iPad2: a game changer or just another gadget?

iPad2 - screenshot courtesy of www.apple.com

On , Steve Jobs makes a miraculous appearance on the stage (well, there have been speculations about his health but who would miss such a moment in apple's calendar). The thing is everytime we see Steve in public we know he is about to say something phenomenal, problem is you can't really predict what exactly he is got up his sleeves this time.

Right back to the topic.

So, here is Steve with his trade mark clothing style about to announce another gadget (there have been rumours anyway). Wait for it...of course...the iPad has got a twin! And yes it's gone thinner, got two cameras (we knew that would happen at some point following what Samsung did with it's Galaxy tablet)....and all the blablabla that excites every techie junkie!

The question is how does this change the game again? Well here is what I think.

iPhone 3Gs - courtesy google search images

android phone - courtesy google search images

Remember when the iPhone was launched (especially the 3Gs) and how the mobile web suddenly took on a fast drive. More people accessed the internet from their mobile devices as the market for smart phones suddenly boomed. Competitors were driven to innovate with the blackberry changing its marketing plan to target a younger generation, while the android platform championed a more open-source platform. Well Apple kind of stole the market with its apps revolution.

ipad - courtesy google search images

Then the iPad came along! And we got a gadget anyone would die for (well, literally but honestly somewhere in your deepest mind you desired!). It was like having a semi-giant screen in your hands to view the web anywhere in almost exact size as you would on a PC or Mac. Amazing. And the apps came alive. The whole multimedia experience was enhanced. Hard-core gamers had a swell time! And yes, the battle for supremacy between flash applications and HTML5 applications championed by apple's refusal to allow integration with flash.

Well now we've got lots of choices, because the tablet market has revived. Different specs, types, platforms and prices. I really don't know who is better because as far as I am concerned I think it's just marketing stunt.

But something about Apple products always stand out. They make it seem like they are the original and every other is a 'copy'. Could that be true? (I wouldn't answer that).

The question is what is the ipad2 set out to achieve? another change in the game? An answer to other competitors that Apple is still number 1 in consumer tech products and user experience? or just another gadget filling the space. I guess the best way to find out is to get one.

Mashable reports that Apple sold 15 millions units of the ipad in 2010 [http://mashable.com/2011/03/02/tablet-comparison-infographic/] and already consumers are trading their ipads for the new ipad2.

WIth more improved specs and a fairly affordable price, I'd say the iPad2 is still the tablet to beat.

For the businesses, it is probably an important tool to engage with the target market as more businesses set aside a huge amount of their budget for mobile marketing and apps integration. For everyday individuals, it will probably give you a more interactive and wholesome experience (and a bit of a social status).

In the end, the game keeps changing. And so will the iPad.