Consumer Reports released their tablet ratings today, and found the iPad 2 to be the best tablet they tested.
Consumer Reports tested tablets from Archos, Dell, Motorola, Samsung, and ViewSonic, as well as several models from Apple. Each tablet was evaluated on 17 criteria, including touch-screen responsiveness, versatility, portability, screen glare, and ease of use, and testers found several models that outperformed the rest. The Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi plus 3G (32G), $730, topped the Ratings, scoring Excellent in nearly every category. The first-generation iPad, $580, also outscored many of the other models tested but tied with the Motorola Xoom, $800.
The Motorola Xoom was the closest competitor, but fared worse on ease of use and portability as compared to the iPad 2. Consumer Reports warns against the lower-priced options as those costing under $300 and under were “at best medicore.”
Consumer Reports made headlines last July when it declined to recommend the iPhone to consumers due to antenna issues that could result in loss of signal.
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- MobileMe: Apple’s Me.com web-based MobileMe services are currently down as the company makes changes presumably associated with its “Find My iPhone” service transitioning from a part of the paid MobileMe service to a free service on compatible devices.
A revamped login page has occasionally been visible, giving a fresh look to the service with a prominent MobileMe cloud logo and animated wisps of the cloud offering some additional visual interest. The login page invites users to sign in with their Apple IDs, but they will not be able to so until they have set up Find My iPhone on their iOS 4.2 devices using their Apple IDs.
If the user proceeds to enter a Me.com email address as the login, the page automatically recognizes the entry as the user types and dynamically changes to display icons for the full suite of MobileMe services.
- iWork for iPad: Macworld reports that Apple will unsurprisingly be rolling out updates to its three iWork applications for the iPad today: Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. The updates will bring support for iOS 4.2 features such as multitasking and AirPrint, as well as several other changes including improved PDF export and presenter-display support for Keynote when connecting an iPad to an external display. Numbers will see the addition of print previews including Auto Fit functionality, as well as support for formula entry with a keyboard. Pages will gain automatic pagination of tables and fixes for several importing bugs.
- Find My iPhone: Apple’s Find My iPhone application has also just been updated to add support for iOS 4.2 and the free service.
What’s New in Version 1.1
- iPhone 4, iPad, or 4th generation iPod touch owners can use Find My iPhone for free with their Apple ID (iOS 4.2 required)
- Support for 30 additional languages
- Important: this update is required for users of the previous version of Find My iPhone app (v1.0 and v1.0.1)
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Engadget notes that Apple’s new iPod touch introduced yesterday has appeared on the website of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Along with other standard information on radiation emissions required by the FCC for approval, the documents contain a series of internal and external photos of the device, which will not be making its way into the hands of consumers until next week.
Here, the FCC got its greasy paws on the new Retina Display-packing iPod touch, aka “Apple A1367,” and in the gallery below you can see exactly where Cupertino keeps that A4 processor, 3.44 watt-hour battery, internal antenna, and 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz WiFi.
Engadget‘s gallery of images from the FCC’s site shows how Apple has been able to pack the iPod touch’s internals into an increasingly thin form factor now checking in at just 0.28 inches thick. Also included are shots at various stages of disassembly, as well as several individual parts.
We’ll likely have to wait until next week for teardown experts like those at iFixit to get their hands on the device and rip it apart to perform complete analyses of the components found inside, but the FCC’s photos provide an interesting first look inside the new iPod touch.
Engadget also notes that the FCC has posted documents relating to the new Apple TV, but that photos of the device are not included. According to a letter included with the documentation, Apple has requested confidentiality on such photos for a period of 180 days.
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Apple today released iTunes 9.2 via Software Update and the company’s website, bringing support for iPhone 4 and iOS 4 features, as well as several other enhancements.
iTunes 9.2 comes with several new features and improvements, including:
- Sync with iPhone 4 to enjoy your favorite music, movies, TV shows, books and more on-the-go
- Sync and read books with iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4 and iBooks 1.1
- Organize and sync PDF documents as books. Read PDFs with iBooks 1.1 on iPad and any iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4
- Organize your apps on your iOS 4 home screens into folders using iTunes
- Faster back-ups while syncing an iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4
- Album artwork improvements make artwork appear more quickly when exploring your library
The update also brings several security fixes, as detailed in an associated support document.
A beta version of iTunes 9.2 was seeded to developers at last week’s Worldwide Developers Conference in order to support the new iOS 4 gold master candidate released at the event.