The second iteration of the iPad came out yesterday. As a result, I had to make my obligatory trek to the Apple Store today. In case you have been living under a rock for the last week, the iPad 2 is Apple’s second generation of the iconic tablet device that has defined an entire segment of the technology industry. I have never been a huge fan of Apple devices, but I have always been intrigued by the innovation that Apple brings to the industry and encourages by example. Therefore, even though I have only bought one device from the good folks in Cupertino, California (a 160 Gig iPod classic for my wife), I always visit the Apple store to see the new toys the day after they are released,

The first thing that I noticed was that the weight of the iPad 2 is much more comfortable. Though there is only a difference of 2.8 ounces (79 grams) between the original iPad and the iPad 2, I recall the original one hurting my arm within a few minutes of picking it up. I played with the iPad 2 for about 20 minutes before I noticed the strain on my arm. The second thing that I noticed was the thickness of the iPad 2. It is almost 5 mm thinner than the original iPad at 0.34 inch (8.8 mm). This puts the iPad 2 within a fraction of a millimeter of the thickness of Amazon’s Kindle. I could definitely get used to that.

The first thing I tried to do was to write an article on it; ironically, it was this very article that I began writing at the Apple Store. One of the reasons I turned down the original iPad was how because of uncomfortable it was to type on. I was shocked at how easy it was to two thumb type on the iPad 2, even with my short thumbs; I expected much worse. Obviously, it is still slower to type on an iPad than to type on a physical keyboard, but with the iPad 2 set on the display at an angle, I can easily touch type 20-30 words per minute.

Unlike the original iPad, the iPad 2 comes your choice of a white bezel or a black bezel. I tried both versions, and I found the white glossy bezel to be very distracting. It was sometimes hard to tell where the screen ended and the bezel began. The black bezel creates a void on the edges of the iPad that makes the device seem to disappear visually in your hands. It makes it feels like you are really touching the Internet, not the screen of a tablet computer. This perception is lost with white bezel, and makes the experience less enjoyable.

The complaints that I have read about the cameras on the device are accurate. The VGA (or 0.3 MP) camera on the front is just ridiculous. My very first digital camera from the 90’s had a VGA camera on it! I am not impressed. The camera on the back with its undisclosed resolution (Wired has guesstimated its resolution at around 0.9 MP) is not much better. However, iMovie, the app that Apple developed for the iPad to edit videos made with the new cameras is remarkable. Editing a video by touching the screen and dragging the clips into the timeline made me reminisce to the days of cutting and splicing film, and it was fun. It is a shame that such a well designed app is paired with such substandard hardware.

Finally, although there were many rumors that the iPad 2 would have a much higher resolution screen like the iPhone 4, in the end, Apple gave it the same size, 9.7-inch, and same resolution, 1024 x 768, as the original. I don’t think it makes much of a difference; Deemable still looks just fine at that resolution.

Now, I know you are probably asking, “OK, what is the final verdict? Are you going to get one?”

I haven’t decided yet. It definitely has not earned a spot at the top of my wish list. Right now, I am in the market for a new laptop and a new phone, and because of the limitations of the iPad 2, it still does not replace either of them, even marginally. If the iPad is still the overall best tablet device on the market after I have purchased a new laptop and phone, then I will probably jump on the fruit wagon and get one too.