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Follow UsApple iPad 2
The latest edition is definitely slimmer, lighter and more powerful than the first one, and works as a great companion to laptops
The iPad 2 is much thinner and lighter than the first edition by the pioneer of Internet tablets. Weighing a mere 607 gms, and nearly half as slim as the original iPad, the iPad 2 is definitely much easier and convenient to carry around and use.
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In its sleek frame, it has 1 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 512 MB RAM, and iOS 4 installed on it. This configuration ensures that you don't see any dip in performance even if you've opened 10 applications on it. Of course, the lack of multitasking support plagues the iPad 2 as well, except in case of the music player, which continues to play songs in the background while you work on some other application. Other apps will simply freeze in their current state as you minimize them.
iPad 2 has a 9.7-inch screen with a resolution of 768x1024 pixels, which just like all Apple product screens, is bright, clear, and a pleasure to work on. It is said to have a fingerprint and scratch resistant screen, but we still found fingerprints on the screen. The responsiveness of the touch screen remains as good as ever. WiFi works great, and connects very quickly to a nearby network.
Sound output from the iPad 2 is loud and clear, but it lacks HDMI and USB ports, which limits some of its functionality and makes life a little inconvenient. For instance, you can't plug in a USB flash drive or external hard drive to transfer data. The only way to transfer data is to connect it to your PC or laptop with a USB cable. Here again, most of the data transfer is only possible through the iTunes application, except for photos and videos, which can be done directly. You can't plug in other USB devices like an Internet data card, which could be very useful in the WiFi only edition of iPad 2. We also missed having a VGA out port, so if you want to connect it to a projector to display presentations, you'll have to purchase a separate adapter for the job.
The 3G edition of the iPad 2 only accepts a micro-SIM card, which is not available in India. The only option is to get a regular SIM and get it cut down to the size of a micro-SIM from the market. We paid Rs. 300 to get it done from Nehru Place.
The iPad 2 has 2 cameras--one at the rear that also supports HD upto 30 fps and the one on the front for video conferencing, which is a VGA camera. Video capture quality is average, and photographs aren't very clear if taken indoors with insufficient lighting. It would have been good if it had a built-in flash as well.
Bottomline: Is the iPad 2 worth buying? If you're thinking of it as a replacement for your laptop, then it may not be a good idea, but it can definitely take over many functions of your laptop and become a great companion. The fact that there are so many applications available on Apple's online store gives it the versatility to cater to a lot of requirements.
Acer Iconia Tablet
This Android based tablet has a pretty good configuration and performs really well, but is a little heavy as compared to iPad2.
The Iconia overcomes many of the shortcomings/features people miss in the iPads. For one, it has a USB port, which automatically recognizes USB flash drives and keyboards, the moment you plug them in. For some strange reason, it didn't recognize external hard drives though. Second, it comes with a micro HDMI port, which can be used to connect it to a TV with HD support.
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The tablet comes pre-loaded with Android 3.0, Honeycomb OS. It supports Dolby mobile audio and even has a microSD card slot. The model we tested had Wi-Fi support only, and as of writing this review, there was no 3G edition available in the market. That seriously limits its usage to places with WiFi networks. The Iconia has a 10.1-inch screen, and weighs 730 gm, which is heavier than iPad2 (which weighs a mere 607 gms). As a result, it might be a bit heavy to operate with one hand.
Hardware specs of the Iconia are impressive--a 1 GHz Nvidia Tegra 250 dual-core processor and 1 GB RAM. We ran multiple applications on it and even played games, and the tablet handled everything perfectly without any sort of lag. The system bar at the bottom is persistent and will remain there even while you are playing games.
Other features include the standard accelerometer, a gyro sensor and GPS. The Iconia Tab has Acer's Clear.fi for media server support, which helps in connecting the tablet to other media sources and syncs it to view the media on these devices. The Iconia Tab has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with a flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, both of which give excellent quality pictures. At the bottom it also has a dock connector.
Bottomline: Though it lacks 3G, Acer Iconia is a decent choice.
Reliance 3G Tab
Reliance 3G Tab is best for those who are looking for a cheap and decent tablet with 3G connctivity
There aren't enough compelling reasons today to opt for a 3G connection today. Either you can use it on smartphones, which are limited by their screen size, or on tablets, which are expensive. On top of that, the 3G plans themselves are atrociously expensive, and even the 3G networks haven't been fully setup across the country. They're erratic both in availability and speed. The result-3G adoption hasn't really taken off in a big way. The 3G Tablet from Reliance could be the answer to most of these reasons. It's the cheapest tablet around, costing a mere Rs. 12,999, which is less than half the price of many other tablets out there. Plus, it comes with very cost-effective 3G plans, which would otherwise be very expensive if taken separately for a smartphone or some other tablet.
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The tablet itself has a 7-inch screen size, which is a bit small, but workable nevertheless. It runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS, which again, is outdated, but good enough because there are sufficient applications available for it. It weighs a mere 389 grams, making it highly portable. Plus, it comes with a 4 GB microSD card, which can be expanded to 32 GB.
The 3G plans on offer along with the tablet are for 1/ 2/ 5 GB data downloads per month. These are priced at a discounted rate of Rs. 4,500/5,500/ 7,000 respectively for one year. One can also opt for a monthly plan, if so desired.
The tablet has a 2.0 MP rear camera and a VGA camera in front for video calling. We tried to scan QR codes with its rear camera but it failed to scan those, as the rear camera's auto-focus isn't very good.
Also the display is not as bright and sharp. Its other features include an 800 MHz processor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and a micro USB port to connect it to a PC.
Some other features worth mentioning about this tablet include ambient light sensors that automatically control the brightness, a 3400 mAh battery that makes the tablet last for an ample 7-8 hours on a single charge. Plus, it has Dolby sound, which provides for great sound output.
Bottomline: With the introduction of this tablet, Reliance makes an otherwise elite device available for the masses.
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