Apple Thoughts: Thoughts on the iPad 2

"Reactions are mixed on Apple's iPad 2 announcement. Although the new iPad held some surprises, what most caught the eye of analysts we talked with was that CEO Steve Jobs, out on medical leave, showed up to unveil the next-generation tablet. The announcement "started as an A+ for Steve Jobs presenting and the testosterone contained within the presentation," Giles Nugent, instructor at the SAE Institute, said by e-mail."

I watched the keynote as well (you can too right here at Apple's site), and it was nice to see Jobs up there on stage right where he belongs. But, unlike some analyst's opinions, mine is that the iPad 2 is quite an upgrade from the current version and well worth purchasing. Coming in at 1/3 thinner with twice the processing power, it features a front VGA camera as well as a rear facing camera capable of capturing HD video and 5x zoom for still shots. You can also purchase it with 3G to work with either Verizon or AT&T. And they have done all of this yet can still keep the efficiency of the iPad version 1 as the iPad 2 will offer up to 10 hours of battery life, as well as the month of standby power. And in addition it supports HDMI output and compatibility with iMovie and GarageBand. Lots of improvements and it will sell at the same pricing points as the original iPad. Seems like a winner to me, what are your thoughts?