The design of the iPad2 power cable is criminal. Most every other small electronic device, phones, tablets, etc. have a power cable and adapter that uses a standard mini-USB connector to interface with the device; you can use the same cable for all such devices. Apple, in their own designs everything to be incompatible with any cable except and Apple power cable. To make matters worse, the design of their power cable is to promote its breakage (and more sales of cables for Apple). Any competent cable designer knows that a cable will break if it is not designed to have strain-relief at the connector; this is simply accomplished by tapering the cable thickness from the connector outward, to distribute the stress. Apple designs their cable to concentrate the stress at one point - the junction between the connector and the cable length. We are now about to buy our third cable because of failures promoted by Apple. I believe they are a great sales promotion company, but their products stink.