A Second Coming

Why,the sceptics might ask. Well,to start with,the iPad 2 is 33 per cent thinner and 15 per cent lighter than its predecessor. Less in your hands. More at your finger tips, as Apple likes to put it. So if you hold it along with a bunch of magazines,the chances are you will have to shuffle through to find the gadget.

But a smaller size doesnt mean Apple has reduced the efficiency of the iPad. Thanks to the Dual-Core A5 chip,this version is twice as fast. It is fast enough to render HD video without even a whimper,fast enough to let me edit high-resolution pictures from my DSLR without any hassle a task which my PC at home seldom does without complaint.

The A5 chip also renders graphics faster and smoother. The Photo Booth app,which lets you select from among nine different picture styles at the same time,is a good showcase of its prowess. But all this doesnt mean the iPad consumes more power. I toyed around with it for a week on a single full charge,which is very near the 10 hours that Apple promises.

Then you have the heady cocktail of iOS 4.3 and multi-touch,which makes many of the online tasks effortless. You dont have to think twice about how to perform a task,as it comes naturally. From browsing through your mail to changing the settings of your phones,everything here is a breeze.

The real power of iPad 2 is on display when you start one of the games. The built-in gyro,accelerometer and compass all connive to give you a gaming experience that has few parallels. With the gyro,you just have to move the iPad left in order to steer your car that side. Its that simple.

The only physical additions to the iPad 2 are the two cameras. The back camera captures HD video,even in low light. The smaller front camera,meanwhile,is ideal for chatting with friends using Facetime,Skype or other video-chat apps. The iPad 2 makes video chat really mobile. Yes,you can do the same on many smartphones and any laptop,but this is much cooler.

The HD videos from the back camera can easily be edited to create high quality home videos,though you will need the iMovies app for that. However,that will be money well spent if you love to edit movies. For editing movies on a touchscreen is a luxury professionals will kill for. The iPad 2 can be used for mirroring content on to larger screens through an HDMI cable provided you have bought the converter. And you can use the iPad 2 as a remote control.

It is very difficult to list all the good things in the new iPad and even more difficult to find a flaw. But I did find it difficult to type on the touchscreen. It is okay in short bursts,for anything more serious I suggest you buy Apples wireless keyboard. The iPad also has some issues when it comes to paring it with devices,it just wouldnt recognise my Nokia phone.

The iPad 2 has come to India at a time when we finally have proper 3G services,which will let you unleash the power of this Apple creation. Remember,this is a device made for the Internet so you need to have a 3G Micro-SIM,or a good Wi-Fi network at home,to breathe life into it. The iPad 2 costs Rs 29,500 (for the 16GB Wi-Fi version) to Rs 46,900 for the 3G plus Wi-Fi version.