Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Apple iPad 2 MC984LL/A Tablet (64GB, Wifi + AT&T 3G, White) NEWEST MODEL








Product Features and Technical Details

Size Name: 64GB | Item Shape: Wifi + AT&T 3G | Color Name: White

Product Features

  • Apple's iOS 4 , 1 GHz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed processor
  • 64GB integrated
  • 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology.
  • WiFi 802.11n
Processor, Memory, and Motherboard
  • Hardware Platform: Mac
  • Processor: 1 GHz Unknown
  • Number of Processors: 2
Hard Drive
  • Size: 64 GB
  • Type: Solid State
Graphics and Display
  • LCD Native Resolution: 1024 x 768
Cases and Expandability
  • Size (LWH): 7.31 inches, 9.5 inches, 0.34 inches
  • Weight: 2 pounds
Power
  • Rated Charge (normal use): 10 hours
Wireless
  • Wireless Type: 802.11abg
Warranty and Support
  • Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.





Reviews:

We are now the proud owners of two (2) iPad 2 tablets. We have one white 64GB WiFi/AT&T 3G and one black 16GB WiFi. 

My family all pooled together to buy my son his iPad 2 (after they saw how he was responding to my 3G version). Unlike many children with autism, my son has never been very computer or technologically inclined. His interests have always been with physical and tangible objects and interests (not a bad thing, at all)... but we strongly suspected that the iPad touchscreen would change all of that. 

There are some remarkable apps for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - some of which (fortunately) we don't need to use, since my son is very verbal. That having been said - I have watched how the iPad is completely transforming the lives of his peers who are not very verbal. Since this isn't a review of the apps, I won't write a whole book about the great apps - except to highlight three that perform really well on the iPad for my son: 1) the "First Then" schedule - you can use stock photos, photos you take, or grab them from Google images; 2) Stories2Learn where you can make your own social stories using photos you take; and "Look in My Eyes" a game that makes your child look squarely into the eyes of images of children (there is a secret number displayed) that needs to be entered on a next page to get "prizes". 

Okay - so now a review of the iPad itself... 

For the 64GB wifi/3G model - I swore I would only use it for my son and myself... that I wouldn't get sucked into using it for work (since I am the one who paid for it... right?). Okay, well that plan lasted all of 3 minutes. I have all of the attachments now: the VGA connector (used it yesterday to put maps up on the wall during a meeting using our projector); the HDMI connector (which is genius - since it has a 2nd port to provide power using your own AC adapter - and I use this at home and at work to plug into the TVs/LCD displays); the USB and SD Card reader (which imports my photos from my Nikon DSLRs); and my sister bought me the bluetooth keyboard (which I thought would be superfluous - but since I AM actually using this for work ALL OF THE TIME - it comes in very handy). All of the Apple attachments work great. Yesterday, I received a cheap non-Apple 2100 mAmp car charger from Amazon - and it works GREAT. Charges, and I'm not afraid of my iPad battery frying! 

So, let me get to the two negatives - since that's why YOU are reading this review - right? You want to figure out what is wrong with this thing... if anything. The honest truth is that the cameras STINK!!! Totally, and completely. So, why give it a 5 star review, right? The cameras WORK for the purpose that I wanted: to use facetime to call my sister who lives overseas... and for that - it works passibly well. Not in low light. NEVER in low light. So... I adjust. Don't call Asia with the lights off! Problem solved, solution found! Trying to take photos with the front or back camera - also not great. REALLY HORRIBLE in the low light conditions I just mentioned. YET - when you take photos outside in the sunshine - they are actually quite decent. I'm a photo snob, though - so nothing that didn't come from one of the Nikon DSLRs is suspect to me... DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU ARE HOPING THIS WILL REPLACE YOUR COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERA. My Blackberry phone camera is a million times better - and I still think that THAT stinks. 

While I'm on the subject - let's talk about Facetime. Apple - it's a great product. I really love it. HATE that I can't use it on my iMac at home unless I upgrade to Snow Leopard - which I have no intention of doing. Glad my son now has his own iPad 2 so that I can call him when I'm at work or on the road... So others who are reading this understand - the Facetime App is a billion times better than the Skype app. Apple made Facetime to work on their computers. Period. As such, it takes those not-so-great cameras I just mentioned, and maximizes their abilities and functionality. If you can call someone Mac to Mac - use Facetime. 

What else don't I like: the cost of all of those add ons I mentioned. Seriously!?!? My choice to buy them. I will stop my rant. 

What I HATE: the smartcover. It's horrible. Don't waste your money on the smart cover! It's not smart. I bought the orange - and it's already dirty in the ridges (remember I take this everywhere, and to work... and I work as a project engineering overseeing large dirty and messy job sites) - but the orange was already a sick creamsicle color, but it is just lame. It doesn't always "snap" to the edge with the precision shown in the video commercial. Just buy something else. Or save your money. I am waiting for the Otterbox Defender to come out - since I now realize how much I will travel with this. 

