iPad 2面世，喬布斯現身

????任憑你搜腸刮肚，恐怕都很難想到一款比蘋果（Apple）的iPad 2更受人追捧、令人垂涎同時又橫遭指責的設備。這或許是因為在過去這半年里，哪怕是再荒誕不經的謠言、設計模型或是愿望清單，都會引得世界各地的媒體爭相報道。

????這也無可厚非。要知道，第一代iPad在2010年售出了1500萬部，是有史以來銷量最高的平板設備，而今年，預計兩種版本的iPad銷量都將高達2500萬部。盡管批評者仍然在貶低iPad，但更多的人極其信賴該設備，而且在《財富》美國100強中，有2/3的公司現在正將iPad用于日常工作或者是打算即將這樣做。不可否認，憑借其線條流暢的鋁制機殼、易于操作的多點觸控式用戶界面以及正蓬勃發展的應用生態系統，重量僅681克（1.5磅）的iPad僅憑一己之力，就振興了一個計算機領域，此前，即便蘋果公司自己在1993年推出的Newton平板平臺，也未能成功占據該領域。

????iPad的尺寸是9.7英寸，這都要歸功于蘋果首席執行官喬布斯。他曾指出，假如屏幕小于這個尺寸，將難以發揮iOS的優勢。他說道：“7英寸的平板電腦不倫不類：與智能手機相比，塊頭太大，而與iPad相比，個頭又太小?！蓖Ｒ粯?，喬布斯打破了無法裝進外套口袋里的設備都難以大熱的慣常思維，準確捕捉到了用戶對平板電腦的真正需求。如今，用戶和蘋果迷們只有一個問題要問蘋果，那就是“接下來還有什么？”

????事實上，去年4月iPad 1發布后沒多久，就有傳言稱蘋果將發布iPad 2。盡管《華爾街日報》（The Wall Street Journal）的沃爾特?莫斯伯格以及《紐約時報》（The New York Times）的大衛?波格都在自己的測評文章中對iPad 1大加贊美，但是人嘛，總是不會滿足的，比如iPad用戶就希望該設備具備更強大、更高級的功能，而他們有些要求也無可厚非，比如：用于FaceTime視頻聊天的攝像頭，內置的SD卡讀卡器，USB插口，iPhone 4那樣效果分辨率更高的Retina顯示屏，更快的處理器以及更大的內存。

????人們的愿望一個接著一個，所以也就不難理解，為何只言片語的猜測和泄漏信息，都會讓大家對下一代iPad的上市時間、價格和所具備的新功能感到驚訝。各科技博客通常關注功能方面：更快的雙核處理器；Retina顯示屏，分辨率將是iPad 1024 ×768的兩倍；一前一后雙攝像頭。最近，一位所謂的蘋果線人向科技博客癮科技（Engadget）透露，iPad 2受到“工程問題”的困擾，結果導致iPad 2取消了高分辨率顯示器和SD卡讀卡器等一些原先計劃的部件。

真正的iPad 2

????當然，現在iPad 2已經揭開了神秘的面紗。

????在人們無數次猜測喬布斯是否會露面之后，他最終登臺亮相，雖然有些消瘦，略顯虛弱，但總的來說看起來氣色還不錯。喬布斯向觀眾展示了iPad 2的新功能和新應用程序，并宣告今年是iPad 2年。

????喬布斯表示：“光靠技術是不夠的，這一點深深印在蘋果的DNA中?！彼麖娬{只有硬件、軟件、人文科學及藝術完美結合，才能創造出令人愉悅的產品?？紤]到蘋果最近創造出的產品，可以說“在保持市場競爭力方面，我們做得非常棒?！?/p>

????iPad 2將于3月11日在美國首發，3月25日，它將登陸澳大利亞、加拿大、法國、日本等26個國家。iPad 2重量僅為1.3英磅，其厚度比iPad 1薄了33%，甚至比iPhone 4還要薄上稍許。iPad 2配備了雙核ARM A5處理器，速度是iPad 1的兩倍，圖形處理速度則比iPad 1快上9倍，但電池續航時間沒有縮水，仍為10小時。它還具備720P，30幀每秒的視頻錄制能力，并能輸出1080P HDMI信號，而且前后攝像頭均支持FaceTime視頻通話功能。iPad 2在首發當日即將有標準鋁合金版（黑色版——譯注）和白色兩種可供選擇，3G版本能同時支持美國電話電報公司（AT&T）和威瑞森（Verizon）的網絡，售價和iPad 1全面保持一致：16GB版499美元；32GB版599美元；64GB版699美元；16GB 3G版629美元；32GB 3G版729美元；64GB 3G版829美元。iPad 2將搭載最新的移動操作系統iOS 4.3，該系統采用Nitro JavaScript引擎全面提升了Safari的性能，并能支持iTunes的家庭共享功能。

