"We have been working on this product for a while. I did not want to miss it." Apple Inc. Chairman and CEO Steve Jobs made a surprise entry at the launch event of the iPad 2 at an Apple event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 2, 2011. Compared to the iPad, the iPad2 is 33 per cent thinner, sports an A5 dual core processor that is twice as fast and is capable of delivering graphics nine times faster.
The iPad2 also has a front-facing camera for video chats, the gyroscope feature that is present in the iPhone and the iPod touch, a 10 hour battery life and also HDMI video out for HD video playback.
iPad2 is slated to hit the stores on March 11, well in time to compete with a new range of first generation Android tablet PCs that are hitting the market equipped with the new Honeycomb OS. The iPad 2 will be available in two hues: white and black. It will start retailing at US dollars 499 for the basic model.
A file photo of the first day sales of the iPad in Essey, London on May 28, 2010. Ever since its launch, the iPad has garnered attention of fans and critics alike who all agree that the gadget is in almost every one's "must-have" list. According to Steve Jobs, Apple sold 15 million iPads in the 9-month sale period they had in 2010.
Most renowned technology blogs and writers around the world agree that much of iPad's success is due to its vibrant eco-system of Apps. Steve Jobs, at the unveiling of the iPad2, said developers had earned US dollars 2 billion through the sale of Apps for Apple's gadgets.
A file photo dated Jan. 27, 2010 photo shows Steve Jobs holding up the iPad during the product announcement in San Francisco.
