A guitar with preset chords lets you strum by swiping the screen. If you don't play an instrument (or feel lazy), you can swipe through a list of "smart" virtual instruments. If you're musically inclined, you can pick up your guitar and adjust its sound through GarageBand's bevy of amplifiers and effects pedals. I tried GarageBand ($5) and was wowed by how simple it was and how well it took advantage of the iPad's touch screen.
On Friday, Apple is also rolling out iPad versions of its iMovie video-editing software and GarageBand software for recording and editing music.
The updated iOS comes with iPad 2 and is available as a free download for the original iPad and the two most recent models of the iPhone and iPod Touch.
And it now lets you set the iPad's mute switch to function as a screen lock, which makes it even easier to prevent my Netflix movie from rotating mid-scene just because I've shifted my butt on the couch. The new software allows you to share music and videos from your iTunes library on multiple Apple devices on the same Wi-Fi network. As expected, videos loaded quickly and generally streamed flawlessly. The new processor and the new iOS combined to improve Web surfing, as I could load up pages noticeably faster over my home Wi-Fi network.
Zombies," the better.Īdd to that a new version of Apple's iOS software. The original never felt slow, but the faster I can start a new game of "Plants vs. The new iPad has Apple's new dual-core A5 chip, which helped applications open more quickly than on the older iPad. The results were not fantastic, but self-portrait fans will find the front-facing camera useful for composing new profile photos for Facebook. You can take still photos, too, though I found this awkward given the tablet's size. If I switched to the back camera, I could show him my surroundings. With the front camera, my friend could see me. Both cameras on the iPad 2 work with the company's FaceTime video chat application and the back camera shoots high-definition videos.Ī friend I chatted with over FaceTime moved pretty smoothly on the iPad's screen, though the image could have been much sharper.
The subsequent arrival of several tablets with front and rear cameras made it practically a necessity for iPad 2.įortunately, Apple thought so, too. This is something I've been hankering for, as the iPad's crisp display, measuring 9.7 inches diagonally, seemed like the ideal canvas for video chat. All this helps the tablet fit more naturally in my hands, and the modified shape makes it easier to hold for extended e-reading sessions, for example.Īmong the most noticeable changes is the inclusion of cameras, one on the front and one on the back.
The iPad 2 looks much like the first iPad, though it has a sleeker, lighter body with a curved back. Still, nobody has been able to match the iPad's simplicity, innovation and style. Motorola's new Xoom even has a higher-resolution screen than the iPad. sell good tablets of their own, with many of the same features. It comes with cameras for video chatting and snapping photos, while keeping the same prices, ranging from $499 to $829 depending on the configuration.Ĭompetitors such as Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. The new iPad is skinnier, faster and slightly lighter. It goes to show that when it comes to tablets, Apple refuses to be bested. With Friday's release of the iPad 2, Apple is pulling further ahead, with improvements that make an already excellent tablet even more enticing. With the original iPad, Apple brought an attractive, easy-to-use tablet computer to the masses at a reasonable price - a feat numerous companies are trying to top.