wraggster
March 7th, 2012, 22:35
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/03/apple-ipad-3-ipad-hd-liveblog-3110.jpg (http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/apple-drops-ipad-2-price-to-399/)
Facing soaring demand for budget tablets (and one in particular (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cts=1331127816961&ved=0CF0QtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2011%2F11%2F14 %2Famazon-kindle-fire-review%2F&ei=BmZXT6rZDuXV0QHX0_niDw&usg=AFQjCNECrAgMPWalJHVKmKY0dbjZYmBKIQ)), Apple has announced it will sell theiPad 2 (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cts=1331127917756&ved=0CI4BEBYwBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2011%2F03%2F09 %2Fipad-2-review%2F&ctbs=lr%3Alang_1en&ei=aGZXT_bSHIPc0QGM0r3ZDw&usg=AFQjCNEKEXzTH4l3QQTqMa94tbasuhD34Q) alongside the new iPad (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cts=1331148720117&ved=0CEAQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2012%2F03%2F07 %2Fthe-new-ipad-is-official%2F&ei=rLdXT56DOoTo0QGjudXbDw&usg=AFQjCNHV1nT5DDTsXPYgaCpIr73uvSX6BQ), with last year's model tumbling to a more palatable price of $399 for the WiFi-only model, or $529 for the 3G version. That entry-level price in particular puts it in more direct competition with a slew of mid-range tabs that previously undercut the iPad, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cts=1331148329695&ved=0CEcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2011%2F11%2F21 %2Fsamsung-galaxy-tab-7-0-plus-review%2F&ei=J7ZXT8G-Esfb0QH2yMDDDw&usg=AFQjCNFGS2obMGibAj5o3G63VJYzDr2jvQ) and others. Specifically, though, Tim Cook & Co. hope that lower price will attract not just thrifty consumers, but schools looking to issue iPads in large numbers -- a move that dovetails with the release of iBooks textbooks (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cts=1331148479365&ved=0CFgQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2012%2F01%2F19 %2Fapple-ibooks-textbook-hands-on-video%2F&ei=tbZXT834DfDJ0AHb4J2IBw&usg=AFQjCNHjNmxe33ERL8YPl-V1tfMXJBPK7w) and the iBooks Author (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cts=1331148533633&ved=0CEYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2012%2F01%2F19 %2Fapples-ibooks-author-hands-on%2F&ei=tbZXT834DfDJ0AHb4J2IBw&usg=AFQjCNHPgPijMZGcEZa_22yydQ1nX8cxcQ) OS X app earlier this year.
Though this is the first time the company's offering two iPads at once, this strategy is old hat for Apple, which has long been taking (http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/04/apple-drops-iphone-prices-8gb-3gs-free-iphone-4-now-99/) that tack to sell more iPhones. What's notable is that usually the trade-off (aside from year-old specs) has been that users have had to settle for devices with minimal built-in storage, which you naturally can't expand with a memory card, this being an iDevice and all. In this case, though, the iPad 2 will still be offered with 16GB of built-in storage, as opposed to, say, eight gigs. Still, depending on the size of your library, this might be a good time to get acquainted with iCloud (http://www.engadget.com/tag/iCloud/), if you haven't already.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/apple-drops-ipad-2-price-to-399/
Facing soaring demand for budget tablets (and one in particular (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cts=1331127816961&ved=0CF0QtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2011%2F11%2F14 %2Famazon-kindle-fire-review%2F&ei=BmZXT6rZDuXV0QHX0_niDw&usg=AFQjCNECrAgMPWalJHVKmKY0dbjZYmBKIQ)), Apple has announced it will sell theiPad 2 (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cts=1331127917756&ved=0CI4BEBYwBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2011%2F03%2F09 %2Fipad-2-review%2F&ctbs=lr%3Alang_1en&ei=aGZXT_bSHIPc0QGM0r3ZDw&usg=AFQjCNEKEXzTH4l3QQTqMa94tbasuhD34Q) alongside the new iPad (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cts=1331148720117&ved=0CEAQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2012%2F03%2F07 %2Fthe-new-ipad-is-official%2F&ei=rLdXT56DOoTo0QGjudXbDw&usg=AFQjCNHV1nT5DDTsXPYgaCpIr73uvSX6BQ), with last year's model tumbling to a more palatable price of $399 for the WiFi-only model, or $529 for the 3G version. That entry-level price in particular puts it in more direct competition with a slew of mid-range tabs that previously undercut the iPad, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cts=1331148329695&ved=0CEcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2011%2F11%2F21 %2Fsamsung-galaxy-tab-7-0-plus-review%2F&ei=J7ZXT8G-Esfb0QH2yMDDDw&usg=AFQjCNFGS2obMGibAj5o3G63VJYzDr2jvQ) and others. Specifically, though, Tim Cook & Co. hope that lower price will attract not just thrifty consumers, but schools looking to issue iPads in large numbers -- a move that dovetails with the release of iBooks textbooks (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cts=1331148479365&ved=0CFgQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2012%2F01%2F19 %2Fapple-ibooks-textbook-hands-on-video%2F&ei=tbZXT834DfDJ0AHb4J2IBw&usg=AFQjCNHjNmxe33ERL8YPl-V1tfMXJBPK7w) and the iBooks Author (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cts=1331148533633&ved=0CEYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.engadget.com%2F2012%2F01%2F19 %2Fapples-ibooks-author-hands-on%2F&ei=tbZXT834DfDJ0AHb4J2IBw&usg=AFQjCNHPgPijMZGcEZa_22yydQ1nX8cxcQ) OS X app earlier this year.
Though this is the first time the company's offering two iPads at once, this strategy is old hat for Apple, which has long been taking (http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/04/apple-drops-iphone-prices-8gb-3gs-free-iphone-4-now-99/) that tack to sell more iPhones. What's notable is that usually the trade-off (aside from year-old specs) has been that users have had to settle for devices with minimal built-in storage, which you naturally can't expand with a memory card, this being an iDevice and all. In this case, though, the iPad 2 will still be offered with 16GB of built-in storage, as opposed to, say, eight gigs. Still, depending on the size of your library, this might be a good time to get acquainted with iCloud (http://www.engadget.com/tag/iCloud/), if you haven't already.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/apple-drops-ipad-2-price-to-399/