Tablet update
Apple typically does updates on a one-year cycle. The original iPad was released in April 2010, so this is the month, I would have expected the iPad2 to be released. Instead, Apple went a month early, with a March 2 announcement and March 11 delivery of the iPad2. Among the changes are the addition of two cameras, one front facing and one on the back. These allow video conferencing, which was not possible with the original iPad, but neither is designed for serious photography. Among other changes, the iPad2 is lighter—the weight has been reduced from 730 g to 600 g—as well as slightly smaller—.the thickness, in particular, has been reduced from 13 mm to 8.8 mm. The other changes are use of a dual core processor and longer battery life. The display is unchanged at 1024 × 768 pixels, with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The screen is still 25 cm measured diagonally. The iPad2 is available with 16, 32 or 64 GBs of memory and is available in a WiFi only or a 3G version. Adobe Flash is still not supported. There is also no provision to add an external memory card.
What is interesting to me is that most of the changes, other than the cameras, are not a compelling reason to upgrade from and original iPad to and iPad2. If you need a tablet with video conferencing capability, the iPad2 is a winner. If you want to browse the Web, read books, use medical calculators or do similar activities, either device is equivalent. Fortunately, the iPad2 is priced the same as the original iPad for each configuration. More information is available at www.apple.com.
Meanwhile, Research in Motion, makers of the Blackberry, will be releasing their Playbook Tablet on April 19. The Playbook is designed as a standalone device, although it will wirelessly connect to a BlackBerry® smartphone for real-time access to e-mail, calendar, address book, task list and Blackberry Messenger. The Playbook uses a dual core processor, has a 7 in 1024 x 600 pixel multi-touch capacitive display and the new Blackberry tablet OS. It includes a 3 MP forward-facing and a 5 MP high-definition rear-facing camera, the latter supporting 1080p HD video. It also includes micro USB and micro HDMI ports. The device weighs a mere 400 g.
The Playbook fully supports Adobe Flash. It will be available with memory capacities of 16, 32 or 64 GBs and in a WiFi-only version, as well as various versions of 4G. More information is available at www.blackberry.com.
One unrelated but interesting bit of information—a U.S. national survey has recently found that more than five of every six respondents (85 percent) said they would not use social media or instant messaging channels for medical communication if their doctors offered it. Even in the 18- to 29–year-old age group, the poll found that only 21 percent said they would take advantage of an online forum if offered. Respondents aren't opposed to using the Internet for more administrative functions such as billing, accessing their records and setting appointments. The poll revealed that a nurse help line was the preferred form of communication across all demographic and age cohorts. The poll was performed by Capstrat-Public Policy Polling. More information can be found at www.capstrat.com.
