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Why am I upgrading to iPad 2? Only for video mirroring

I tested my colleague's new Apple iPad 2 and there's only one feature I liked that's worthy of an upgrade--the video mirroring.With video mirroring, I can run any iPad or iPhone app on the iPad 2 and the screens for the app will be shown on a HDMI/VGA monitor or projector.
Written by Lee Lup Yuen, Contributor

I tested my colleague's new Apple iPad 2 and there's only one feature I liked that's worthy of an upgrade--the video mirroring.

With video mirroring, I can run any iPad or iPhone app on the iPad 2 and the screens for the app will be shown on a HDMI/VGA monitor or projector. I need to buy a new cable (the Digital AV Adapter cable for HDMI output or VGA Adapter cable for VGA output), but now I'm finally able to showcase my iOS apps properly on a projector or HDTV without having to jailbreak my iPad. I prefer the HDMI cable because it displays the apps in high-definition and gorgeous rich colours like never before.

Allow me to run through the other new iPad 2 features and explain why they are not worthy of an upgrade:

  • iPad 2 is 33 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter. But when I held it, it just doesn't feel that much thinner and lighter. Possibly because I'm already used to lugging my iPad around in my backpack.

  • Dual-core processor: I didn't see any apps that took advantage of the faster processor yet. The overall user experience felt just as fast as the older iPad.
  • Front and back cameras: It seemed uncomfortable to take photos with such a large tablet, and I hardly use the front camera on my iPhone 4 to make video calls, so I don't think I'll ever use the cameras on the iPad 2. Perhaps someday I'll use the iPad 2 for high-definition video conferencing with the new MacBook Pros with built-in HD Webcams, now that FaceTime is available for Macs.
  • iPad's Smart Cover puts your iPad 2 to sleep automatically when you close the cover. So the iPad 2 will make me a little lazier.

I ordered my iPad 2 from Apple Store UK and it's being shipped to me now. With the deluge of Android tablets coming this year, are you still buying the iPad 2?

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