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How much better is iPad 2 ? (vs the original)

S

Sounds Good

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jul 8, 2007
1,692
57
Hi guys,

For those that have owned both, how much better is the iPad 2 than the iPad 1?

What *specifically* is better about it for you, personally?

Thanks in advance, I appreciate it. :)
 
Thinner, lighter and a faster CPU. Also better at web browsing and switching between windows. It does not want to reload the pages all the time.
 
If you own the original you don't need this.

If you don't own the original you do need this.
 
Personally, if you read these forums, you'll see. It's been discussed ad-nauseum. For me, it's not much different. Thinner, lighter, faster, crappy cameras. That's pretty much it.

Watch the keynote, and you'll see the differences.

Mel
 
Had both, kept the original.

Original has
+ no light bleed
+ flat edge design
+ better speaker placement design
+ big cost savings
+ no retina display either

Just didn't see the value in upgrading for web pages to load a second faster?
 
Unless you are running the few pieces of software available to take advantage of the new hardware, you probably won't see much. As more programs take advantage of the new hardware, you'll begin to see it speed away from the original iPad. I've already seen complaints from those with the original iPad on the Real Racing 2 game that is optimized for iPad 2, in that it stutters and is not as enjoyable to play. Those complaints are only the beginning for those with the original.
 
melman101 said:
Watch the keynote, and you'll see the differences.
Click to expand...
Well, I know what the differences are "on paper" (as they say) but I'm looking for real-people differences.

Here's the bottom line: my sister wants an iPad, but she's no techie-type person. She'll most likely be fine with the original, and I can possibly get one for $399 for the 32GB version. Frankly she only needs 16GB, but I can't find any.

So basically, I'm trying to decide if she should go for the original iPad 1 for $399 or the new iPad 2 for $499. (One consideration is that the $100 savings would buy her a case, bag, etc.)

Tough call.

EDIT: By the way, I want one of these babies myself, so I'm also trying to decide between the two -- but the extra 100 bucks would be easier for me to handle than my sister.
 
iPad 2 is pretty much a mediocre upgrade that's typical to Apple's product cycle. Wait until iPad 3 for a true upgrade.
 
There are many YouTube videos comparing the speed difference on various apps between iPad 1 and 2. Search and see them yourself. You can't quantify things like this with words. As for whether it's worth it if you already own iPad 1, it's a subjective question. However, based on the numerous reviews I read in the web, the conclusion is unanimously "NO" unless you absolutely need the cameras for FaceTime.

If I were the OP, I'd look for a used iPad 1 from Craiglist. There should be many listed, and it's buyer's market. Take your time and find one in "near-new" condition. Most iPad 1 out there are still under warranty too.
 
I've owned both. The iPad 2 is better in every way (except the backlight bleed), but honestly the difference isn't that large. I upgraded because I sold my iPad for a great price and had Apple store gift cards to pay for the difference. I wouldn't have regretted keeping my original iPad at all.
 
Why not just do a google search for the hundred plus articles and reviews? Or search the hundreds of threads on here?
 
silverblack said:
There are many YouTube videos comparing the speed difference on various apps between iPad 1 and 2. Search and see them yourself. You can't quantify things like this with words. As for whether it's worth it if you already own iPad 1, it's a subjective question. However, based on the numerous reviews I read in the web, the conclusion is unanimously "NO" unless you absolutely need the cameras for FaceTime.

If I were the OP, I'd look for a used iPad 1 from Craiglist. There should be many listed, and it's buyer's market. Take your time and find one in "near-new" condition. Most iPad 1 out there are still under warranty too.
Click to expand...

Agreed!!!!
 
kenypowa said:
iPad 2 is pretty much a mediocre upgrade that's typical to Apple's product cycle. Wait until iPad 3 for a true upgrade.
Click to expand...

iPad 2 has double the memory, 9x the graphical capability, and dual core processor (2x the speed of ipad 1) is hardly a mediocre upgrade from a spec standpoint. This forum will be filled with iPad 1 owner complaints when the pipeline begins filling with software that can take advantage of this new hardware, at how their machine spits and sputters to run the new games, etc.
 
Lighter and thinner which makes it much easier to hold, especially ocassional one hand holding.

Faster all around.

Better graphics in some games, with much more to come near future.

Brighter display that goes dimmer, which is a big bonus for me personally.

Available in white. (yes it is superficial but it is still pretty!)

