by Larry Makinson

The iPad 2 has arrived on the scene, to great fanfare, long lines and scarce supply. I’ve had mine for about two weeks now, and if you’re teetering on the edge of indecision about whether to get one yourself, here are some impressions that may help you decide.

First, the specs. The second-generation iPad is lighter, thinner and faster. It’s got double the memory of the original iPad and a new graphics chip, so it runs twice as fast on regular apps and up to 9 times faster on apps that are graphics-intensive. It’s also got cameras on the front and back that can take either still photos or movies.

Here’s what those specs really mean: you’ll experience the most oohs and ahs when you first pick it up - especially when it’s not yet turned on. The thinness is astounding. If the first iPad defined what we think of as a tablet - think Moses and slabs of stone - this one feels more like a Ferrari.

The sleekness and thinness of the 2 makes it feel like it weighs much less than the original iPad, even though it’s only about 15 percent lighter. It’s an optical-tactile illusion, and it recurs every time I pick it up.

When you turn it on, does it feel faster than the old one? Actually for most apps, not really. It’s like browsers. You read that the new update is twice as fast as the old one, but when you click to your favorite websites, everything seems pretty much the way it always was. Same here. Apps that use heavy graphics - like fast-moving games - are another story. If games are your thing, you’ll be in heaven with that new graphics chip.

But speed is secondary to content, and frankly, whichever device you’ve got in your hand - the iPad 2 or the original - the instant you turn it on you tend to forget about the hardware as you’re immersed in the apps. That experience hasn’t changed.

The new cameras deserve a word here, though the first word that comes to mind is cheapo. Clearly this was one area where Apple cut to the bone to achieve its $499 base price, and that’s unfortunate. It’s perfectly fine for video calls via FaceTime, but at just 0.7 megapixels, the quality of still photos is barely marginal, even in good light. Movies fare better, but don’t expect this iPad to even come close to replacing a stand-alone camera - unlike the iPhone, whose cameras are quite good.

Think of it rather as a camera of convenience. It’s always with you, so if something comes up you can capture it and view it. But unlike your camera, you can also edit it, post it to the web, email it to friends, or whatever else you want to do with it - no computer needed. So the new cameras are a nice touch, even though the quality is not great.

The new case is also worthy of note. Apple unveiled an extraordinary screen cover with the iPad 2. It uses magnets to wrap itself neatly over the screen. Fold it up and you’ve got a handy iPad stand. Close it and the iPad automatically shuts off. Open it, and it clicks instantly on. Has there ever been a cooler case for anything? If so, I’ve never seen it.

So.... recommendation time. Whether you should get a new iPad or not depends on where you stand. So here are some categories:

1) You don’t already have an iPad and

    a) you have the means to procure one, or

    b) it’s a bit of a financial stretch.

2) You already have the original iPad and

    a) you’ve got easy enough finances to pick up the new one, or

    b) it’s a bit of a stretch.

Recommendations below:

1a) Have the means, don’t yet have the iPad.

What are you waiting for? A year ago you may have been skeptical. By now you’re at least intrigued, or you wouldn’t be reading this far. Is the iPad 2 the one worth jumping in for? Yes, yes, yes! Get your hands on one, and you will never regret it. Pat yourself on the back, if you like, for waiting for the second version, which is always better than the first. But don’t wait any longer. iPad 3 will probably have a retina screen and who knows what else, but meantime you’ll lose another year of hands-on experience with the future of computing. The amazing avalanche of apps for the iPad have stretched what you can do with a “computer” into undreamt of arenas. (See some of the other entries in this blog to get some ideas.) Don’t wait any longer to experience this for yourself.

1b) No iPad, no dough.

Presumably you have SOME money, but not enough of it that you can plunk down the price of a new 2. In that case, buy the most iPad you can afford. I wouldn’t normally recommend buying the entry-level version - 16 gigs of storage and WiFi connections only (no 3G or built-in GPS). But if you can afford the $500 - plus $39 for that amazing screen cover - it’s plenty enough to get you started. Play with it for a year and you can decide then whether you need to upgrade to a bigger drive or to add 3G. Lots of people did that with the first iPad and it remains a solid strategy.

If money is seriously tight, consider the alternative: it’s now a buyer’s market for the original iPad. Check out eBay or Craig’s List for the latest prices, but you should certainly be able to pick something up for around $300. If you can swing that, but not the price of a new one, go for it. The original iPad is heftier, but even though it has less memory and slower graphics, you probably won’t notice. Turn it on, and you’ve got that whole world of apps. Any iPad is better than no iPad.

2a) Got the original, got the expendable cash for a new one.

This may be the toughest category if you’re really on the fence. If you like having the latest and greatest, well of course you need to get it. But if you’re somewhere short of that, base your decision on how much you’re using the iPad you’ve already got. If it goes with you everywhere, if you haunt the app store (like I do) always looking for the latest creations, if you’re lusting after Face Time video or you’re a serious gamer, pick one up, and you’ll be happy you did. And you can double your satisfaction if you’ve got someone near and dear who would love to get your hand-me-down.

But if you only use it once in a while, and you don’t absolutely need one of the new features (cameras, speed, lightness of being), you can pass this update by and save your money for the next iteration. The new one may look cooler, but your old one isn’t exactly a wallflower. Plus, it’ll tone up your biceps better than the new one.

2b) Got the original, don’t have enough spare cash for a new one.

Your original iPad is a long, long way from obsolescence. It still worked the day after the iPad 2 came out, and it will still be cooking a year from now. If money is seriously tight and you don’t have a special reason to want the built-in cameras or the zippier graphics, you’ll be perfectly okay postponing your update until the next model comes out next spring.

That version will almost certainly have a higher-resolution screen (not that the current one won’t blow you away), maybe improved cameras or more storage, or a zippier alternative to the standard USB connectors - though nobody really knows, and nobody will until Apple unveils it a year from now.

Meantime, you’ve still got your original iPad. So far, the only app I’ve seen that ONLY runs on an iPad 2 is iMovie. All the rest of the apps work just fine on either iPad version. So save your money for next year’s model and every time you see an iPad ad on TV, just leave the room or look the other way. You’ll survive, I promise.=