Good Things Come in Two’s |
 Written by Allison Wahl |
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It’s official: the iPad 2 will make its way into our hands (and hearts) just one week from tomorrow. Immense buzz has already been circulating about its thinner, lighter, sleeker design, front AND rear-facing cameras, longer battery life, and faster, more powerful operations (thanks to a dual-core processor and A5 chip for better graphics). Furthermore, the device will come in white and black color options, along with tons of bright color possibilities in the forms of smart covers (which automatically sleep and wake your iPad 2 upon closing or opening the cover). All at the “aggressive” and agreeable price of $499. We know what this means for consumers (who are already lining up), but what does all of this mean for developers?
It seems that games will, of course, reach ever more fantastic heights. The gyroscope has only previously been experienced on the likes of the iPhone 4, so the size of the iPad screen coupled with enhanced graphics and a gyroscope means some pretty exciting possibilites. Even the lightness presents some unique opportunities. In a Tech Crunch video demo of the iPad 2, the reviewer said that its lightness and slenderness made him want to toss it like a frisbee. Well, developers, here’s a challenge: now that there’s a gyroscope and other sleek additions to take advantage of, make that happen.
Additionally, the screen size, graphics, and increased photo/video mechanisms mean that photo editing and sharing could get a significant facelift. As one Times writer mentioned, the built-in Photo Booth app for the iPad 2 is what really demonstrates the device’s capabilities, with multi-frame video montages and unparalleled editing options. I fully expect this trend to continue as third party apps realize the immense potential the iPad 2 offers to the photography category.
However, these ideas are just the beginning. Furthermore, people are already speculating on what the iPad 3 will bring (retina display? mini-USB ports?). Even though this year has already seen tons of tablet releases, Apple still holds the competitive edge with its 65,000 (and growing) tablet-specific applications, a number that far exceeds that offered by the likes of the Honeycomb and PlayBook. With all these exciting additions and ever-increasing possibilities, the question continues to be begged of developers: what will they think of next?
Any ideas, visions, or recommendations for iPad 2 applications, or other device-related thoughts? We’d love to hear your comments!