Facetime.
 
iPad 2 provides more entertainment and work tools. You could add hdmi Mirroring which would be a good presentation tool for teaching and sales force. The boost in speed allows for better work environment. It weighs less and add value to ergonomics. It is a better investment. iPad 2 will be better in future apps. Future apps that can take advantage of running multiples that a dual core can do. If you sister is into fun photos or videos, the cameras do come in handy. Key word is fun photos. It is not a serious cameras for high def. photos. Face time is cool, if your sister is far away to college and you want to video call and see how she is doing. iPad 2 is 10 times better in add value.
 
If you have the original ipad? Absolutely not worth upgrading.
If you don't have the original ipad? Yes, dive right in.

The upgrades are pretty minimal and to the average user, it really won't make a noticeable difference.

If you absolutely need to facetime, you have 2 garbage cameras waiting for you.

Performance wise, the ipad2 is slightly faster than the ipad1 right now. Yes down the road, more games/apps will take advantage of ipad2's increased specs and it'll be noticeably faster than the ipad1.

But by that time, the ipad3 will be right around the corner.

Anyone who tells you that the ipad2 is a lot better and definitely worth upgrading to from the ipad1, has been completely brainwashed by Apple.
 
swy05 said:
If you have the original ipad? Absolutely not worth upgrading.
If you don't have the original ipad? Yes, dive right in.

The upgrades are pretty minimal and to the average user, it really won't make a noticeable difference.

If you absolutely need to facetime, you have 2 garbage cameras waiting for you.

Performance wise, the ipad2 is slightly faster than the ipad1 right now. Yes down the road, more games/apps will take advantage of ipad2's increased specs and it'll be noticeably faster than the ipad1.

But by that time, the ipad3 will be right around the corner.

Anyone who tells you that the ipad2 is a lot better and definitely worth upgrading to from the ipad1, has been completely brainwashed by Apple.
Click to expand...

Not true at all!! I have both iPad 1 and 2. I noticed the difference as soon as I start playing with iPad 2.

It is definitely worth of an upgrade, but it depends on your usage.
 
I have both. Ipa2 is the real iPad killer. I can't go back to iPad 1 after use 2. Go get 2, it is way faster then 1.
 
It really depends on how you use it.

I didn't buy an iPad 1, despite mostly liking it, as I do a lot of video calls and really wanted a tablet with cameras for Skype. So that's a big improvement of the iPad 2 for me.

It's thinner, and easier to hold with the rounded edge. So that's nice--but not a huge improvement and not a reason to upgrade in and of itself. Weight isn't much difference. Only .3 pounds lighter and still a bit heavier than I'd like for tablet. Hard to hold and read for long times like I can my Kindle 3.

Power wise, it's definitely faster. But if you're not playing 3D games or using intensive apps like iMovies it's not a huge difference. The faster web browsing experience is nice, but again probably not reason to upgrade in and of itself. But definitely worth it if you play a lot of games, do a lot of video editing etc. and thus really benefit from the extra power.

So again, it really comes down to your uses of the device. If you don't need cameras and are just doing simple tasks like reading the news, reading e-books, simple games like Angry Birds, surfing the web etc., then it's probably not enough difference to upgrade or pay more vs. buying a cheap iPad 1.

If you need cameras and/or do more resource intensive tasks, then you'll really benefit from the improvements.
 
We have both. I prefer the IP2 mostly due to the more svelte form factor. I find it to create a much different feel

Fwiw, if you or your sister have any interest in using iMovie, it is iP2 only. So software considerations are out there, but pretty sparse at this point.
 
Reading tech sites that have looked more closely at the graphics chip, it seems the difference is pretty large.

The new chip is based off the same one that will be used in the NGP (PSP2), just running at 2 cores instead of 4. From benchmarks and capabilities of the device, it seems the jump is quite huge, it's just that developers are going to take a little while to use up the power.

Same with the dual core processor, when things actually start using it will you see the difference.

Here's a good read on the capabilities of the new chip. Link
 
I don't have a smart phone, so even the crappy cameras on the 2 are a big plus for me....USAA banking app that allows me to deposit checks over the internet is a God send.

Smaller, lighter form factor is nice. And I love the smart cover instant on feature.

Faster browsing with fewer page outs makes my job a little easier out of my office. Noticeable difference even over 3G.

Based on my experiences with the ipod touch, the v1 will do most of the things that the v2 can do...until coders start writing apps that take full advantage of the v2's hardware. I predict this will roughly start to happen when the v3 is ready to ship next year.

If you're not a power user (or constantly have to share joint custody with others in your household), a v1 should suffice for now. If you don't have an iPad, I'd still consider getting a v1 ONLY if you do so for a sizable discount.
 
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