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March 25 was a small holiday for many Czech Apple fans - the iPad 2 went on sale here. Coincidentally, two of our editors also got their hands on it. You can read about their first impressions and insights in this article.

After a week of use

Buying an iPad 2 was a long-planned thing for me. I've been a Mac mini owner since Christmas, so I needed some light mobile device for travel and school, on which I could comfortably browse the Internet, watch videos and do some mail. iPad 2 was a clear choice for me. For me, it is the only tablet on our market that handles everything a tablet should handle. And the fact that it doesn't have USB or doesn't display Flash is the same argument for me as, for example, that it doesn't have WAP.

purchase

I somewhat underestimated the purchase itself. Since Friday morning, when the iPad 2 officially went on sale in our country, I have been following Twitter and various blogs, which informed about very limited deliveries to the Czech Republic. I have probably never experienced such a hype surrounding the sale of iPhone 4. So I set off at 15.00 p.m., less than two hours before the start of the sale, to the iSetos store in Chodov, where I received serial number 82. The staff then told me that they only had 75 iPads. They only have 16 of my 20 GB model. After an hour of waiting, I couldn't take it anymore and called Eletroworld in Čestlice to see if there was still a piece left. I was informed that they had my "sixteen". So I booked it, gave the serial number in iSetos to a colleague in the queue and went to Čestlice. During the trip, the operator called me to say that the system had failed and that they no longer had any iPads. But she advised me of a store in Butovice, where there should still be some. I finally bought my iPad there.

Model selection

I chose the most basic 16 GB model without 3G. I already pay one flat-rate mobile internet for my iPhone 4. It seemed pointless to me to buy a version with 3G and pay another flat-rate in addition, when I can share the connection. The argument that someone wants to have both devices independent because of the battery doesn't apply to me because I'm constantly within range of sockets. As for the capacity, I know from my own experience from iPhone and Mac that the larger the capacity, the less I restrict myself and install unnecessary applications or games that I almost never run later. I chose the black option because the white actually disappointed me a lot. I liked it very much in the pictures, but in reality the iPad 2 in the white version seemed to me like an ordinary digital photo frame. In addition, I personally find the white frame around the display to be a distracting element when watching videos. Maybe you can get used to it, but I find the black one more elegant.

Acquaintance

Right out of the box, I connected the iPad to iTunes and tried to activate it. For many of us who use Czech on Mac, a message popped up during activation Language code supplied is not valid. IN the setting was then enough to switch English to first place. The first thing that pleasantly surprised me after several experiences with the first iPad was the speed of the system. iPad 2 is much faster. I notice the biggest difference when switching applications in multitasking and when loading games. It holds very well in my hand, both horizontally and vertically. There is no need to comment on the workshop processing. This is always one for Apple.

Shortcomings

After a week of working with the iPad, perhaps the thing that bothers me the most is its longer charging time. I would appreciate it if you could share in the discussion how long you charge your iPad 2. I have almost never been able to charge it to 100%. The built-in camera probably won't please you either. It's more of just an emergency solution. Those who are spoiled by the Retina display will definitely notice the smaller graininess of the iPad display. Especially when surfing the Internet, this difference is most visible.

Also, I miss the widgets, at least on the lock screen. It is a shame not to use such a large area for displaying information from various Internet services. I was disappointed by the pricing policy of some developers, where I have to pay twice for one application – once for the iPhone version and the second time for the iPad version. At the same time, applications for iPad (but this is not a rule) do not offer so many more functions than those for iPhone.

Application

The longer I own an iPad, the less I use my iPhone. I prefer to do all tasks such as checking Twitter, Facebook, the RSS reader, or planning tasks on the iPad. All of these things are a much greater experience on the iPad, and it's more convenient. I found an excellent application for the first three tasks Flipboard, which creates a magazine from your social networks. I recommend trying it - Flipboard is free.

