Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi 32 GB

When the Ipad 2 was released, i have to be honest and thought it would be a bit of a 'damp squid'. I had owned the original Ipad, and although i was impressed at first with its much bigger screen for surfing the web and playing games - i struggled to see from the media what all the fuss was about. When the Ipad 2 was released i thought to myself that i would not allow myself to be tempted - after all its new features didnt strike me as something worth paying the almighty price tag for. Then, at Christmas, i recieved the Ipad 2 as a gift, and before i knew it i was one of the people out everywhere with it.

I have owned numerous Apple products in my time, because i actually do think they are the global leader in the next generation of technology. There is something about their products which draw you in, and your looking around your house for things to sell to get yourself the latest gadget. I have had Ipods, Ipod Touch, Iphones, Macs and now the Ipad.I found myself needing a tool bigger that an Iphone screen to do my communications/surfing the internet on...so my Ipad relationship began...

I had heard how theyre was a choice of the Ipad, with some containing the ability for 3G and others that were WiFi only enabled, but my gift was for a combined one. The iPad has a massive space of 32GB, which i cant imagen how much things you would have to have to use all that. Mine currently has about 20GB used, which compared to my 16GB Iphone which i thought i had everything possible on at the full consumption - suprised me. I think it has to be said though that if you are still going to be using the Ipod/Touch etc for music then the 32gb space really is going to be going to waste. The Ipad 2 comes in a variety of storage options, including 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

When first purchased the snazzy box made it very good looking as a gift. Apple has always had a way with design, and it doesnt stop with its products. Inside was instructions, charging plugs and connection leads. The Ipad is covered in a plastic protection screen and back protector, which is handy while you get used to the new gadget in your hand (safety against any accidents is always good!). My friend had told me that hers didnt come with any protection however, i recieved mine first hand from the Apple Store where as hers was from another retailer which dealt with imports - so not sure if protection is guaranteed with every model, i.e ones from American or Asia. You do not recieve any casing though, but a variety of designs are available online and in Apple Stores. Personally, i find Ebay to be cheapest, but Argos has always had the most durable ones, usually for around £20. If you are interested in any screen protectors you can buy packs of 5 on Amazon (sure on Ebay too) for just a couple of £'s. I would highly recommend this as with such an expensive gadget you dont want it ruined in a few weeks for the sake of saving yourself an extra few pounds.

When you first take the Ipad 2 out of the box you are greeted with how slim it is, its shiny and feels quite flimsy in your hand. The iPad 2 i find is very similar to the first iPad but lighter, faster, and thinner. It is about 9.5 inches high by 7.5 inches wide. I believe two backs are available, however mines a stylish silvery black, which is very dureable and doesnt scratch, and the other colour is white. The first thing to do is read the instructions, which will tell you to connect it up to the computer. The process is incredibly easy and within 15 minutes or so you should be ready to go if your not adding anything significant on it. If you want to add all your songs/videos/apps on from another devide then please give yourself 1hr-2hrs. You may be prompted to do a few updates within Itunes and/or a new OS which is good, as it means you are getting the latest of firmware. New firmware is always getting released over Apples products, and my advice would be to complete them as soon as you can, to get rid of the bugs that first may appear. You will also have the opportunity to set up a feature called ICloud, which saves all your things as a back up in 'the cloud'. I am yet to fully understand this feature to be truthful, i find myself deleting a song and then all of a sudden in a week or so i see it has reappeared! I myself do not like the feature, as i dont like the idea of my things being saved somewhere that i dont know of - but im sure if you are more technical and understand the ICloud you may feel more at ease. However, if your not and you are unsure of setting it up on the Ipad, you dont lose anything from not having it.

