Apple launches second iPad tablet
Baku, March 3 (AZERTAC). Apple CEO Steve Jobs briefly emerged from his medical leave and walked on stage to standing ovation Wednesday to unveil the second generation of the popular iPad, which will go on sale worldwide later this month.
Jobs looked frail as he appeared in his signature black mock turtleneck, blue jeans and wire-rimmed glasses.
The next-generation tablet computer has a faster processor than the original iPad`s. As expected, it comes with two cameras for taking photos and video chatting. The battery life will be the same as the original — about 10 hours of usage and a month on standby.
The iPad 2 is also thinner — 8.8 millimeters instead of the current 13.4 millimeters.
"The new iPad 2 is actually thinner than your iPhone 4," Jobs said.
The original iPad, which burst onto the scene last April, was more popular than analysts imagined. Apple sold 15 million in nine months.
The iPad was used for checking e-mail, surfing the Web, watching online video and other personal media tasks, but as the number of small applications designed just for iPad grew, the tablet made itself at home in offices, shops, restaurants and countless other professional and hobbyist settings.
The rush for iPads sparked dozens of copycat touch-screen devices, but so far, none have broken into the mainstream consciousness the way the iPad has. In February, Motorola Mobility Inc.`s Xoom, the most promising challenger so far, went on sale. It runs a new version of Google Inc.`s Android software that was designed for tablets, not smart phones.
Tablet computers existed long before the iPad, but it took Apple to build a device that made sense to consumers. Apple simplified the software, packed it in sleek, shiny hardware and sold it to a generation of gadget lovers who, most likely, already have a smart phone and a laptop that serve most of the same functions.
Apple also announced new software designed for the iPad, including a $4.99 version of iMovie for video editing and a $4.99 version of GarageBand, its music recording and editing software. GarageBand includes instruments that can be played by touching the iPad 2`s screen, and it can even sense whether you`re tapping quietly or banging on the "keys." People can start a project on their Mac, then work on it later on the iPad 2.
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