The new iPad has just come out. To me, it does not have the wow factor and I guess I will just stick with my iPad 2 at the moment.

I have been using iPad 2 for some time now and am happy to say that it performs very well. It has become one of the most important electronic appliances in my home. I will just share some of my opinions on iPad 2 below.

General

Since I often use the iPad at home instead of carrying it around, I have bought the one with wifi only, which is cheaper. If you need to use the iPad on the road, then a 3G version is also available for purchase.

iPad 2 is also available in both black and white colour. The one I am using is white. I think that the look of iPad 2 is simple yet stylish as other Apple products.

Size

Carrying an iPad around is very much like carrying a book around. It can be put inside a woman's bag or a man's suitcase as long as it can hold a document in A4 size. It is about 600g in weight. It would be a bit heavy if you have to carry it around all day. I also found it a bit heavy if you are going to use it for hours and I would suggest putting it on a table if you are going to use it for a long time.

Smart cover

I think it is a must have for the iPad. It is not included in the package but you can buy iy easily from the apple store or other retailers. They are also available in different color and prints so you can pick one which suits you best. Coming to its practicality, apart from protecting your iPad, it allows your iPad to "stand" on a desk. It is very convenient when you use your iPad to watch videos.

Uses

I have put my notebook computer and desktop computer aside after I have got my iPad 2. Basically it can do everything I will normally do using the computer. E.g. checking emails, browsing the internet and logging in to facebook. The start up time is fast. You just flip over the smart cover, touch the homescreen and in seconds you can use the iPad. It is that easy!

My parents have stopped buying the newspaper after I bought the iPad. I think that it is more environmental friendly and less paper is used. There are many apps in the store which are for iPad use so you won't have difficulty in finding the apps you like.

I also find watching video on iPad an enjoyable experience. The quality of the video shown (including HD movies) is good and the processing time is fast. Also, I like the fact that the iPad will not become hot even after watching video for hours, which is a common occurrence in notebook computers.

There is one thing which I don't like about the iPad 2 is that typing is not as easy as on a "real" keyboard. If I have to do a lot of typing or a lot of formatting, I would prefer to do it on a computer instead of iPad.