The Ipad 2 really is a nice piece of kit, and although the Ipad 3 has been released a few months now, i am in no hurry to upgrade. The Ipad 3 has one noticable difference aparently and this is its resolution, making it much more enjoyable to watch movies etc. I think the Ipad 2 is cystal clear enough but if you like to watch things in the highest of definations possible then maybe the 3 would be worth the huge price increase. In mt opinion the Ipad 2 has everything you probably needed from the Ipad in the first place; It is incredibly easy to set up, and you find yourself on the web or tweeting away in no time. It is also very easy to get to grips with, no nasty confusing options but enough settings to keep you entertained making your Ipad unique. The apps all load fast, the Safari browser is fast and able to save bookmarks etc with a google option just at the top of your web page, the address book is easy to navigate too and its easy to send and recieve emails. It is also fast, as the advert suggests, for sharing photos and general media with other friends and family, which makes this Ipad something special. The Ipad 2 has the feature of Facetime where you can connect with other people and see each other face to face and talk like that, which is a nice feature if you know somebody with a similar device. The Ipad does have one handy function that i think is the best on it - and that is that there is a button to stop screen rotation! Anybody with a product that does this will understand how annoying it can be. I find the camera not the best, and a bit of a let down. But still like i mentioned earlier if you have other products such as the Iphone and its 5mp+ capabilities then its easy to take photos with that and to then share on to your Ipod. The camera has no special features, including no flash and i believe its very low megapixels - just short of 1mp. The front facing camera is even less than that. It does however have capabilities of HD images in 720p, but the video quality does lag behind.The newer Ipad has a 5mp camera on it though, so if you are interested in photos on the Ipad maybe this isnt the Ipad for you. The audio is good, though i find if playing things out at the highest of settings you can see maybe something that needs tweeked for its newest of models.

The Ipad 2 contains so much versatility and things to explore that you should never get bored. From music and video, book reading, website surfing, communicating through Facebook or Twitter, altering the settings, using calenders for planning events, calculator for a quick pricing up of your shopping or a stop watch to time how long your trip took! There really is much to do.

Bad points about the Ipad 2 would be its battery life. It doesnt have the longest of battery life in it, which can be highly annoying if you are out when it decides to power down. I have found around 10 hours with careful management of surfing on WiFi. However, with careful setting altering you should have your display knocked down a bit, and no background apps running which should give you a lot of extra life. I have heard that WiFi is a let down with the Ipad 2, but never with me. I dont know if i am lucky or the problem is overrated, but i can only speak for myself. I do find the 3G though likes to mess around, often putting me on just the basic of settings for internet, but i think this is maybe more a network problem rather than an Ipad support issue. Another bad point about it is the screen can easily become accident prone, a little rain on the screen can leave pixaliting problems or keys in a handbag can also have devasting consequences. Scratch resistant it is not - no matter what Apple claim. I find the back a lot more dureable than the screen. If you are careful with your products you should be fine, though if you are always dropping things or dont really take much care, please reconsider your desire for the Ipad 2 - which brings me on to my next bad point. Because of so many problems that can happen with just a bit of uncare, the cost of items you need will always be going up. Cases become worn, and are not cheap, and screen protectors will eventually wear off. For a gadget which sets you back a few hunderd pounds nowadays you expect it to do absolutly everything, and this lets it down in my opinion.

On the whole I love my iPad 2 and do not know where i would be without it, it has got me out of so many situations that could become complex or has just been a handy tool for traveling with or on holiday. It is a fast networking device and is incredibly responsive to the touch, meaning fast, smooth transitions between pages and apps. However, i feel with all its plus sides there is a few things that lets it down and for the RRP price, may not be worth it. Second hand or on sale, yes - maybe - but not brand new from Apple. I would save up for the Ipad 3 if you are in no rush, as i believe the bad points i have mentioned are corrected on the newer version, so if they are a problem to you this would be your best option. I would recommend you take out an extra warranty, i believe mine was for a year, though i know you can extend it to 3-5 years with some places.

I believe its a good buy for my own needs, but dont be expecting a flawless product - you will be let down.

*** Also featured on DooYoo review site - emily92***