????雙攝像頭應該會派上用場，要知道，iPad 2性能強勁，足夠同時支持9組實時視頻流。其配備的圖像處理軟件Photo Booth也得到了增強，增加了瞬間響應和觸摸過濾等功能，并提供了Light Tunnel和Stretch等新工具。

????Try racking your brain for a device more crowed about, lusted over, or prematurely criticized than Apple's (AAPL) iPad 2. (We know. Pretty hard.) That's probably because, over the last six months, media outlets everywhere gave voice to even the most outré rumors, design mockups, and wish lists.

????And why not? The first-generation of Apple's tablet moved 15 million units in 2010, the most of any tablet device ever, and both versions are expected to sell as many as 25 million this year. Though detractors continue to throw haterade its way, many more simply swear by it, and roughly two-thirds of Fortune 100 companies currently use it in day-to-day dealings or soon plan to. Like it or not, the iPad, with its 1.5 pound lightweight status, svelte aluminum chassis, easy multi-touch user interface, and booming app ecosystem, singlehandedly reinvigorated an area of computing that until recently, even Apple had failed to successfully penetrate with its Newton tablet platform back in 1993.

????We have Jobs to thank for the iPad's 9.7-inch form factor -- as he once pointed out, anything smaller wouldn't do iOS justice. "7-inch tablets are tweeners: too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with the iPad," Jobs said. As usual, the Apple CEO's sense of what users really wanted from tablets outweighed the conventional wisdom that anything that wouldn't fit in a coat pocket could never be a smash hit. The only question users and fans have for Apple today is, "What's next?"

????The iPad 2 rumors started shortly after the iPad 1's April launch. Despite glowing reviews from The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg and an oddly hedged, but no less positive, piece from David Pogue of The New York Times, that human condition which states that we always want more, more, more meant that in this case, users craved even better, improved features from their tablets, some of which were justifiable: a video camera with FaceTime, an integrated SD card reader, a USB port, a sharper iPhone 4-like Retina-quality display, faster processor, more RAM.

????On and on the wishlists went, so understandably, even the tiniest morsels of supposed, leaked information raised an eyebrow on when the next-gen tablet would hit, how much, and what new features it would have. Tech blogs focused mostly on the features: a dual-core processor with faster speeds, a Retina display that might offer double the resolution of the iPad's 1,024 by 768 screen, and front and back-facing cameras! Most recently, an alleged Apple source told Engadget that "engineering issues" plagued the iPad 2, resulting in the loss of planned components like a sharper display and SD card reader.

The real iPad 2

????Now of course, we know better.

????After questions over whether he'd make an appearance, a thin, slightly frail but altogether fine-looking Jobs took the stage, walked the audience through the iPad 2's new features and apps, and deemed this year the iPad 2's "moment."

????"It's in Apple's DNA, that technology alone is not enough," he said, emphasizing that a sound relationship of hardware, software, the liberal arts and humanities is required to make "hearts sing." Given Apple's latest creative efforts, "we stand a pretty good job of being competitive in that market."

????When it launches March 11 domestically and March 25 in 26 countries including Australia, Canada, France and Japan, the 1.3 pound iPad 2, which is 33% thinner than the iPad 1 and a hair thinner than even the iPhone 4, will rock a dual-core ARM A5 processor that offers up to twice the speed and graphics 9 times faster than the current iPad, the same 10-hour battery life, 720p 30 frames-per-second (fps)-capable front and rear-facing video cameras for FaceTime video chat, HDMI out for a 1080p signal, and be available in both standard aluminum and white from day one. 3G versions will also run on both AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ), and pricing across the board stays the same: $499 for the 16 GB version, $599 for 32 GB, 64 GB for $699, $629 for the 16 GB 3G edition, $729 for 32 GB 3G, and $829 for the $64 GB 3G. A new version of the mobile operating system, iOS 4.3, will up Safari performance with Nitro JavaScript performance and allow iTunes home sharing.

