Apple's iPad 2 Review: Tom's Goes Down The Tablet Rabbit Hole

Features
By Andrew Ku
published

My iPad (The Original Flavor) Experience

I bought the 16 GB WiFi-equipped iPad when it first came out. Like many others, I returned it a month later.

As much as I liked Apple’s latest gizmo, I just couldn’t find a way to consistently use it. Sure, the iPad was more portable than a notebook, but it doesn’t run OS X. Instead, Apple decided that the iPad should run on iOS, the mobile version of its desktop operating system.

And therein lies my problem. OS X applications don't run on iOS. That means I can't run Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop, the two tools that I need to stay productive. There are applications in Apple’s App Store that serve as quasi-substitutes, but paying more for a program that I already have (with fewer functions) isn’t what I need.

Whatever I gained in portability, I lost in productivity. The iPad is a solid content consumption device; it's not nearly as suited to creation. If you want to be productive, you still need a computer.

The Original iPad

The next time you’re at an airport, watch the professionals in suits. If they’re typing a Word document, editing a spreadsheet, or uploading a file to the corporate VPN, they’re still using a notebook to do it. Meanwhile, tablet users are working on crossword puzzles, writing email, playing Cut the Rope, or browsing the Web. That’s the limitation of a tablet; it’s really more about passing time.

To be fair, there are people who can be productive with a tablet (even in the office here, there are Tom's Hardware staff who do most of their communication on an iPad). But that group is eclipsed by the number of people using tablets for entertainment. We admit it: sharing photos at a party is more fun (and easier) on an iPad compared to a notebook. If you work all day in front of a computer, plopping down in front of the TV with an iPad to surf the Web somehow feels relaxing. Pulling out the notebook and balancing it on your lap still feels like a remnant of work. 

iPad 2

However, “fun” only stays fun if you color within the lines. As they exist today, tablets suffer a number of shortcomings, including limited Adobe Flash and multitasking support. Performance is nothing to write home about, either. Fortunately, tablets are constantly evolving. The tablets we see today are going to be followed by many more. But if you want the latest and greatest now, let’s see how far this development segment has come with an extremely in-depth look at Apple’s iPad 2.

Andrew Ku
63 Comments Comment from the forums
  • -Fran-
    What about adding other tablets in the mix?

    The XOOM could be a good choice, or the Asus Transformer.

    Cheers!
    Reply
  • acku
    We'll get to the others soon enough, but it's difficult to talk about other tablets without talking about Apple products.

    Cheers,
    Andrew Ku
    TomsHardware.com
    Reply
  • Nintendork
    Samsung Galaxy 10.1 anyday.
    Reply
  • gidgiddonihah
    Here is the article where all the Apple fanboys start to tear this article up :).
    Reply
  • gidgiddonihah
    Oops, sorry for the poor grammer :). Posted without rereading...

    Here is an article that Apple fanboys would be glad to rip up.
    Reply
  • Tijok
    gidgiddonihahHere is the article where all the Apple fanboys start to tear up .
    Fixed it for you. ;)
    Reply
  • Benihana
    Still no HDD expandability? No thanks. I'm not rich.
    Reply
  • Disagree.
    Like most computer guys like myself, adding an ipad won't make us to pack our PC/Mac to our closet. But again, mistakes like Microsoft or Linux, the "most computer guys on earth" are actually just a small group in total.
    For example:
    i've been teaching my 80 years old grandma to use pc to download, install and play simple games for years, no success. then she learned how to find/download/install/play many games after few days playing with my ipad.
    my 5 years nephew reads/plays/watch cartoons all on ipad now, she didn't turn on her pc for weeks.
    For myself, i uninstalled all my online video, movie client applications from my laptop, as I found watching these on ipad is much comfortable.

    Yes I still do my works on my pc, mostly in my office. At home, now the only thing force me to turn on my pc is to play world of warcraft
    I mean, who says ipad can't replace anything?
    Reply
  • acku
    joeyluDisagree.Like most computer guys like myself, adding an ipad won't make us to pack our PC/Mac to our closet. But again, mistakes like Microsoft or Linux, the "most computer guys on earth" are actually just a small group in total.For example:i've been teaching my 80 years old grandma to use pc to download, install and play simple games for years, no success. then she learned how to find/download/install/play many games after few days playing with my ipad.my 5 years nephew reads/plays/watch cartoons all on ipad now, she didn't turn on her pc for weeks.For myself, i uninstalled all my online video, movie client applications from my laptop, as I found watching these on ipad is much comfortable. Yes I still do my works on my pc, mostly in my office. At home, now the only thing force me to turn on my pc is to play world of warcraftI mean, who says ipad can't replace anything?
    I'd actually argue that in your case you're not replacing a PC, you're augmenting it. Granted, there will be others like your nephew and grandmother who can use an iPad as their primary device.
    Reply
  • damianrobertjones
    May I simply say, "thank you" to Toms for writing a well thought out objective, honest and practical review of thr iPad2. Instead of getting carried away you've hit the nail on the head.

    P.s. I use an Acer W500 and I still struggle to justify why i have it.
    Reply