[Hands0n]

Well, despite my own protestations otherwise I went and did it. A repeat of nine months ago when the original iPad came out. That was where I ignored the launch day and instead nipped over to Bluewater the following day and picked one up, no trouble, from the Apple store.

This time it was slightly different and, for me, completely radical.

I had not actually planned on doing any of this. But last night the thinking got to me and this morning I took a leisurely breakfast, read the paper and sauntered over (in the car) to Bluewater around 10:30am. But instead of going to the Apple store I popped in to the Three store on the lower level (by the food hall) to see what they were up to. Of late they have been making a lot of noise about how good their iPad plans were.

I approached the floor walker to ask about availability and he said that they had one 64GB in white and all of the other variants in black. At this point I completely crumbled and asked for a 32GB in black :D

Apart from a silly computer glitch with the credit check I got through unscathed, I failed it initially because it had somehow picked up some weird address that wasn't mine. A re-do by the assistant (thank you Monica) by her having to log right out of the terminal and back in again resolved the problem.

At the time of writing I am just restoring everything to the new iPad 2 making it a clone of the original which will now be passed on to the Mrs or one of the kids if she doesn't want it.

So why did I relent?
This is not an easy question to answer. But mostly it is because I do like the iPad a lot and while the update is not a huge one for me and my own specific use I do like the new form factor.

A large part, also, has to do with Three's offer - which got even better when they offered me an in-store discount of £40 because I was an existing customer. Their 3G allowances are superb these days - and to walk out with an iPad 2 for £249 was compelling.

Yes, I know that within a year Apple will bring out the iPad 3 and I will still have 12 months of 3G contract to go. But there would be nothing stopping me from selling on the iPad 2 and using the remaining mobile data contract time in that. So no bridges burned then.

I will be spending the next few days learning all about my new machine and its capabilities. Not being a game player I am unlikely to benefit a whole lot from the A5 SoC processor other than experience whizzier performance.

Happy days.

[Ben]

Congratulations!

I haven't managed to pick up an iPad 2 yet, instead waiting for my online order to be fulfilled (April 15th shipping? REALLY?), but I did manage to play with the new kit at Apple Covent Garden yesterday.

First off, the new form factor is a vast improvement - they really do feel lighter and are much more comfortable to hold. The white iPad 2 in particular, weirdly, appears physically smaller in the flesh - it comes across positively diddy! I think Apple have shaved a mm or so off, but there's a much greater perceived reduction in size. After playing I don't doubt that the black iPad 2 provides a nicer experience in terms of being a better frame for the content within, but the white one looks so good that I simply don't care.

Smart covers seem expensive, but when you use one it just makes sense. Yes it's a lot flimsier to use as a stand than the original iPad case, but it's also massively less intrusive and so beautifully integrated into the experience. I just can't get over the way it attaches on the left hand side; it's so ingenious and makes your iPad 2 look like some sort of MacBook Air.

We had a lot of fun with Photo Booth and the cameras, as one does, and the overall performance was generally excellent.

[miffed]

Congrats on the "surprise" (or not :) ) purchase !

I promised myself I'd wait till the fuss has died down , but couldn't resist popping into town have a play and a look yesterday.

I echo the statements above , about how small and light the new iPad appears , this coupled with the excellent performance ( had a good play with the browser and didn't see ANY chequerboard at all ! ) and I was suitably impressed

Having had a play with a bargain bin advent vega last weekend , I was coming around to the idea that Android tablets were just about to catch up and provide some competition , but my play yesterday has now convinced me that while they may be catching up with the LAST gen of iPad , the iPad 2 has shot off into the distance , and I think it will be a long time before anyone else comes up with anything that can stand shoulder to shoulder with iPad 2, .....and when they do , iPad 3 will be here , rinse , repeat .

[3GScottishUser]

I hope the iPad2 is worth the cost!

£249 sounds like a geat buy BUT there is that small matter of a 24 month commitment to pay £25 a month for the data contract. Thats £600 + £249 for the iPad2 making a total of £849 in reality.

Thats a hefty £35 a month for a trendy way to surf the net on the move and you'll need to make use of the 15GB of data to get value from it.

Personally I could not justify £35 a month on another web access device as I have enough at home on Wi-Fi to meet my needs and the mobile does it's job with 1GB of data a month included in the cost of my contract (I can tether with that too on my laptop or netbook as the phone can become a wi-fi hotspot if I need a full size screen. My travel is covered by a netbook or laptop with a dongle that has 1GB of data for £15 and I've only used 250MB of that in a year and most of that was downloading and updating my Android phone to Froyo! Abroad I rely on WiFi and local USIMs with Internet Access (In Turkey I have got the cost down to 8TL a month on Vodafone for unlimited Internet, even with tethering!)