????The two onboard cameras should come in handy. The iPad 2 is powerful enough to support 9 simultaneous live video streams. Tweaked Photo Booth software features with super-responsive touch-based filters and manipulation tools like "Light Tunnel" and "Stretch."

????下面說說智能套，它分為聚氨酯和皮革兩種材質，各有5種顏色，前者售價為每個39美元，后者為每個69美元。智能套內含磁體，能自動吸附到iPad 2上，內面是微纖維材質，能讓屏幕（基本）遠離指紋困擾，更神奇的是，當你揭開或合上智能套時，iPad 2會自動喚醒或休眠。

????蘋果為iPad 2準備了升級版iMovie，軟件主界面非常精美，整體來看很像中世紀風格的電影院，并搭配有霓虹燈等多種新主題。這款軟件具備強大的視頻剪輯能力；多達8聲道的音頻回放功能；支持蘋果電視（Apple TV）的“AirPlay”；還能通過YouTube、Facebook和Vimeo分享高清視頻。蘋果還發布了一款名為Garage Band的新軟件，能以觸摸的方式模擬多種樂器，支持模擬吉他插件和模擬吉他放大效果；支持8聲道回放、混音及250多重循環效果；支持延音踏板和8分度音節調整。在Garage Band中，你還能通過電子郵件，將自己創作的歌曲以AAC格式（蘋果所提供的一種高質量音頻壓縮格式）發送給別人。有意思的是，以模擬敲鼓為例，如果你敲擊鼓的邊緣部分，鼓聲就會很清脆，而如果你敲擊的部分越接近鼓的中心，鼓聲就會越渾厚。

iPad 3，蓄勢待發？

????關于iPad這款產品，很能說明問題的是，在iPad 2還未公布之前，關于iPad 3的傳言就已浮出水面。來自Cult of Mac的消息，蘋果公司一位匿名人士表示，iPad 2根本比不上iPad 3。他還表示iPad 3將在今年晚些時候面世。

????該匿名人士表示：“iPad 2在開發中遇到了太多麻煩，所以你們別對它報太大期望。不過第三代iPad確實值得為之歡呼雀躍?！?/p>

????不過，現在說這些已經晚了。

????你可能會覺得iPad 2未能滿足你的期望。你或許要問：高分辨率顯示屏呢？SD卡讀卡器呢？USB接口呢？攝像頭和內存的規格到底是什么樣的？

????要得到上述問題的答案，“果粉”們恐怕還得繼續等。

????譯者：項航

????The "smart cases," available in 5 colors of polyurethane ($39 each) and 5 flavors of leather ($69 each) include magnets that grasp and auto-align the tablet. A microfiber lining keeps the screen (mostly) fingerprint-free. Also neat: automatic wake on opening and sleep when closed.

????The updated iMovie, which has a quaint homescreen that resembles a mid-twentieth century movie theater, offers a precision editor, audio recording for up to 8 tracks, new themes like "Neon," AirPlay to Apple TV, and HD video sharing via YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo. A new Garage Band includes touch-based instruments, the ability to plug in a guitar, guitar amps effects, 8-track recording and mixing, 250-plus loops, the option to email an AAC version (ie. high quality compression Apple-style) of the songs you create, and toggles for the sustain peddle and octaves. One neat trick: if you're playing around the with drum set for instance, hit the rim of the snare and you get rim sounds. Strike more towards the center of the snare, and you get that fuller tone.

The iPad 3, already?

????It speaks volumes about the product when iPad 3 rumors surface before the iPad 2 is even announced. According to an unnamed Apple staffer who spoke with Cult of Mac, today's iPad 2 doesn't hold a candle to the iPad 3, which this person says is on track for a release later this year.

????"For the iPad 2 don't get your hopes up too high," said the source. "They've had a number of problems along the way, and the third-generation iPad is the one to make a song and a dance about."

????Well, too late for all of that.

????Depending on your expectations, you might find the iPad 2 disappointing. Where's the sharper display, SD card reader or USB port? What are the specs on the cameras and RAM?

????For answers to those questions, iPad aficionados, you may have to wait even longer.