IPad2

$4.23 a day: On the timing of a Black Friday iPad 2 purchase

Apple released the first iPad, the 16GB Wi-Fi-only model for $499, on April 4, 2010. The $499 iPad 2 came out 342 days later, on March 11, 2011.

Another way to look at it is that you paid $1.46 a day for the original iPad before it was obsolete.

We lack the proper sample size for true statistical accuracy, but based on the number of days into a new year Apple released its first two iPads, we can take the average of April 4 (92 days in) and March 11 (69 days in), and guess that the iPad 3 will arrive 81 days into 2012. That would be March 22. That would also mean a 377-day life cycle for the iPad 2.

If you agree to play along with that projection, then the $499 iPad 2 comes out to costing $1.33 a day before obsolescence. That's a relative bargain compared with the first iPad.

But what does that mean for the value of an iPad 2 purchased this holiday buying season?

Let's take Black Friday--November 25. There are 118 days between November 25 and our March 22, 2012 guess for the debut of an iPad 3. That translates to $4.23 a day, or more than three times the daily cost of an original iPad during its life cycle as a new product. For an iPad 2 purchased (or opened) on December 25, that's only 88 days until it's out of date, or $5.67 a day.… Read more

Kindle Fire vs. iPad 2 vs. Tab 8.9: Performance speeds

Yes, in case you were wondering, the Kindle Fire is a tablet. It downloads apps, surfs the Web, displays books, and plays music and video. Its chief interface tool is a capacitive touch screen and it's a small, relatively thin device.

Based on those facts, comparing its performance with both the iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 should elicit very little dissension among Kindle fanboys (is that even a thing?), but I'm quite confident the comparison will stir up trouble anyway. Not that I'd let that stop me.

Today we'll take a close look at two key functions of the Kindle Fire: app downloads and Web page loading. In particular, how fast each can be accomplished on the Fire compared with other tablets.… Read more

How to install iOS 5

If you were not among the million or so people who immediately preordered an iPhone 4S on the day it was available, you can still upgrade your Apple handset.

If you have an older iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS, you can upgrade it to Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 5, released earlier today. So, too, can iPad and iPad 2 owners, and those with a third- or fourth-generation iPod Touch. Note that many people are reporting problems with the iOS 5 installation; the following covers the basic procedure as it's supposed to go.

To get iOS 5, the first order of business is to update to iTunes 10.5. Open iTunes and then click iTunes > Check for Updates to install version 10.5.… Read more

Apple to ship 20 million iPads this fall

The "Taiwan Economic Times" is reporting that Apple's iPad 2 assembler, Hon Hai Precision Industry, has upped its initial shipment projection of 14 million iPad 2 units for the third quarter to 20 million units.

If the report is accurate, that's a 42.8 percent increase in projected output. "Although declining to comment on the report, Hon Hai stressed that it is normal to forecast a shipment surge in the third quarter, a booming season for the electronic industry."

Obviously Apple is confident in high sales heading into the holiday season. The projected numbers … Read more

Tablet battery life: CNET's top six

Battery life is one of the most important features to consider when shopping for a tablet. A short battery life could mean the difference between being truly mobile with your slim, sexy, mobile device or carrying around various clunky juice boxes and power adapters, which isn't nearly as sexy.

Battery life is heavily tied to the brightness of the tablet's display and its wireless connection activity. To ensure optimal battery life, turn down that brightness and make sure Airplane mode is on. Also, stop using those frackin' apps and don't check your damn e-mail! OK, I'm … Read more

iFrogz case protects your iPad 2, battery life

The iFrogz iPad 2 Summit Case is a real turn-off, and that's a good thing.

There's an ever-growing supply of iPad case options, with some aimed at decoration and others at all-out protection. Some even come with keyboards and other bangs and whistles. But the iFrogz Summit is one of the first to preserve battery life in an iPad 2 by switching the tablet to idle mode when you close the lid.

I had a chance to wrap my iPad 2 in a Summit case recently. The first thing to strike me is how well-armored the Summit is on both sides of the device, combining polyurethane and polycarbonate with an outer layer of leather to pad the screen face and the metallic backside. The layers of leather lend it a briefcase look. … Read more

Belkin introduces new iPad 2 Keyboard Folio case

Welcome another iPad 2 Bluetooth keyboard/folio case to the world.

This one arrives courtesy of Belkin and its appropriately called the Keyboard Folio ($99.99). Unlike some models that feature rubber keys, this one has larger TruType keys for what Belkin says is "a comfortable, computer-style typing experience and complements the functionality of the iPad 2 with separate, adjustable modes for viewing and typing."

Several cases with integrated Bluetooth keyboards are available already (see roundup below), but Belkin is claiming its Keyboard Folio is ultrathin and lightweight. When we get your hands on one, we'll let … Read more

Toshiba Thrive review: Heft earned?

Tablets are generally expected to be "thin and light" small computers with unobtrusive interfaces. Some tablets are thinner and lighter than others, however.

While we've praised tablets like the iPad 2 and Galaxy Tab 10.1 for their sleekness, and dinged the HP TouchPad for being too bulky, the Thrive poses an interesting question. Is a bulky tablet inherently a bad thing or can a tablet justify its extra mass?

In an attempt to answer that question I take a long hard look at the Thrive, including its full ports, swappable battery, and removable back panel. I … Read more

Why I never used my iPad to replace my laptop at E3: A review of iLuv's keyboard case for the iPad

I'm long overdue on a promise I made before I left for the E3 Expo over a month ago. As I packed my bags, I said I'd take iLuv's new keyboard case for the iPad with me, and see if I'd end up using my iPad 2 plus a keyboard more than I used my laptop to write. Pitted against the keyboarded iPad 2: a Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E220s.

In short: the laptop won.

That's probably not much of a surprise. E3 is mission-critical time for writing quick posts and editing on the fly between … Read more

An unexpected Prizefight: TouchPad vs. PlayBook

Now, we could have taken the obvious route with our latest tablet Prizefight. The HP TouchPad is the new tablet kid on the block and of course the "on the nose" comparison would be the iPad 2. Less on the nose, but almost as obvious would pit the TouchPad against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Boring, boring, boring! (Incidentally, typing the word "boring" three times in a row doesn't preclude us from making the two aforementioned theoretical comparisons in the future.)

The tablet market is growing beyond Google or Apple-based devices, so we thought … Read more