Overall, apps and games take on a completely different dimension on the iPad. This is mainly due to the used space on the display. A few apps that I bought on the iPhone also support the iPad - without having to buy the HD version. However, this was not the case when purchasing the application Buzz Player HD, which is almost an obligation for me, because I watch a lot of series on the road. The HD version must be purchased separately for the iPad. This application can handle almost all video formats - including subtitles. Everything can normally be synchronized with iTunes or uploaded directly via WiFi. I stopped using Air Video completely because of this. Other apps that I'm used to from the iPhone followed. I have to highlight here Goodreader, which is amazing in the iPad version. I can't imagine managing my documents without this app. I installed from news apps CTK a Economic newspaper. Other news apps are not yet optimized for iPad. It is worth downloading from foreign news CNN, with the BBC, or brilliant Eurosport. I use Czech for the weather MeteoradarCZ a Weather +, which also supports both iPhone and Pad at the same time. I use for file sharing dropbox, to tasks Evernote and photo editing PS-Express. All three apps are free. I use Evernote with simple plugin to Chrome, which can speed up the insertion of notes while surfing. If you want to stay connected to your Mac remotely, then download TeamViewer, which provides remote desktop access. Apps are generally more expensive on the iPad than on the iPhone, so I try to save as much as possible and take advantage of short-term discounts. That's what I use the app for AppMiner a AppShopper. The latter can inform me via notifications that my favorite application has been discounted.

Verdict

It's really hard to say what the iPad is actually for. I think that everyone would find an activity that they would do regularly, regardless of age, gender or profession. I use the iPad at school to manage lectures and watch movies, my family browses the Internet on it, my girlfriend plays games and my grandmother liked the app Recipes.cz. If I had a child, I know he would paint on it or play the drums. And to those who don't like the iPad or see a lot of flaws in it, I wish them to choose the "competition". The success and quality of a tablet are not determined by performance, RAM, or resolution parameters, but by features such as user-friendliness and simplicity. The App Store offers over 65 applications directly for the iPad. Android hasn't even reached fifty apps for its Honeycomb yet. I think the tablet war is over before it even started. At least for 000.

Martin Kudrna

Weekend poetry

Although I was not among the first few hundred lucky owners of the iPad 2, there was a kind soul who lent me the new apple tablet and I was able to take a bite out of the apple and into this review.

I only got the iPad on loan with the cable without the box, so I won't write much about the unboxing, although that's probably not what you're really interested in. The first impression you get is that the tablet is thin. Damn thin, what can I tell you. Although the iPad is only slightly thinner than the iPhone 4, it feels as if Apple ran the first generation tablet through a steamroller and gave it the number 2. That's how thin it is. So much so that you will have a permanent feeling that it will fall out of your hand at any moment. However, I had the same feeling back then with the latest iPhone.

Despite the incredibly thin body, powerful internals beat in the device. The second core and twice the amount of RAM takes its toll, and if you thought your iPhone 4 was fast, now it's probably cowering in shame in a corner. Switching applications is almost instantaneous, almost like switching them on a computer, plus animations. You open the application and you can work with it immediately.

But not just to praise. Of course, the thin dimensions brought with them various disadvantages. For example, the dock connector connection doesn't look the most elegant. In the first model, the flat surface of the frame solved it. But the iPad 2 narrowed down to that, and it was necessary to switch to the iPod touch 4G solution. It's the same with the volume and screen lock buttons. You can't get rid of the feeling that it's not real and certainly not Apple-style. Above all, the black "plug" under the volume control cradle irritated me immensely, both to the touch and to the eye ("retina").

Another major disappointment is the pair of cameras as well, and while it's more like carrying firewood into the forest at the moment, I still have to dig. It looks to me like Apple bought the cheapest optics on the market and built them into the iPad, so to speak. The recorded video is grainy and the photos from Photo booth they look funny, but terrible - in terms of quality. I would expect much, MUCH more from a company like Apple.

What pleasantly surprised me, on the other hand, was the weight of the device. Although I did not have a direct comparison with the first generation iPad, the successor seems, at least in feeling, significantly lighter. It was no longer the surprising feeling of "It's harder than I thought." On the contrary, I found the weight adequate and the device could be held with one hand for more than five minutes without it hurting you. Thumbs up here again.

