…iPad 2 is a-coming.

Yesterday, Apple announced that Pad 2 will be shipped to the (as always) eagerly awaiting customers in the USA on 11 March, with the pricing starting from $499. On 25 March, the device will be rolled out internationally to 25 countries.

Judging from previous Apple launches, South Africa will not be among the 25. We are impatiently waiting to see how bidorbuy sellers will respond to this challenge.

When the announcement was made, Apple promptly declared 2011 the year of iPad 2.

Over-ambitious?

Well, 2010 certainly was the year of the iPad 1. Born in April 2010, the first generation iPad ended the year with an impressive 15 million units sold, equalling $9.5 billion in revenue. Apple-watchers predict that as many as 27 million iPads could be sold in 2011, generating $16.92 billion in revenue. They say that the iPad has become a crucial product for Apple and could represent one-third of the company’s revenue in 2011.

Not bad for something nobody even knew they needed a year ago.

According to most reviewers, iPad 2 is really iPad 1.5, because it represents more an evolutionary that a revolutionary step in the development of the device. Some even go as far as to say that the main purpose of iPad 2 is to whet the consumers’ appetite for iPad 3.

Still, iPad 2 is different enough and nifty enough to prompt many to ditch the old and switch to the new model. Here are some of its salient selling points:

• The new tablet is faster. Much faster (it is said that the graphics speed is nine time what it used to be in iPad 1). It has two cameras. It is lighter and it is thinner than its predecessor. (Really, how far can the quest for slimness go in devices?! The old iPad was a paltry 13.4mm thick – and the new one is 8.8mm.)
• Then, it has smart covers (at additional cost), a bendable flap that sticks onto the side of the device. Just like some smart phone covers, the iPad 2 smart covers put the device to sleep when on and wake it up when off.
• iPad 2 also has a vast library of applications at its disposal, plus several that have been adapted especially for this device, notably iMovie and GarageBand (available at additional cost). The former allows users to edit video and audio right on iPad 2. The latter promises to make a boy (or girl) band out of any random bunch of teenagers (of any age).

Oh, and not to forget the most important selling point of iPad 2: it’s sooo hip to be among the first to own a newly launched Apple gadget. Welcome, iPad 2!