Apple(AAPL_) launched its iPad 2, mostly with improvements that were expected: a dual core processor 1 GHz with better graphics, front and rear cameras, thinner and lighter case, a gyroscope, an upgraded browser and java engine.
What was still missing (and I expected it to be missing) was Flash support. This is a key differentiator for the Android (and PlayBook) camps that provide Flash support. Despite Apple's claims, Flash is and will be important on the Internet for many years to come.
Of course, the battle between Apple andAdobe(ADBE_) continues over this issue and won't be resolved anytime soon.
Apple also released iOS 4.3, which has a nice new feature for iPhone 4 users (not for iPad users) -- a personal WiFi hotspot capability. This has been a competitive advantage for Android which has had this feature for a while, so Apple fixed that competitive disadvantage.
iPad2 also added video conferencing, but it only works with other Apple products (Apple didn't talk about any Windows or other phone versions of the FaceTime app). That's an issue for people who want to reach out to others that are not Apple device specific. Will Apple allow Skype or similar apps on the iPad to make up for that?
And Apple leveled the playing field for 3G-connected devices (as I expected, it did not announce 4G). Apple will make both AT&T(T_) (GSM) and Verizon(VZ_) (CDMA) models available so the carrier choice doesn't get in the way (and it increases Apple's channel).
The announcement went mostly as expected. The iPad 2 price stayed the same, which is typical of Apple when new HW comes out. And availability date is very quick (next week).
Overall, I think Apple fans who want the latest tablet will buy this (or upgrade from an existing iPad). But I don't see any overwhelmingly compelling capabilities that would make people sitting on the tablet fence go out and have to buy one, despite some attractive apps that Apple introduced.
Further I don't believe this is head and shoulders above the competition now coming to market (e.g., Motorola Xoom, and other next generation Android Honeycomb devices, Research In Motion's(RIMM_) PlayBook, H-P's(HPQ_) WebOS device, etc.).
I believe Apple didn't really move the bar all that much from the original iPad, and from where many competitors are now targeting their newest devices. And importantly, there were no real nods to business users in manageability or security. This is a challenge on the current iPad and isn't improved on this version (or iOS 4.3), despite Apple's drive to get large scale adoption of iPads into businesses.
By the way, Apple also missed the opportunity to make iPad truly multi-tasking in this release. I think they chose not to because it would have severely affected the battery life of the device. Probably a good tradeoff on their part, but it does mean some background tasks for business apps/users won't run very quickly (or not at all).
Many businesses are trialing (or even deploying) iPads. And iPad2 will be attractive with its increased processing power, on-board cameras (although not all businesses see this as an advantage), and great battery life. So business users are generally excited about iPad and for what the promise of a thin light tablet device brings to them. But generally, IT is disappointed with the device and how hard Apple makes it for enterprise IT to deploy and manage on a large scale. And security is lacking (no HW based encryption). This, I believe, is where Apple missed a golden opportunity with iPad2 and iOS 4.3
In fact, Apple did not address these legitimate IT concerns at all with the updated HW and SW. This means third-party "enterprise enablers" (e.g., Sybase, Zenprise, McAfee, MobileIron) will need to be deployed to manage and protect the devices in a corporate setting.
Apple could have provided more tools, especially by enhancing iTunes for mass deployments and more device management, and by including security in HW like it does in the iPhone (which, by the way, is more secure than the iPad at this point). But either Apple couldn't make the improvements within the timeframe of the new product release, or simply doesn't think it needs to. In my opinion, it's probably the latter.
End users love the concept of iPad. But its IT who ultimately has to deploy them in bulk and pay for the ongoing device maintenance and control efforts. There is a real and substantial cost to companies for deploying and maintaining these devices that users don't usually see or appreciate.
It's why Motorola(MOT_) has recently acquired a small enterprise management SW firm (3LM) to enhance its Android systems for enterprise manageability and security (and by the way, vanilla Android is even worse than iOS in enterprise manageability and security). And say what you might about RIM and PlayBook competitiveness, but it will be IT friendly right out of the box by emphasizing its enterprise roots.
Bottom Line: While business use of tablets and particularly iPads is growing rapidly, the need to deploy securely and manage the devices is a real challenge for organizations and one that end users demanding use of the devices don't often see.
With competitive devices coming to market that are approaching the usability and features of iPad, and that offer true enterprise features, I expect iPads in business to become less attractive, at least until Apple decides to focus on the IT requirements of the devices (something it has not effectively done for its PCs either), Apple has moved in the right direction with the iPhone, but needs to do more. This is an opportunity lost for Apple and a key differentiator for its competitors in the enterprise market.
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