No matter how great may be considered to be this second iteration of Apple’s tablet, nobody can say that iPad problems are a thing of the past and iPad 2 is flawless. Just as I expected, we can notice two big categories of iPad 2 problems: those related to various hardware issues that happen mainly because something went wrong during the manufacturing of the device and the problems that can’t be fixed by returning your defective device, since they are nothing but design flaws. These being said, let’s split the remaining part of this article into two sections and start with those issues that will probably go away in a few months for most users…

iPad 2 - Evil or Divine?

iPad 2 Problems – Hardware Issues

1. Display problems – I always loved Apple’s displays, especially the ones they used with the iMacs and I must admit that, no matter the device we’re talking about (iPhone, iPod, iPad included), the giant from Cupertino gives its competitors something to think about. Unfortunately, quite a few iPad 2 users noticed bleeding screen edges and, unfortunately, this isn’t something that could be solved with a software update, one day. More than the bleeding, some users also noticed discoloration of their displays on arrival, but this is a minor proble, since it seems to be caused by the fact that iPads are shipped so quickly after being manufactured, that the bonding glue used in the display doesn’t dry in time.

2. Wireless signal issues – For now, this seems like a hardware problem, since the devices that have been reported to drop connections have the latest iOS version installed. For most original iPad owners, firmware fixes managed to solve the problem, so I guess this will fade away in time for iPad 2 users, too… or maybe not, if it’s a more serious hardware issue.

3. Poor cameras – While the original iPad had no camera and a lot of people bashed it for that, the iPad 2 comes with two cameras, the main camera delivering HD video recording, but only 960X720 still images (less than 1 MP!). No need to talk about the front camera – the idea is that both of them provide lower resolutions than most smartphones currently on the market.

4. This may be more of a marketing problem and it’s surely not something only encountered here but, as it happens with all Apple products, accessories for the iPad 2 are really expensive.

5. Overheating – It happened with the original iPad, now various reports claim that the iPad 2 also overheats from time to time, especially when crunching some serious numbers…

6. Microphone issues with the 3G version – After performing recording tests with both the WiFi-only iPad 2 and the 3G one, iLounge concluded that the first one delivers better sound quality, so the 3G module seems to affect the microphone’s recording capabilities. Whoops…

7. Screen resolution – not that bad, but the same as the first generation iPads. Come on, Apple, should we wait for iPad 7 to get better

iPad 2 Problems – Software Issues

1. Various programs not being able “to spot” the new hardware – In time, I think this kind of problems will go away, but it’s rather frustrating to get a brand new and rather expensive iPad 2, go online and then notice that some really cool program isn’t that cool, because your front camera is not being recognized…

2. Contacts lost – I’ve seen a few user reports here and there claiming that the restore function doesn’t work as it should, so lost contacts remain lost. Whoops once again!

3. Random freezes – This really feels like my Android 2.2 Chinese tablet, only that I didn’t pay $500 for it… so, since more than just a few people report this kind of problem, there must be something wrong, maybe a combination of overheating and software instability, can’t tell for sure.

4. No Flash support – This happens while various Android tablets, marketed by more or less notorious brands, handle Flash content really well…

iPad 2 Problems – Bad Design & Marketing Ideas

1. Still no support for microSD card – Nothing new here, I can’t say I expect such a thing anytime soon in any Apple product. No need to talk about the reasons, right? It’s enough to say “iTunes+App Store = no memory card slot,” I think…

2. No internal USB and HDMI – It can surely be done without breaking a sweat, but why not sell expensive adapters, after all?

3. Expensive AT&T or Verizon data plans available, no other choices available. Do I have to say more? I guess not…

4. The price – No comment needed…

iPad 2 Problems – Conclusion

No matter what some people say, it seems Apple is still struggling to meet demand for the iPad 2 and that says it all – despite all its problems, this gadget is quite a hit. On the other hand, Android-powered tablets are getting better and better with each month and there are hundreds, maybe thousands of different models to choose from. Sure, some of them are really cheap from all points of view, but there are quite a few to make you think twice when deciding to go for an iPad 2.

These being said, I would only like to ask you a simple question – if you got an iPad (first or second generation, doesn’t really matter), what do you think about it and the problems that you encountered with yours? Will you get an iPad 3 or 4 when they come out?

Until we get to the iPad problems, let me start with something else, because I’ve been “cooking” this article for almost three weeks now, and while I could find a lot of excuses for this delay, I won’t say anything in my defense. After all, nobody pays me to write on this blog, and when I do it, I want to deliver my best. The thoughts troubling me are related to Apple, but not exactly to the iPad. I was wondering… if Steve Jobs’ company comes up one day with a brick bearing the notorious logo, how many items would be sold?

