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Despite being more than a year old, on the hardware front the iPad 2 plays host to an impressive, albeit far from ground-breaking array of specs for its newly attributed mid-range price point with a strong dual-core CPU and dual camera combination keeping the Galaxy Tab rival in line or ahead of a majority of its similarly priced Android based rivals.
In terms of design the iPad 2 is still the most coveted device on the tablet scene with its minimalist 8.8mm thick form factor and brushed aluminium design keeping it as the industry leader landing 0.6mm slimmer than Apple's follow-on tablet offering.
Further bolstering the iPad 2's impressive aesthetic, the lustrous, highly desirable device lands lighter than its replacement, with the Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + 3G models lining up at 601g and 613g respectively compared with the 652g and 662g weights of the respective new iPad models.
Although offering little in terms of grip thanks to its brushed aluminium finish, the iPad is comfortable in the hand with its weight distributed well across the full surface area of the tablet to produce a device that is as comfortable and manageable to use in the standard portrait mode as it is in a landscape replicating stance.
Adding further credibility to the iPad 2's market inspiring design, unlike a number of the devices it inspired such as the Motorola Xoom 2, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 or indeed the uninspiring ViewSonicViewPad 10e, the Apple tablet boasts impeccable build quality with zero bend, flex or unnerving warping when put under excessive amounts of pressure.
More than a simple, aesthetically pleasing pretty package, the iPad 2 remains a seriously competitive piece of kit with an array of specs and user friendly features that have kept the tablet at the business end of its market for more than a year.
Now available only with 16GB of internal storage, the iPad 2 lines up as a slower, less graphically impressive rendition of the new iPad with an undefined dual-core A5 processor providing a considerable and ample amount of grunt.
It is further enhanced by the touted 10 hour battery life, 720p HD video recording capabilities and inbuilt speakers which cover all the required bases for a device fully attuned to entertainment, business and personal purposes.
Bolstering its crown as the most desirable and user friendly tablet to date, the iPad 2, no matter how you hold it, is designed in such a manner that its small selection of physical controls are kept safely out of reach of straying fingers ensuring pesky accidental presses of the sleep button, volume controls or even the home button are a downfall kept locked to the iPad's rivals.
