Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

SUMMARY: White iPad 2 64GB Wifi-only A really wonderful electronic device for media consumption with some moderate content creation potential. This will likely change as more apps focused on content generation are created. I find myself using it more and more simply because it is "always ready" and small enough that it is always near. If this device had a better file management system and a more robust way to share printers it would have gotten 5 out of 5 stars. As it is, the iPad 2 is a solid 4 star device. DELIGHTERS (Current features that exceeded my expectations) FORM FACTOR: Thin and comfortable to hold. Small enough to toss in a bag or carry around the house so you find yourself using rather than trying to "remember" to do "that thing" the next time you're at your computer. Still has some weight to it (1.3lb) so prolonged reading in certain positions will cause fatigue. APP ENVIRONMENT: Really excellent variety and quality of applications for a broad range of uses and a broad range of prices. Also plays nice with content providers like amazon kindle, Google docs, and lots of news outlets. SLEEP MODE: It is seemingly "always ready" as it wakes from sleep very quickly. HDMI OUT: Granted there is a $40 accessory required it is nice to have the option of showing what's on your iPad 2 to a larger audience. iOS: Overall the operating system is "cleanly" designed, features are easy to navigate and find. PROCESSING SPEED: Remarkably quick to load apps, web pages, pdfs, etc. SATISFIERS (Current features that met my expectation) HOMESHARING: Being able to share my iTunes library (music, movies, podcast, etc) across my wifi network is wonderful and saves space on the iPad 2. SCREEN: Bright, good touch sensitivity, "flips" between orientations well, handles pictures and text with aplomb. PRICE: Reasonable considering the competition but nearly high enough to justify a "real" laptop AUDIO: Speaker is quite good for a handheld device, placement in portrait mode ends up in your lap but you can invert the iPad so not a huge deal. Also speaker faces rear of device instead of forward meaning you need to crank it louder than maybe otherwise necessary if it were forward facing. BATTERY LIFE: Battery holds up well even after a day of heavy usage, charges up easily over night. Can go 2-3 days without charging with moderate to light usage) WIFI: This simply "works". turn it on, detect a signal, and go. No messing around with complicated network settings. ONSCREEN KEYBOARD: Its responsive and surprisingly easy to use. However, scrolling to a separate numbers keyboard and lack of a "tab" button really disrupts workflow. DISSATISFIERS (Current features that did not meet my expectations) FILE MANAGEMENT: File management on the iPad is Byzantine. You use iTunes to "attach" files to apps or email them? PRINTING: Unless you have an AirPrint capable printer (new hardware to buy) or one of a handful other printers you will need to use the atrocious "file management" system above to get the docs on you computer to print. Double whammy of pain! CAMERAS: The two cameras are adequate for video chatting but taking stills is a joke. True I wouldn't want to shoot a lot of birthdays holding an iPad but I would like to use a program like "GeniusScan" to photograph documents for later reference. The 0.7Megapixel camera is capable of "barely legible" documents. COST PER GB: Paying >$3 per GB ($100 more for 64GB than 32GB) is nearly twice what you'd pay per GB for the difference in a stand-alone USB thumbdrive. TOUCH NAVIGATION: Ok so this is a general criticism of any touch device and there is no way to get around it really. Having "grown up" using keyboards and mice to interface with computers I am having to learn how to do tasks differently. Press-Hold, Swipe, Two vs Three fingers. All for tasks I was so used to doing with a Tab or Right-click. WISHLIST (features I'd like to see in the next-gen iPad) Touchscreen: The capacitive screen works fine for many things but writing notes with a "fat" stylus isn't one of them. Having a touch screen that doesn't require the "fat" stylus would greatly improve handwriting and note taking. USB or SD Card ports (never gonna happen as Apple uses memory as a price differentiator but it doesn't hurt to dream) Retina display Infrared receiver/transmitter (Can anyone say universal remote!) GPS Cheaper 3G antenna: $130 bucks extra for a 3G receiver plus I gotta buy a plan? ugh. Smartcover: Would like to see this included in the price of the device