, it is okay for video conferencing via FaceTime particularly. The speakers are much better.

The new cover is slick in my opinion. The fact it can also be a support in Landscape for watching hand free is convenient. Protecting the display is important IMO. Lots of comments on this one.

For those who want to save $100 go for it with the original model... there will some of the original 15 million first round buyers that will upgrade and readily sell ... some deals are to be had. The rest of us want the added features and performance and easy of handling and holding.

I have ordered on-line for ours (present for bride) ... I won't stand in long lines ... we'll get ours. It isn't like I don't have a computer... but we travel, and the iPAD2 will be a perfect companion... we particular like the long battery life... BTW it is slightly longer in the new ipad.

There you have my take and view. Good Luck and enjoy

I will be interested to see the iPad 2 on display. Like the OP, I'm also not upgrading. I just would love to see how much faster the browser is. Would I enjoy the upgrade-yes, well of course sure I would. I just know I don't need it at this time for my particular use. I think my iPad 1 does a great job at browsing and running apps and hasn't suddenly stopped doing them well just because the 2 is out and is faster. The 1 still more than meets my needs. If I wanted to run serious graphics apps, yes, I would upgrade. But the 1 runs all my apps smoothly, and my browsing experience is as snappy as I could ask it to be. That's how I know I have a good product and will for quite some time.

As a followup on the intro/display of the new ipad2 I stopped in the local orchard store.
They did not even have a demo unit available to look at.
Apparently they received very few units from apple and all of the units were sold.