iAutism

It’s been about 11 months since Apple introduced the first version of the iPad and established what a tablet should be. Since then, the company has sold 15 million iPads, and over 65,000 unique applications for the iPad has appeared. The figures speak for themselves. Steve Jobs himself, while presenting the iPad 2 in San Francisco, acknowledged that people have been given the iPad uses he never imagined, emphasizing that it has become a versatile tool to help children with disabilities.

iPad 2 or simply an update?

Here are opinions for all tastes. Objectively, the iPad 2 is a hardware upgrade, solving deficiencies such as the incorporation of 2 cameras. Many people missed them in the iPad 1. Some of the most significant improvements that can be found are:

• Dual-core processor – the previous version was a single core – which means more processing speed. Overall, the iPad 2 is faster.
• Graphics processor 9 times more powerful, allowing HD video playback and faster applications such as games that require powerful graphics.
• 2 cameras, a rear one capable of recording HD video, and a VGA quality frontal camera.
• Gyroscope, which will give you more precision, if possible, in the detection of movements.

The following comparison table shows in more in detail the technological –not conceptual- evolution of the second version of the iPad:

The design has been refined, reducing its thickness by 33% and its weight by 15%. Also, as a novelty and for the satisfaction of many, it incorporates a new color to choose: white. Again, in terms of design, Apple has launched an absolutely flawless product.

If I have an iPad, is it worth buying an iPad 2?

As always, it depends on the profile of the potential user of the tablet. If you plan to use this device for children with special needs, probably the first version of the iPad is perfectly valid. Today, there is virtually nothing that the iPad 2 can do and the iPad 1 not besides the versatility that gives the inclusion of cameras in the new model.

In general, applications that are designed as tools for working with children with special educational needs not require large computing power or high graphics processing to justify the purchase.

However, if the user is an adult looking for productivity and even the graphics capabilities of the games that are being presented for this device, I would recommend to purchase this second version of the tablet.

iPad 1: special offer

On the occasion of the presentation of the iPad 2, and with the objective of eliminating stocks, Apple has reduced the prices of the first version of the iPad by more than $100.

In my opinion, if the use that you will give to the iPad is as a support tool for children with special needs and you have limited financial resources, this can be an excellent opportunity to purchase a device at a very competitive price.

Of course, the basic version with only 16 GB and WiFi, once again from my point of view, is my recommendation. It will not limit at all the use the device as a support tool in the cases discussed and will be capable of exploding, without any problem the vast range of tools offered by Apple’s App Store for children with special educational needs.

-Iván

This post is also available in: Spanish