WHY I WON'T BE BUYING AN IPAD 2 (OR WILL I?)

All around the internet, there have been mixed reactions to last night's launch of the successor to arguably the most successful tablet so far. The iPad 2 debuted as expected, without the higher resolution screen and SD card slot as previously rumoured, but instead with a newfangled cover built-in to the iPad body itself. Newfangled may be too strong of a word to use for a flap secured with magnets, employing the magic of proximity sensors to turn the iPad on and off, but when it's called the "Smart Cover", you can sell it for US$39 to US$69. 

Of course there's the design; In tune with the recent Macbook Air minimalistic stylings, the iPad 2 now does certainly look that much sexier boasting a 1/3 slim-down compared to the original iPad and a hair thinner than the iPhone 4. I'm sure this is a selling point for some, but I kind of like the old styling of the iPad as well as its relative "heft", it made the tablet feel rugged and not able to snap under the weight of a wild manatee (i.e. my butt). 

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Let's talk specs for a moment: It's quite obvious that a dual-core processor would make its way into the iPad 2, giving double the processing power and up to 9 times the graphics power for all the sexy games that MAY make their way to iOS. A bump in specs is always good right?

I'm not getting one. That's not to say you shouldn't, but if you already own an iPad as I do, I don't see any good reason to upgrade unless there are iPad 2 specific apps that are developed over the next year or so which completely rock my world. Although by then, the iPad 3 would probably be out already.

I almost never play games on my iPad, i've got my iPhone for that. It's like how I never read stuff on my iPhone, because I've got an iPad for that. I don't think the 2x speed and 9x graphics power is going to help my Magazine/Comics/Twitter/Photo Portfolio/Surfing at all.

I was disappointed with the launch, i'll not hide that. Demo-ing iMovie and Garageband, programs that are honestly best suited for the computer and that everyone is familiar with as well as showing Facetime for the upteenth time like it was the best thing since having a conversation face to face just grinds my gears. I'm a strong believer in having devices that excel at what you use them for, rather than trying to do everything, which I believe this iPad is trying to do.

I'm not saying that the iPad 2 will be a big, fat flop but quite the contrary. At the price point, combined with the fervour of the cultists who will buy anything Apple, they will sell a shit ton of these tablets. Guess what, they will sell a crapola ton of the old iPad too, thanks to people like me and the price cuts of US$100! I'm still waiting for the iPad 3, one that will probably rewrite the tablet handbook as well as Apple can innovate.

That white iPad 2 does look kind of sexy though...