Apple Unveils iPad 2 — Live Blog
By: Editor's Note: Apple CEO Steve Jobs took to the stage to announce the second-generation of the popular iPad, which will go on sale March 11 in the United States. Below is a live blog of how the events unfolded. You can read it in order starting from the bottom and reading up.
2:15 PM/ET: Ive: "the original iPad defined a category. And I think the iPad 2 will define that category for years to come."
Jobs is back, talking about how Apple believes that technology alone is not enough; devices must be married with the humanities. Rivals, he says, are thinking about it wrong.
Jobs has all the Apple employees who worked on it stand for a round of applause. He also thanks their families.
"Thanks for coming this morning. We've got a great hands-on area and I really encourage you to get your hands on one of these things."
It's over.
2:08 PM/ET: Ive is talking about the design, summing up the manufacturing innovations that enabled it and the concept behind the smart case.
2:06 PM/ET: Jobs is back: "I cannot tell you how many hours teenagers are going to spend making music with this and learning about music with this."
It will cost $4.99.
Now, another video, this one featuring Jony Ive, and more Apple execs.
2:04 PM/ET: It so happens that I did the first review of GarageBand for the Mac when I wrote for a newspaper almost 10 years ago. This is the fulfillment of what that software was built to do, because it's so powerful and you don't have to connect external instruments to it.
2:01 PM/ET: There's also a virtual guitar that automatically shows complementary chords you can strum, pick or mute. You don't need to know how to actually play guitar.
You can lay down multiple tracks, and though he hasn't said so, I'm sure you can lay down vocals as well, using the mic. The iPad supports up to 8 tracks.
1:57 PM/ET: Now he's demonstrating a drum kit, which you play by touching an image of actual drums.
1:57 PM/ET: Now another exec is on stage to demonstrate it. There are many different types of pianos and keyboards you can select. The keyboard has dynamics, because the built-in accelerometer can tell how hard you're striking the screen.
(This shows the power of the A5 chip and Apple's tight integration; it takes a lot of smarts to instantly factor force into the audio feedback the iPad provides.)
Another note: Walt Mossberg, the very influential Wall Street Journal reviewer, is sitting right behind me. And from his comments, I can tell he's enjoying this demo quite a bit.
1:52 PM/ET: Steve Jobs is back.
Imovie will cost $4.99, available March 11.
Next: GarageBand, the music creation app. There are touch instruments, and you can move a project back and forth between a Mac and an iPad.
1:50 PM/ET: Another important thing to note: this A5 chip is certain to appear in the iPhone 5 and the next-generation iPod touch, likely to ship in July and September.
So this is a preview of the power those devices will have, and increased life for the size of the battery.
1:47 PM/ET: This is a bit of a gamechanger.
Apple is far ahead in the sophistication of software available for the iPad vs. other tablets.
The effect is that the iPad is more powerful than competing tablets for less money (and no wireless contract.)
1:45 PM/ET: You can tap and hold on the screen to select clips and edit, and add entry points and transitions.
1:44 PM/ET: Apple's chief video architect is out to demonstrate.
1:43 PM/ET: As I predicted, Apple is introducing more Mac-like software for the new iPad: iMovie is first. You can edit video and send it directly to Apple TV.
1:42 PM/ET: iOS 4.3 will be a free download on March 11th for iPhone 3Gs and up, and the most recent two iPod touches.
1:41 PM/ET: You can use either the front or back camera.
1:40 PM/ET: In FaceTime, now on the iPad, you can connect to every other Apple device that supports the software.
1:39 PM/ET: The A5 chip allows 9 live video streams at once, in a demo of PhotoBooth Scott is doing.
1:37 PM/ET: In iOS 4.3, with the iPhone 4, you'll be able to use it as a personal hotspot, a feature already available on the Verizon iPhone .
