At the first sight, iPad 2 is simply thinner, lighter, more powerful and it comes in white. If you craving for white iPhone 4 it's better to get your hands with white iPad first since it will take quite a time to be officially arrived in Malaysia. So, what so special about iPad 2 that makes people in the rest of world want to have it? I got my hands of the white 16 GB wifi iPad 2 officially shipped for Malaysian market.
As a tradition for Apple as lead by Mr. Steve Jobs, their products are made to be sexier time to time. In terms for mobile products, they are getting slimmer, smaller but yet sturdy and durable. That's our impression to the iPad 2. It's lighter and slimmer than its predecessor (the original iPad). Although iPad 2 is up to 20% lighter than original iPad which weight 601g for iPad 2 wifi, it's still feels heavy after holding it for a while for a while with one hands. Even it's attached with minimum extra weight from Apple's Smart Cover. Yes, why not holding it with both hands, some people ask. Just want to have feeling of holding a book that similar with iPad 2's size. Definitely Apple will do something on this I hope.
Apart from iPad 2's beauty exterior, iPad 2 has boost its processor, graphics and memory. If you are a heavy user with original iPad, you may noticed that iPad 1 starts to lag when you open a lot of apps running on the background. So iPad 2 is believed to be capable to handle more apps in a time as it has bigger memory. Moreover, running performance hungry apps such Garage Band or VLC (no longer available on the App Store dude!) will show how much iPad 2 has improved from iPad 1. Garage Band on iPad 1, running the playback of composed music and scrubbing to left and right there will be a HUD view says "please wait a while" before the music starts to play. On the iPad 2, it doesn't happen at all. For VLC, it may be bit different comparison, for the same big movie file play on VLC on iPhone 4 (iPad 1 has the same processor with iPhone 4) and the iPad 2. iPad 2 seems to have lesser laginess. But other than that, iPad 1 seems to have enough processor power to run common apps.
Are Smart Covers so smart? It looks cool when the Smart Cover's aluminum magnetic hinge latch with iPad 2's body without any hard work. They are attach each other, and auto aligned it magically. Like magnet. Yes, in fact there are lot of magnets inside Smart Covers and iPad 2 was designed with Smart Covers in mind so there is also magnet inside the iPad 2. Smart Covers just not only to be the cover the iPad 2, but a stand to watch movie and typing. Apart from Apple's claim, Smart Covers don't clean your iPad 2's screen at all. In fact there are smudge lines that come from the covers. If you want to care very much about your iPad 2, and afraid it fall down or scratch its body, it's recommend to get other full iPad 2 case, rather than Smart Covers which just protecting the screen only. Otherwise, you don't care about that, and you are willing to care more on the iPad 2, so Smart Covers is a good choice. Smart Covers seems to be apart of iPad 2.
It got cameras, rear and front facing camera. For video chatting or Apple called it Facetime, they are good enough. But for still images, better forget it. The still images take a lot of noise and make the picture not good enough to show off to people. But anyway it's better to have than don't have. If you don't have other camera then you might want to use it to take maybe important things. In this case, Apple will also definitely improve it on the next update. Not forget to mention, iPad 2 has HD capable recording rear camera which you may use while in vacation and edit it directly on the iPad 2. You may want to use iMovie for iPad to edit you footage to make a beautifully crafted movie.
If you do simple task on it such checking email, surf Internet, Facebook, reading Aiyo or Forest Fables, tweeting and do casual gaming then iPad 1 is just enough. But, if you want sexy looking device, faster graphics for gaming needs, more apps running on the background for productivity, faster interaction for high performance app like Garage Band then iPad 2 is the answer for you. Starts at RM1499, RM50 cheaper than original price of iPad 1 is worth with its value, and you can spend RM50 to buy more apps. With support for next OS updates for next more years, more and more useful apps and fun games coming to the platform everyday, iPad 2 gonna be the most enjoyable device ever.