Apple’s iPad 2 Arrives..!

Well folks…it’s official. Your first generation iPad is now obsolete…

Shipping on March 11th, the second generation iPad 2 is here!

With the emerging competition of tablets in all shapes and sizes including the Motorola XOOM with the Android OS, Apple was sure to update the iPad quickly and aggressively in an attempt to maintain market share.

What will an upgrade to gen 2 net..? Let’s start with more power, of course. A new dual-core A5 processor provides up to 9 times the graphics processing speed while holding the line on power consumption. Dual front and rear cameras are onboard to allow for video conferencing or “Skyping” or however you want to refer to it. Even ergonomics are somewhat improved with weight dropping from 1.5 lbs down to 1.3 and a case that is 1/3 thinner than the 1st generation. In fact, the folks at Apple will proudly note the new iPad is even thinner than the iPhone 4..!

Are there any new accessories? A slick feature is the available HDMI cable to connect to an HDTV and display a mirror image of the iPad display. There is also the new “smart cover” (shown above) which magnetically covers the screen and then can fold back and be used as a display stand. Several colors are available… Speaking of colors, you can now have your iPad in either black or white, to suit your aesthetic.

Models include the Wi-Fi or the Wi-Fi + 3G. Available memory options are 16GB, 32GB or 64GB and pricing should hold the line for the entry level model.