Other than improved JavaScript performance, surfing the web on the iPad 2 feels pretty much identical to the original tablet. And that's not a bad thing. Scrolling and zooming is still silky smooth.

Everybody wishes the iPad 2 had a higher-resolution display like the iPhone 4, but Apple didn't even have to go there yet. All Apple did was put the iPad on a treadmill. The tablet shed some weight and gained some speed to become the iPad 2 , and it's incredible what a difference that makes.

Skinnier profile shows mercy to your joints; Big performance boost makes apps, games and web browsing more zippy; Same 0 starting price and 10-hour battery life

Mediocre cameras make still photos look slimy; Thinner body makes physical buttons on the side a little harder to press

Still the smoothest tablet experience, even if Apple is no longer the only game in town

Lighter; Faster; Better

Terrible camera; Kindle's screen is better for ebooks

The Apple iPad 2 right now is cheaper and easier to use, but not necessarily better endowed than competing tablets – but that doesn't matter.

Dual core processor; 10-hour-plus battery life; Bright 9.7-inch IPS LCD screen; A third thinner than the original; Front and rear cameras

Highly reflective screen; Slippery; No expandable memory; Poor visibility outdoors; Poor still image quality

The Good Much faster in some areas. Thinner and lighter. Huge, intuitive app library. Smart Covers are slick. iMovie and GarageBand are killer apps. Dual cameras add functionality. Still excellent battery life. Tough-to-beat price. The Bad Not night-and-day better for some iPad owners.

Much faster in some areas; Thinner and lighter; Huge; intuitive app library; Smart Covers are slick; iMovie and GarageBand are killer apps; Dual cameras add functionality; Still excellent battery life; Tough-to-beat price

Not night-and-day better for some iPad owners; Cameras are sub-par by Apple standards; Android sometimes more powerful and open; Smart Cover doesn't guard the back; Still the same 1024x768 display

UPDATE (Jan 2015) : I no longer own this iPad, but it is still in use by one of my family members. As a matter of fact, my husband, daughter, and I have all owned the original iPads, iPad 2s, iPad 3s, iPad Airs, iPad minis, and iPad mini with Retina display.

Slimmer and lighter than original iPad; Faster than original iPad and other tablets currently on the market; Many configurations available; so you can choose the storage and connectivity you need; Lowest tablet prices currently on the market

Low-res cameras; iPad 2 is difficult to use as a hand-held camera because of its size and weight and the placement of the shutter button

Another top tablet from Apple, but this one feels so much lighter and smaller without losing the screen size

Slim; Fast; Multitude of apps

Not different enough to warrant an upgrade; Screen scratches easily

There's so much to say about Apple's new tablet, the iPad 2, yet it really boils down to a few short and sweet sentences. It's the latest tablet on the market, having beaten the upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook to market by a good month , and its return to store shelves (or lack thereof) comes just a...

Despite some operating system niggles, the otherwise slick iOS combined with elegantly designed hardware leads to some real, tangible benefits for the end user - such as excellent battery life. All this makes the iPad 2 the standard by which all other tablets will be judged.

Apple calls it the "amazing" tablet that's hard to put down. The iPad 2 has finally come to Canada with new features and a new design. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new tablet a few days before launch courtesy of Apple.

Beautiful design; Same easy to use interface; Faster Processor; Faster Graphics; Two cameras; 10 hour battery life

Camera quality is poor