With properly calibrated expectations--think minor refresh, rather than next generation--the iPad 2 continues Apple's reign as the king of tablets. If you haven't bought one yet, the iPad 2 is a stellar device that still feels like a little slice of science fiction come true.

New A5 chip and RAM significantly improve overall performance, and gaming in particular; Dual cameras work fine for video calls; Thinner, lighter unibody looks slick and makes the iPad more comfortable to use.

No transformative new features; Display is unchanged, so it still isn't usable in bright sunlight and attracts lots of smudgy fingerprints; Cameras yield poor, low-res photos; Using cameras is often difficult and requires awkward grip; No support for 4G cellular data.

I surprised my hubby with a IPAD for XMAS and he was estactic! He loved it, works like new, clear, had all the bells and whistles except for SIRI. Other than that I'm happy i made the purchase!

I thought it had a back, but there was no other image than the front image so had no idea there was no back on it. But if that's what you were looking for it is clean looking, thin and smart looking. Just not suitable for my needs

Lovely colour; thin; smart

No back on it

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

If all goes according to Apple's plan the iPad 2 will hit the Australian market this Friday, March 25th. We queued up outside an Apple store in San Francisco at 3.30am so you won't have to.

Apple has done a fine job with the iPad 2, sure it doesn't have removable storage, or 1080p video cameras in the front and back that do 24p in 16x9 or 22x9 format, or 4G or Wi-MAX, etc but it does a great job for what it is.

See Conclusion

See Conclusion

That doesn't mean it isn't a great tablet, because it's certainly one of the best. But if you've already shelled out for an iPad, there's no strong reason to buy an iPad 2 (other than you just want one!).

As always with iOS, the iPad 2 is fun and easy to use; Fast, thin, good looking and a little lighter than the first gen iPad; Sharp, bright and colorful 9.7" IPS display with fingerprint-resistant coating and wide viewing angles.

Apple's iOS is limiting for power users: there's still no file manager or direct access to the file system; Everything must be transferred via iTunes and conduits for various file types are often fragmented inside of iTunes syncing settings.

The iPad defined a new category of personal computing and inspired many a me-too offering. The iPad 2 isn't the next step in the evolution of the media tablet - Apple still has flaws to fix - but there's no question it's better than its predecessor - and a lot of its rivals.

Most users will know what they're getting with an iPad 2 before they buy it: great apps, performance and excellent iOS usability. The hardware hasn't changed much since the original iPad, though it does offer front and rear cameras, and the exterior is sleeker and shinier than ever.

Released a year after its groundbreaking predecessor, the iPad 2 is a little lighter, a lot thinner and considerably faster than the original. It also now has cameras. However, the screen and operating system remain the same, so the overall user experience is not that much different – though if...

Still the easiest to use tablet; Super-light and super-thin

Poor quality cameras