Everything else - I love. The list is long, and I won't bore you. As a child, I dreamed of such a device... and it meets almost all of my desires and wishes for a non-human user interface. The AT&T 3G is good enough, don't know if Verizon would have been better... I will always question my decision. I can watch Netflix - but it doesn't hold coverage on my trainride... but then again, my cell phone from Verizon doesn't either. There are lots of "dead zones" on my train ride to work. When I'm stationary - in the woods, at a restaurant, in a store - the AT&T signal is typically strong enough to handle the most demanding streaming. 

Visually, this object is a stunner. Physically, this object is a winner: it feels great in your hands, is responsive to the touch, and it makes everyone want one... 

I recommend that anyone who has time on their hands buy one. If you don't have time on your hands, don't buy one, since you will never sleep..... that is my woe...






Apple iPad 2 MC770LL/A Tablet (32GB, Wifi, Black) NEWEST MODEL









Product Features and Technical Details

Size Name: 32GB | Item Shape: Wifi | Color Name: Black

Product Features

  • Apple's iOS 4 , 1 GHz dual-core Apple A5 custom-designed processor.
  • 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology.
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n , 1.32 pounds.
  • It is 32 GB integrated.
Processor, Memory, and Motherboard
  • Hardware Platform: Mac
  • Processor: 1 GHz AMD Athlon
  • Number of Processors: 1
  • RAM: 512 MB
  • RAM Type: DDR DRAM
Operating System and Software
  • Operating System: Mac
Hard Drive
  • Size: 32 GB
  • Type: PC Card
Graphics and Display
  • LCD Native Resolution: 1024 x 768
Cases and Expandability
  • Size (LWH): 7.31 inches, 9.5 inches, 0.34 inches
  • Weight: 1.32 pounds
Wireless
  • Wireless Type: 802.11bgn
Warranty and Support
  • Amazon.com Returns Policies: You may return any new computer purchased from Amazon.com that is "dead on arrival," arrives in damaged condition, or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Amazon.com reserves the right to test "dead on arrival" returns and impose a customer fee equal to 15 percent of the product sales price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product. Any returned computer that is damaged through customer misuse, is missing parts, or is in unsellable condition due to customer tampering will result in the customer being charged a higher restocking fee based on the condition of the product. Amazon.com will not accept returns of any desktop or notebook computer more than 30 days after you receive the shipment. New, used, and refurbished products purchased from Marketplace vendors are subject to the returns policy of the individual vendor.

Reviews:


I have purchased both an iPad2 and Xoom for contrasting fellowship members. I cerebration it worth examination the two devices for anyone fascinated. Many of my comments are unverifiable so carry that in care when metropolis the critique. 

International attendance and conceive: 
The iPad2 sort has a unlike regain from the Xoom obstruct - the iPad2 is a bit mack, less believable to thrust when kinetic con distances. The check on the Xoom tends to evince fingerprints many than the Ipad2 for both represent. Everyone in this sept thinks that the iPad2 looks sharper than the Xoom. 

Both matter 1.6 lbs. Subjectively, the Xoom feels heavier than the Ipad2, but it's an fantasy perhaps caused by it's slightly small size. UPDATE: I requisite to hear to use the scales - the Xoom is about 3 ounces heavier than the iPad2. 

Both person a connatural size covert, plumbed diagonally. But the feature ratio is diametrical - 4:3 for iPad2, 16:9 for Xoom. This substance that the iPad2 actually has a large watch area, and this makes a historical number when scrolling through a web situation. The iPad2 door is brighter than the Xoom obstruct. 

Hardware show: 
The Xoom feels a bit faster than the iPad2, and the eyeglasses take that it is faster. Both individual dual ngo processors supported on ARM designs. The Xoom seems to be healthy to handle graphics punter than the iPad2. As far as conjunctive to Wifi networks, both seem to bonk this one downcast pat - they both virtuous impact. 

Human Port: 
The iPad2 is retributive equivalent a big iPhone. Whether this advantageous or bad is prejudiced. For me, it's superb - bright, stretched and can be customised to my needs. The Xoom mortal interface is totally new, and regrettably it shows - there are numerous abrasive edges. Some examples: twisting icons around to foregather programs unitedly is not nonrational and they keep affecting Scheme: 
The iPad2 uses Apple's IOS. It mechanism, but it uses synergetic multitasking which (in theory) is fewer useful than the sonorous multitasking on the Xoom which uses a version of Google's Android designed for tablets. In use, they both affect fine and I doubt anyone would remark the difference. 

