Okay Geek Farm
Why I'm not upgrading to the iPad 2 and you shouldn't either
Ricardo Trejo
As a warning, I really have no outline whatsoever for this article. I’m seriously just venting over my thoughts of what the iPad 2 and should’ve been. And in a way you could say this is for all of you who went out and bought the original iPad last year, and now are in pondering over ordering a new, thinner one.
So if you don’t mind a little spontaneous ranting, which shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise considering you’re reading this on the internet, then don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Last year and even some time before that there was talk, well actually more like a ferver over Apple’s apparent plans to reveal a tabletlike device that would become a third tent pole for the company between the iPhone and their Mac line up. It wasn’t just them though, as Microsoft showed off several slate devices on CES 2010, however it was pretty obvious that they were all anticipating a big reveal from Apple sometime soon. And then it happened; on April 3rd of 2010, Apple released the iPad to much hype, but also disappointment. Where were the USB ports? What about an SD card reader? And why would it still need to be connected to a PC? They were all valid questions, however it felt as if Apple purposely left these features out, much like with the iPhone 1G’s design and software not having all the functionality that most mainstream phones of the day already had.
What has Apple created?
Fast forward to today, March 3rd, the day the iPad 2 was released. While expected to break single sales day, as well as all-time, records for a consumer product, the iPad 2 is still something that a lot of people aren’t really happy with. Steve Jobs had mentioned that it was going to be a completely redesigned device, and yet when unveiled it simply was thinner, lighter, and now sported front and rear cameras — and that was just about it. Completely redesigned my butt! And really, do people actually use Facetime on their iPhones and Mac’s? I would absolutely love to see some polls and statistics as to how many people actually use this feature since even when it comes to Skype, if I can get out of a video then I will. Do people enjoy staring into each other visages while talking? I’m a fan of non-video conversations that way the other person on the other side can’t tell if I’m actually paying attention or not. But I guess this is cool for older users who can enjoy long distance conversations without that pesky long-distance phone bill to talk with relatives and grandkids. And you can’t help but think that some sort of chatroulette app is going to be released for horny dudes to talk with naive chicks looking to have some laughs looking at dudes willing to show their penises just for the sexual thrill. Yes, Apple, this is what you have possibly created, all with the magic of iPad.
Steve Jobs, Cancer, and Karma
But I can’t help but feel that Apple again has put consumers between a rock and a hard place. Sure, yes, I agree that the iPad is the best tablet device out there. That’s why I own the first generation iPad, but then again someone could say that it’s not Apple’s job to consistently make products that will blow away their last year’s release out of the water. This is true, and I also agree with it. However, it just sucks to see SO many people lining up for the second iteration just because it’s the latest thing on the block. And so I suppose my beef isn’t with Apple at all, but rather with those who feel that the iPad 2 is everything we ever wanted, and that Steve Jobs is the visionary that has changed the world over with a device that will even “change the way we practice medicine.” And I know this is off-topic, but has anyone ever thought about how Jobs is a karma believer and how perhaps the reason why he has cancer and looks like a a bag of bones is because of all the peopled he crapped on throughout his life all for the sake of making Apple and himself millions and billions of dollars? Just sayin’.
What do you think? Are you getting an iPad 2?
I think a twitter user by the name of @samsheffer said it best when he said: “iPad is to iPad 2 as iPhone 3G is to iPhone 3GS.”
All in all, my original iPad works just fine, has no scratches and feels as it did on day 1. There’s no need for me to wait in line, on my day off no less, for a hunk of glass and plastic when I already have one that is just as good, without all those pesky cameras that I doubt anyone will be using anyway. Now when the iPad 3 is announced and it mind-reading capabilities and an iTunes service based out of the cloud, then I might consider replacing my iPad. Because at this moment my own iPad simply is a means to access the internet, with all its news, email, and social networks I enjoy without having to sit at my computer. Now imagine if I could do everything else without the need of my computer, then and only then would I think of buying a new iPad, because that’s what it should’ve been.
What are your thoughts though? Is it worth getting a new iPad? I mean, you could just sell your old one and then have enough so you’d only need to pay about $100 bucks, give or take to upgrade to a new one, but that’s if you don’t mind getting rid of your old one.
