Tomorrow, Apple is set to have a press conference which will more than likely be the unveiling ceremony for the iPad 2.
Since Steve Jobs recently took a temporary medical leave from the company, there is no word if he will play host, or even make an appearance at the event. It will definitely be weird if the event comes to pass without the 'man in the black turtleneck' making an appearance on stage, but we shall see.This iPad 2 announcement could be the next step in tablet computers, although it appears it'll just be a half-step... regardless, Apple has done a remarkable job introducing a fairly new device into the common household and they are very capable of continuing to lead the pack. This event comes on the heels of Motorola's release of their Xoom tablet, which many are saying is the first true competition Apple has faced since its' release. It is perfect timing on Apple's part to sway those who were undecided about buying a Xoom.
The speculated new features include; front and rear facing cameras, faster processor, higher resolution display and more memory. The redesigned body is apparently thinner, lighter, has a flat back, bigger speakers and possibly even a Thunderbolt port. There may even be a white iPad... I swear.
The front and rear facing cameras will give the new iPad the ability to use such apps as Facetime and Skype. The ability to look into the eyes of who you're talking to on a phone call combined with a screen this size and resolution will make the iPad 2 just like a device you'd find on Star Trek.
A faster processor, more memory and a higher resolution will definitely improve the speed and functionality of the iPad. It may also solve the website caching problems, and overall, it will make things much more smooth. The resolution is expected to be higher than the current iPad, but not quite Retina Display quality... not yet anyway.
Based on leaked third party iPad 2 cases and various other inside sources, the new model will reportedly be redesigned. The entire device will be thinner and lighter, which will make carrying it around even easier than it already is. It will also have a flat back, which will make typing on it more effective when it is laying on a table, instead of having it wobble back and forth. It will also feature larger speakers than the current version.
The other new feature, which is still a bit of an unknown, is a mysterious port which can be identified by a cutout on the side of various leaked images of iPad 2 cases. No one seems to know for sure what the port is for, people are speculating it is either an SD card port or even a Thunderbolt port, which Apple has recently announced for their new model of MacBook Pros and could potentially make an appearance in the iPad.
Overall, the new iPad might not be as revolutionary as the first model was, but it should provide just enough spice to entice new buyers as well as those who wish to upgrade. I think it will significantly increase the popularity of FaceTime because instantly being able to connect to anybody with an iPad, face-to-face, is pretty amazing.
I will do my best to update tomorrow with my thoughts on the iPad 2.