Applications: 
iPad2 has 70,000 apps visible from the Apple App outlet and it also runs the 300,000 apps addressable for the iPhone. Xoom currently has around 60 apps and it can run Android phone apps (but they are stretched in one message which makes them appear quaint). Many of the iPad2 applications are pretty formidable - GarageBand for representation. There are umpteen games on the iPad2, and righteous a few games prefabricated for the Xoom. If this doesn't change quick, the Xoom is sunk. After all, applications are generally the reason grouping buy these devices. 

Browsing: 
Because of the sieve facet ratio that I mentioned, I upgrade feeding on the iPad2. The Xoom has Brick Minute and the iPad2 doesn't, but so far I harbor't move crossways a unary instance where this has been an store. I'm trusty there are real galore sites not congenial with iPad2, but I shelter't browsed to one of them yet. 

Camera: 
I don't use the camera some, and I'm not really sure if either is surpass. In the folk, the Xoom individual says the Xoom is turn, the iPad2 individual says the iPad2. The Xoom has photoflash and iPad2 doesn't which is a win for Xoom, but the Xoom seems slower to aver a picture. 

Speakers: 
The Xoom has two smaller speakers, iPad2 has one slightly larger verbalizer. The sensation is somewhat punter caliber on the iPad2 and the Xoom cannot achieve the synoptic intensity as the iPad2. But they are both pretty slummy - use earphones or an extrinsic writer if you poorness enough audio. 

Battery aliveness: 
Vexed for me to administer an accurate comparability, but supported on kinsfolk usance it seems the iPad2 has the margin here, but not by often. 

Inside store: 
The Xoom has 1GB of RAM and 32 GB of flashgun storage. The iPad2 has 512MB of RAM and 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of bit store - I bought the 64GB interpret. 

Outer store: 
The Xoom has an outer record interval that supports SD game, but the software was not waiting in instant for the production exude. The slot is dead until Motorola releases an operating method update. The iPad2 has no international storage reason. 

User Get: 
The iPad2 was up and running quite speedily. I adjacent the maneuver to iTunes and it automatically updated to the newest version of the operating system. I was then competent to select and download Apps straightaway and commence using them. 

The Xoom was not so smooth. For any cogitate, I was not competent to lay the newest edition of Google Maps or Brick Moment. I was fit to download the apps, and the establish growth appeared to make without errors, but the new apps right were not installed. After any case disagreeable I eventually returned the Xoom position to the mill settings and started again, and this period both the installs worked. Of instruction, this wouldn't be a upright answer if you had a ton of applications and/or collection on the figure. 

Activity: 
Apple has their retail stores. You can get a large turn of service from these stores from people whose exclusive job is to support users. Both iPad2 and Xoom users somebody web sites open that proof their products but you eff to drop the minute dig for the sites and dig through the sites. You can also get an Applecare proof incase which gives you a family of age supererogatory keep for the iPad2. 

Round blood: 
I believe the Xoom element may be slightly outdo than the iPad2 (separate from the covert characteristic ratio and the speakers), but the software is awfully wanting. The Xoom was free FAR too proto, it's just not waiting for primetime. 

If I had to piece vindicatory one, I'd production the iPad2 - lower dogfingt, apps for everything, alter reading have, fitter funding options. The Xoom needs less equipage software and much applications; it has voltage but it's not there yet. And by the moment it gets there, there leave be something fitter getable. 


Update 7/5/2011 

We individual now had the two devices for over 3 months. During that moment Motorola free an update to fix whatever of the issues with the archetype Xoom. It's somewhat faster, the job of exclusive perception the basic 5 applications is firm, there are few supererogatory capabilities for USB, and most importantly, the Xoom doesn't fail every few hours. 

Withal, the large supplying with the Xoom is allay the ascertain of applications obtainable to run in mortal tablet style, as anti to flowing Golem phone applications. I've interpret that there are 300 applications forthcoming, but it's velar to pronounce them. The Humanoid Market doesn't mark between sound applications intentional for a gnomish sift and tablet applications. You possess to see the statement of each coating to see what it is organized to run on, and find 300 apps in 200,000 is rattling abstraction difficulty with the Humanoid Mart is the sheer need of supervision. I interpret that anybody can put any program there without any remember, and I've translate there have been a few problems with malware. Lately I saw an article that claimed there are spyware applications on the store, which worries me a slight. I'm not language you can't get malware from the Apple stock, but Apple does look at the apps first - I'm not alert of any malware getting into the Apple outlet. 

The iPad2 does bang both downsides I wasn't informed of when I wrote my drill. It would be pleasant to screw a generic usefulness USB transferral and a salutation receptacle. There is an extra-cost transcriber obtainable from Apple that supplies HDMI out and a qualified function USB connector. Also the keyboard connexion prefab for the fresh iPad doesn't touch on the iPad2. 

For us, the iPad2 is the soul. The Xoom is sitting on a ridge and I don't judge it's been utilized over a period now. In counterpoint, iPad2 is in use every day and continues to be a big hit. The essential difficulty with the Xoom is the deficiency of tablet-based applications.