That £249 sounds attractive until you do the maths. At £850 approx I could not justify any tablet and comms package for my current needs.

[Ben]

iPad 2 has shot off into the distance
This does seem to have been the sole purpose of this 'early' iPad 2 release; Apple needed to get ahead of the real first generation Android tablet onslaught to maintain the lead in what could be a very rapidly expanding market.

I think iPad 2 achieves what it needs to in terms of the hardware. I can't see the design needing a rethink for a solid 12 months unless a competitor comes out with a surprise... like a projection keyboard or something else whacky.

Software may be a different issue. iOS 4 is amazing, for sure, and a beautiful refinement of every iOS version that has gone before it. But Android has picked holes in it, especially in terms of notifications, and massive sales of Android devices confirm that the gap in usability isn't as wide as I'm sure Apple would like it to be (and Apple fans expect it to be).

iOS 5 is rumoured to debut this summer for release in the autumn (oh my, I actually wrote fall then, #fail). Substantial improvements like free, fully integrated MobileMe cloud services (including media sync) could help the iPad retain its edge, as could better integration with the iPhone, but in my mind we're going to need to see several major changes in iOS 5 if it's to play a large part in the future of computing rather than align itself with Apple's current model of modest volume, massive profit.

Rumour again, but I read that Apple's margins on the iPad are slimmer than it's used to. This, perhaps, is an indication that the tablet market is one Apple will not be so quick to concede.

[Hands0n]

Thinking about the iPad 2 cost of ownership over the 24 month period that the Three data contract has to run is worth some analysis. At the end of the day, whether any of this is "worth it" to the individual person is an entirely personal decision to make and must be based upon an ability [and willingness] to pay. There is, however, no right and wrong to any of this. So, with that in mind, lets look at my own analysis which you may or may not agree with.

Consider that a Three iPad SIM only is £15 for 10GB
The Three contract cost for the new 32GB iPad 2 is £25 for 15GB (£600 across the full 24 months)
The up-front payment (discounted) for the iPad 2 in store was £249
So, the total cost of ownership of the iPad 2 plus Airtime contract is £849.

If one accepts that £15 per month of the £25 is equivalent of the iPad SIM only cost - ignoring that one gets another 5MB of data - that leaves £10 per month to pay off the iPad 2.
Over 24 months that works out to £240 non-Airtime fees, making the cost of the 32GB iPad itself £489. Apple's retail price for the same device is £579, another £90 more. A bit of a bargain in that context, allowing for fact that there are no "cost of funds" interest charges involved.

Figures being what they are, you can cut those any which way you like and come out with a better or worse deal based upon your own perspective. But what I am suggesting is that this really is quite an attractive deal based on a few ifs. That is, if you want/need 15GB per month of mobile data to your iPad, if you want a 32GB iPad at all, if you want 3G data or would a WiFi suite. One or more of those ifs may just satisfy your own personal criteria.

As always, do your own sums. Shop around for better deals. Consider other ways of financing your purchase. Think about alternative Airtime providers if you still want a 3G option - i.e. would the likes of giffgaff and their Goody Bag with truly unlimited mobile data suit your better? I could go on, but you get the picture.

Me? I'm happy. This was a good fit for what I use, and intend to use, the iPad 2 for.

[Ben]

Three are definitely the network of choice for the iPad, local conditions permitting. They're by far the cheapest according to Apple's site. If I remember, Orange are offering a tariff with the exact same TCO... for 1GB/mo vs 10GB/mo! :o

After using an iPad 2 I also believe it's fantastic value for money. To anyone unsure: you may not know how you'll use it yet, but buy one and you'll soon struggle to remember how you didn't!

[Hands0n]

@Ben - Three's iPad tariff (included with the iPad) is for 15GB/mo - it is their SIM-only that is 10GB/mo. Better still. Orange, in my opinion, have completely lost the plot tariff-wise. They have some very odd notions about the mobile data aspirations for the smartphone/pad user in 2011.

[Ben]

I don't even know why Apple are allowing the networks to sell the iPad with tiny data allowances like that. Hit YouTube and it'll be gone in no time, rolling you straight on to excess charges.

...but then they do seem to have an alliance with Three in the UK these days, what with their SIMs being used in-store.