10 Reasons NOT to Buy the iPad 2

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So we’ve already given you 10 good reasons to buy the iPad 2, but that’s not to say it isn’t without its flaws. We may be big fans of the iPad 2, but there’s still room for improvement.

Here then are 10 reasons NOT to buy the iPad 2, and to hold out to see what Apple may have up their sleeves next time.

1)No improvement on the original iPad screen

The iPad had a great 9.7 inch screen, but this was trumped by the iPhone 4’s high-res Retina display. We thought that display might have been included in the iPad 2, but instead Apple decided to stick with the 1024 x 668 resolution of the first iPad. For shame.

2)Still no Flash support

The war of words between Steve Jobs and Adobe over their Flash plug-in sees no end in sight, and as a result the iPad 2 still lacks Flash functionality. With so much web content built on Flash architecture, some say the iPad 2’s web browsing credentials are crippled as a result.

3)Those two new cameras are pretty under-powered

It’s great to see cameras finally included in the Apple tablet, but they’re not all that good to be honest. Though the rear camera is capable of 720p HD video recording, still photos have a resolution of less than 1MP. The photos taken wont look too bad on the tablet itself, but they’re going to look fairly shoddy when displayed elsewhere.

4)It’s still pretty expensive, while the iPad 1 is now dirt-cheap

Even though it’s cheaper than the original iPad right across the range of models, the iPad 2 is still hardly pocket money, with the most affordable model still a pricey £399. With certain Android tablets slipping below the £250 mark, and retailers flogging the original iPad for less than £100 on (lengthy) data contracts, better deals may be available if you’re dying for a tablet fix.

5)Tablets make mugger’s eyes light up

You think your smartphone is a target for robbers? Just think how much a tablet is worth to someone on the wrong side of the desperation divide. While there are plenty of other items just as valuable that you should be careful with when using in public, Apple’s gear remains highly coveted, and so more likely to draw attention from lawbreakers.

6)Those cool new accessories are way over priced too

“Smart” that magnetic cover may be, but with prices starting at £35, I’ll take my chances with my clumsy butter-fingers. As for the HDMI-Out add on, it’s onsale for $39 in the States, which is way, way more than an equvialent HDMI-Out cable for a notebook would set you back via eBay.

7)Hardly anyone uses the key FaceTime application

Maybe it’s because we don’t much like having to comb our hair before we pick up the phone, or that all our friends are ugly, but video calling just hasn’t taken off in the UK. The same goes for Apple’s proprietary FaceTime app. It’s in every iPhone 4 and iPad 2, as well as being available for Mac, but we can count on one hand the amount of FaceTime calls we’ve made. Apple keep pushing it as a killer feature, but consumers just don’t seem all that impressed.

8)No 4G connectivity

4G super-fast mobile broadband may still be a few years away from launching in the UK, but networks are already up and running in the States. It’s a shame then that Apple didn’t make provision for those who’d like to make use of 4G in the USA with the iPad 2, as well as future-proofing the tablet for eventual use on European 4G networks.

9)No room for storage expansion

Though the three different iPad 2 storage size options (16GB, 32GB and 64GB) do well to cater for most potential buyer’s needs and budgets, it’s a shame that those who have the odd SD or microSD card laying around cant boost their tablet’s memory in the new Apple tablet. No expansion slots have been added for removable storage on the iPad 2.

10) The competition is hotting up

They’ve been a long time coming, but the first wave of Android Honeycomb tablets are now waiting in the wings, ready to stake their own claims as tablet kings. From LG’s 3D-capable Optimus Pad to the incredibly powerful Motorola Xoom, Apple have far more competition now than they did this time last year.

Gerald Lynch
For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv

7 comments

  • apple will never add a memory slot. stop waiting.
    the memory has been apple’s key way to price-discriminate since the initial launch of the iPod.
    price discrimination means charging the highest price to people who have the most money, and the lowest price to the people with the least money, without it hopefully being too obvious.
    there are lots of ways of doing this (like student discounts, senior citizens discounts, coupons, etc).
    in the tech world, it is memory.
    you just need to identify who has a lot of money to spend on tech. well, people who are serious users (and therefore likely to be willing to spend money) want memory and vice versa. so by charging more for more memory (much more than the cost of the additional memory), apple is able to price discriminate very very effectively.
    they will never ever offer memory expansion slots.

  • apple will never add a memory slot. stop waiting.
    the memory has been apple’s key way to price-discriminate since the initial launch of the iPod.
    price discrimination means charging the highest price to people who have the most money, and the lowest price to the people with the least money, without it hopefully being too obvious.
    there are lots of ways of doing this (like student discounts, senior citizens discounts, coupons, etc).
    in the tech world, it is memory.
    you just need to identify who has a lot of money to spend on tech. well, people who are serious users (and therefore likely to be willing to spend money) want memory and vice versa. so by charging more for more memory (much more than the cost of the additional memory), apple is able to price discriminate very very effectively.
    they will never ever offer memory expansion slots.

  • Xoom and iPad 2 are both about as incredibly powerful as each other. There’s not much difference, if you look at performance reviews you may even notice that the iPad 2 more often than not outperforms the Motorola although not by any amount worth bragging about.

    Someone said to me, if you had to pay the same money for a car would you buy a Skoda Octavia RS in black or an Audi RS3 (which comes in black or white)?

  • I’d like a higher res touchscreen, but I wouldn’t imagine Apple selling the iPad 2 at the same price as the original if it had one.

  • It’s good to try to come up with 10 reasons not to buy as well, but you’re struggling a bit with “The original iPad is now dirt cheap” – care to guess why?
    No room for expansion – you really thing SD cards will ever be available on iPad?
    4G connectivity, if you’re going to pay for 4G then you’ll proabaly afford the iPad 3 when it is introduced next year.
    As for competition hotting up – sure, but by the time they deliver (because Honeycomb doesn’t as it stands today) they’ll have to measure up to Apple’s 3rd generation iPad next year.
    Apple’s taken measured steps to make sure they have enough of an edge to hurt the competition and entice customers but still enough in reserve for the next release. It’s Apple marketing and it’s a proven tactic.

  • Just wanted to say thanks for both articles (10 reasons to buy/not to buy an iPad2). I was hovering for a while and have now come down on the Not to buy side (for now) purely becasue I want to see what others are producing in the market. I like the fact there is going to be a choice.

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