Apple iPad 2: 10 Big Questions

You have to hand it to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. No matter how ill he may be, his showmanship and stage presence remain undimmed. So much so that it took, as it often does, days for the euphoria of the Apple iPad 2 unveiling to wear off. As that happened, though, I, like others, started to have these little, "Hey, wait a minute…" moments. And from there, the inevitable questions about the latest magical device from Apple started piling up. Here are the ones I've been considering or hearing from others. Fortunately, I think we have answers for virtually all of them.
1. Why No Memory Specs?
Apple's busy touting the iPad 2's huge performance increase (over the original), which comes courtesy of the A5 chip. That makes sense, a dual-core processor should beat the pants off a single core CPU. However, as with any computer, the CPU is only part of the performance story. What's the easiest way to increase system performance? Add memory. We know that the first-generation iPad has 256MB of RAM, but Apple isn't saying how much is in the iPad 2. "More" seems like a reasonable guess.
2. Why No 4G?
Apple's new best friend, Verizon, has a brand-new LTE network, but you won't find 4G on the new Verizon iPhone 4 or the latest-gen iPad. Why is that? Price is one reason: Adding a 4G radio would certainly have increased the price on the top-of-the line iPad 2. Also, Apple pays pretty close attention to the market and early market research indicated that almost 50 percent of potential iPad buyers were picking up a Wi-Fi-only model (Apple does not break out Wi-Fi-only iPad sales figures). I have a 3G-ready iPad, but I've never activated the service (I find ample Wi-Fi access almost everywhere I use my iPad). I suspect that's a common scenario. If a good percentage of iPad owners aren't using 3G—even when they have it—why would Apple jump to introduce 4G? Read more...

Source: pcmag.com

How to recycle your iPad 1 after you buy an iPad 2

Today, Apple unveils the iPad 2. So what happens to all the first-generation iPads? We've got solutions.

Apple announces its eagerly anticipated iPad 2 today, less than a year after the release of the first iPad model. It's been a busy 11 months for Apple, which sold an estimated 14.79 million iPads in 2010, according to counts from the tech website Lilluputing.

But with the iPad 2 on the way, and Apple already clearing stock and ending retailer reorders of the original, what's going to happen to all of those iPads already out in the wild?

 

Best-case scenario: the first-generation iPads will make their way to new owners, or be recycled. Worst case-scenario: they'll end up in the garbage where they will pollute landfills for years to come.

 

Luckily, if you're the proud owner of an original iPad, and looking to replace yours as soon as the new model hits the street, there are several options available for those who wish to recycle or sell their old electronics.

 

1. Apple itself. Apple will recycle any old computer, including iPads, whether they work or not. If it's still in good working condition and can be refurbished and reused, you'll get an Apple gift card for the value of your computer. You don't even need to do much work. Just go to Apple's recycling website, enter in the details of your old device, and they'll send you a box and a prepaid shipping label. Just pack up your old iPad, ship it, wait a few weeks, and you'll get a gift card that you can use at any Apple retail store or their online store.

 

2. Best Buy. If you're not willing to wait for shipping and you just want your old iPad or other computer out of the house, Best Buy will recycle it, often for free, or let you trade it in for a Best Buy gift card. Since Best Buy is an authorized Apple reseller, this might be a great way to get rid of your first-generation iPad and then walk out of the store with a new one.

 

3. eBay. The online auction site's new "instant sale" option (part of the eBay Green Team program) lets you get an offer from eBay itself on many used electronics. As of this writing, you can get $391 for a 64 GB iPad in good condition. Shipping to eBay is free, and they'll clean your device of its personal data before reselling it.

 

4. Craigslist. Maybe you just want to sell your old iPad locally and not worry about dealing with companies or waiting for payment. What better place than your friendly neighborhood online flea market?

 

5. Earth 911. If you've been tough on your old iPad and it doesn't work anymore, you can find all of your local recycling options at Earth911.com. The site will help you make sure it gets recycled in a responsible manner that does not generate any harmful e-waste.

 

Of course, you could always pass on your old iPad to your favorite MNN writer. We'll make sure it gets put to good use.