When you look at an iPad, you feel like you're looking at something luxurious, like a Gucci suit or a Rolex watch. That feeling will consume you so much that you will start to think that the people around you will also think like that. And then you will be very hesitant to take it out of your backpack on the tram and read an e-book, for example. You will almost certainly garner the silent admiration of your fellow passengers, but worse, potential thieves. I won't be surprised if thefts of these devices start to increase, because flaunting an "uncovered" (meaning without a camouflage cover/case) iPad in public is a bit of a cobra's bare foot teasing. Not even "Smart Packaging" will help here.

When I mentioned reading books, I have to say that I probably did this activity most often on the iPad. Maybe even to wash away the shame that I didn't pick up the book one Friday. But reading on the iPad is really an experience, no more holding the book with your thumb on the binding, no more donkey horns. Just an interactive page of text and me. It was second in the order of use GarageBand, by far the best iOS app I've ever seen and tried. For a musician, such a program is truly a blessing, and if you want to hear what can be created in this music editor, you can download my short creation <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>.

I would also like to mention the Safari browser from Apple's applications. Although I probably didn't properly appreciate the twice the speed of JavaScript that came with iOS 4.3, I was very excited about the browser and it almost felt like a full-fledged desktop browser. I didn't mind the lack of Flash, the video sites I visited had players that the iPad could handle. And if I come across a flash video, I just save the link to notes and then watch it on my desktop. I was a little disappointed with the compatibility with some types of forms. For example, you simply don't post an ad on Aukra.

I was very surprised by typing on the virtual keyboard. Despite the fact that I write for a living in general, I never learned to write with all ten, and my inveterate system of typing with 6-8 fingers fit me perfectly on the iPad. I was thus able to produce a similar typing speed to that of a physical keyboard; if I wrote without diacritics. The absence of a fourth row of keys is unapologetically sad, and Apple deserves an earful for it. Two keys for hook and dash are really not a solution, Cupertinos.

I was really looking forward to third-party apps for the iPad, and they really didn't disappoint. The moment you get hold of the iPad, the iPhone starts to feel small and you get the feeling that 9,7" really makes sense. However, many developers have not yet found a way to use the desktop as efficiently as possible, and their applications only look "stretched". Others, however, have brought a really pleasant user experience that justify the iPad's larger screen size. Similarly, games that do not require console control are perfect for the iPad's desktop. After my experience, I never want to play any strategy game on iPhone again. It's just too small for me. But at the same time, I don't want to play any racing game on the iPad. It's too big for me.

Finally, I would like to say a few words about the Smart Cover. When I first saw it at the iPad launch, I was skeptical because of the unprotected back. Then when I saw it and tried it live, I was overcome with enthusiasm and the thought "this and nothing else." But after some time, skepticism returned and took reinforcements with it. If I imagine that I will be traveling a lot with the iPad, the aluminum back would get a lot of use. Add to that the paranoia about thieves and the never-ending feeling of the device falling out of your hand, and you end up with a solution similar to the case for the first generation iPad. Although the iPad loses much of its elegance, you gain protection in return. Both aluminum backs and fronts, better grip and also better stability on non-table surfaces (eg your knees). As you can see, Smart Cover can be easily outsmarted.

Often, iPad users talk about the fact that thanks to it, they almost stopped using a laptop. And although I've moved some activities to the iPad, such as reading RSS or emails, I'm probably so tied to working with a full-fledged operating system that even a magical iPad won't replace it. On the contrary, I used an iPhone for almost at least that time. More or less, it was only used for calling, writing messages, a task list and sharing the Internet for a tablet. But in the end it can be individual for everyone. All in all, this pleasant weekend experience has definitely convinced me to buy an iPad, and I can't wait until Apple goes back with the supply and the magical tablet is back in stock in our stores.

Michal Ždanský

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