The Metro Atlanta area has been one of the "hot" areas of the country for tablet style computers and iPads over the last year. Many Atlanta enthusiasts I talked with over the past few months had wished the first iPad had a camera.
So, it's no surprise that many Atlantans including this writer were looking forward to Apple's announcement of a new iPad that happened today at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco. Those that wanted a camera, got their wish X 2.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the stage for the unveiling of the new and improved device.
The iPad 2 will be priced the same as the previous iPad, but what you get with this model is a faster processor and two cameras. The cameras will allow the user to use Apple's Facetime feature.
The new iPad is also 33% thinner and a tad shorter than the original iPad. The new version will also come in black and white colors. The iPad will be available and ship to consumers on March 11.
Application developers are also excited. Manny Gomez of Gomez Industires loves the fact that price has stayed the same and now believes that the HP TouchPad will be priced accordingly. He also thinks this might open the platform for more "intense" games. Taking a jab at Apple's not letting users to view flash videos on products, Manny added, "one can now NOT view Flash sites 10 times faster on the iPad2."
Another app developer, George Salcedo says the iPad 2 will be a success in that it will sell 20 million units. He also thinks the iOS operating system is showing its age. He is encouraged by the faster processor and feels app developers will waste no time in developing apps to take advantage of it.
As with any Apple announcement, Apple took shots at their competitors. Just the debut of this new tablet is a statement enough as they continue to lead the pack when it comes to tablet computers.