 

Source: mnn.com

Apple iPad sequel less of a stock splash

The launch of the second version of the iPad should help Apple Inc's shares, but don't expect a repeat of the surge that came after the first version was released last year.
New products have fueled the bellwether's relentless upward momentum, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world, but next-generation products have traditionally resulted in milder gains.
Apple is hosting a media event on March 2 to unveil the new iPad tablet computer, which is expected to be thinner, faster and have a new front-facing camera that will enable video chatting through the company's FaceTime application.
"A new version is more of an additive where an entirely new category is a game-changer," said Jerome Heppelmann, chief investment officer at Old Mutual Focused Fund in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, who owns shares. "It isn't that there will be limited upside after the release, it will just be limited compared to a new category."
When Apple released the iPad in 2010 the stock surged 10.6 percent in the first month after it hit shelves, continuing a trend of double-digit percentage gains in the first month after a new line of products is introduced.
Subsequent product versions resulted in less robust gains in the first month after release. After next-generation versions of the iPhone were released, the stock posted either milder gains or dips.
To see a graphic on Apple's share reaction to new products,
see: http://r.reuters.com/cup38r
The biggest product-related gain was after the iPhone was introduced in 2007. Shares gained 41.1 percent between that day and when it was officially launched because it was viewed as revolutionary.
The iPad sequel is not expected to make such a splash.
"There tends to be a 'sell the news' reaction after this kind of event," said Michael Quigley, a technology analyst at Wedgewood Partners in St. Louis. "But as we get estimates on demand, it usually ends up being much more optimistic than people were betting. We're expecting it to rally."
Shares of Apple were lately down $2.61, or 0.8 percent, to $350.60. The stock is up 8.7 percent in 2011 and has gained 314 percent in the last five years.

SEARCH

Follow us on Facebook to get the latest finance and business related updates. Click here for the latest from Union Budget 2011. 

Source: sify.com

Motorola Xoom: Eight Reasons it Beats the iPad

Honeycomb, more powerful hardware, and a higher screen resolution are just a few of the reasons Motorola's tablet is superior to the iPad.

I bought the Motorola Xoom the day it came out, and have been using it ever since. It's a spectacular tablet and superior to the iPad. Here are eight reasons why. (When specs on the new iPad are released, I'll follow up this post with another one.)
Honeycomb
Android 3.0, called Honeycomb, is a thing of beauty. It's optimized for tablets, and cleaned up some of Android's rough edges. It's as intuitive to use as the iPad's iOS, but far more customizable and feature-rich. Notifications are handled better and multitasking and switching between apps is easier. The widgets are far better than anything in the iOS as well. If you were put off by earlier versions of Android because of a sometimes-confusing interface, you'll be pleased with Honeycomb.
More powerful hardware
The Xoom has an Nvidia Tegra 2 dual core processor, which make the tablet fast and smooth-operating. It's also capable of playing 3D games. The iPad has a pokey, single core processor. Advantage: Xoom.
Higher screen resolution
The Xoom's 10-inch screen has a resolution of 1,280 x 800, and is widescreen, so it's great for watching movies and videos. The iPad's 9.7-inch display is only 1,024 x 768.
Front and rear cameras
With the Xoom, you get front and rear cameras, for taking photos and videos, and for video chat. With the iPad, you get no camera. Two trumps none.
A better browser
The Chrome browser built into Xoom is far superior to the iPad's Safari. It does tabbed browsing, and like the PC and Mac versions of Chrome, a single box does double-duty as a search box and for typing in a URL. And it will also automatically sync your bookmarks with Chrome on your PC and Mac.
It will play Flash
Flash wasn't quite ready for the Xoom launch, but it will be available soon. As you've no doubt heard, Flash will never be available for the iPad. So the Xoom offers you a greater choice of content than does the iPad.
No Big Brother
When you get an iPad, Apple determines what apps you can download and what apps you can't --- and it uses a heavy hand. It's banned many apps, even once banning one by Pulitzer prize winning cartoonist Mark Fiore, until publicity forced Apple to change its mind. And Apple also banned an app that allowed people to get information from the WikiLeaks site. Such an app is available for free for Android. The upshot: With the Xoom, you can download any app you want, either through the Android Market, or from the Web.
Better built-in apps
Google's built-in apps, including Gmail, Google Maps, and Google Calendar, beat anything built into the iPad. And because of the Xoom's Tegra 2 chip, you'll be able to use vector graphics and 3D rendering in Google Maps.

Source:www.pcworld.com