Last Wednesday, Apple unveiled the new iPad. The iPad 2, has a lot of new features but didn’t have anything unexpected.  First, the iPad 2 has the A5 duel core processor making the iPad 2 much more powerful than the previous generation. Despite the significant power boost in the iPad 2, the iPad 2 still has the same amazing 10 hour battery life!  It is also 33% thinner and went from 1.5 pounds to 1.3 pounds making the iPad 2 that much more portable. The iPad 2 also has the much anticipated 2-camera system with a high-definition 720p camera on the rear of the device and then a VGA camera on the front of the iPad for Facetime. I don’t really know how many people are going to use their 10 inch tablet as a video camera or even a still photo camera because it seems too big. The new iPad also supports HDMI full 1080P video out using an adapter that costs $39 which allows you to mirror the iPad screen on monitors. This is great for both home theaters and presentations but, the only issue is that each application must individually turn on this function meaning certain apps might block this out.

They also unveiled “Smart Covers” which use magnets to cover the iPad screen and can be morphed into many types of stands such as a typing stand. The “Smart Covers” also automatically wake the iPad when the cover is removed and put into sleep when it is put over the screen.  This Smart Cover comes in multi-colored sillicon for $40 and leather for $70 which I think is very expensive for a cover! But I love the ability to use one cover for many things. There were also 3 new apps announced for iPad. The first, is Photobooth, so you can now have all the fun of Photobooth’s effects on your iPad and will come with the new iPads for free. This seems like an app that I would  use when I first get the device and then never use it again. Then they also announced a new version of iMovie for iPad as well as Garageband for iPad. Both apps look great but, I don’t think I would really use them a lot and the price is a bit high  at $4.99 a piece.

The iPad2 will be out March 11th, at the same price points as before. Although this generation didn’t have any huge changes, the changes that were made will make the iPad more compelling to people who don’t have an iPad already, and even to the people who already have an iPad and want the new features, more power and cameras.