Considering the above, you could say now I’ll bash the iPad and nothing more, but I’ll try to avoid doing that – I used Apple computers and I loved some parts,I hated others; I don’t use an iPod, because I found better value for my money; at last, I even found something better than the iPhone, and that’s all about it. Now, let’s move to those iPad problems, shall we?

First iPad problem: its price

Even in the United States, the iPad is priced at the same level as most low-end laptops. Yes, I said laptops, not netbooks! To make this even more interesting, in Europe, the iPad’s price climbs to the same value as mid-range laptops (the 32GB variant, for example, is sold at almost $1000 in some countries!). Oh, yeah, if we think about the Wi-Fi+3G versions… you can also add the 3G data plan’s costs (any AT&T fans around?)!

As I write this, the US prices of the whole iPad line are these (16/32/64GB, Wi-Fi/Wi-Fi+3G): $499/$629, $599/$729, and $699/$829. Ouch!

Second iPad problem: no Flash support

Here’s something that I would have used as a reason to bash the iPad two weeks ago. In the meantime, I came to my senses – ALL the browser crashes that I remember, no matter if we’re talking about Chrome, Opera, Firefox or another one, were caused by some Flash page, and I don’t have to tell you how high can get the CPU usage of a browser when accessing a Flash page! Sure, Flash pages may be fun, useful, a few years away from others in terms of design, but… I think the iPad can do just fine without Flash. Really, HTML5 is just around the corner,so why bother with Flash on the iPad?

Drawing the line, this is no problem to me, but I am sure that some people won’t get over it so easily…

Third iPad problem: weak Wi-Fi

More than just a few early iPad adopters reported problems with its Wi-Fi connectivity, like impossibility to connect to their routers or connection drops followed by the impossibility to rejoin the network. Well, this is something that happens to most devices with Wi-Fi capabilities, but you can always use a wired connection. Hey, wait… the iPad does not have any port to allow wired connections! What a pity…

The good part of this little story is that Apple quietly acknowledged some of the Wi-Fi issues, but didn’t exactly help solving them, providing suggestions like “move closer to the router” being a no-brainer, if you ask me. Anyway, if you have Wi-Fi problems with your iPad and want to get up to date information about possible solutions, you should check this support article. Good luck!

Fourth iPad problem: no multitasking

In my opinion, this is the worst problem with the iPad, and I don’t think I have to tell you why. Even worse, I can’t see this going away with the help of a software update, although… you never know. Come on, Apple will release a software update to reboot the Universe in 2012, so they can add multitasking to the iPad in a snap, don’t you think?

Later Edit: It seems the iPhone will soon get a lot of goodies in a software update, and the iPad will follow. As I write this, you can only multitask using the applications included in the OS, but not additional ones available in the App Store. Please correct me if I’m wrong!

Fifth iPad problem: no cameras

If the iPad would have had a camera, then I am sure that a lot of users would have instantly go “What is this crappy camera?” all over the Web, especially Apple haters who are not usually using the company’s products. This way, Apple avoided one problem, but ended up with another. Usually, a crappy camera is always better than no camera. In this case,adding some camera would have been really nice. Oh, well, maybe next time…

Sixth iPad problem: power/recharge issues and overheating

When we talk about a device facing sudden power offs, overheating and only recharging properly in certain conditions (like “only when connected to some USB ports”), all these problems are usually about the battery and related components, so I think we could fit all these iPad problems here. If overheating will have an impact on the reliability of the device in the long run, that remains to be seen. I can say the same about the frequency of these issues, so… I am waiting for first statistics and, of course, your comments, maybe after 10-20-50 of them we’ll get a better idea… or not.

Seventh iPad problem: no “mainstream” connectors

No USB, no HDMI, no chance to add them later thanks to a software update. Enough said about it, I think.

Eight iPad problem: unreliable applications

I don’t know how did this happen, because I consider Mac OS X to be a pretty solid OS. On the other hand, I only used the desktop version, and not the mobile one, so those complaining about crashing apps on the iPad may be right, but let’s not forget that, in most cases, it’s either the user, either the program’s producer – not Apple, in most cases…

Ninth iPad problem: not for bloggers

The virtual keyboard may be cool, but you won’t get to bloggers’ Heaven with the iPad, and that should be pretty obvious, I think. On the other hand, if you just need to surf the Web and you don’t need to engage in a lot of typing, I am sure this little issue won’t bother you at all.

Tenth iPad problem: slow syncing

While some users claim they need 30 minutes to sync their iPads, this value goes as far as 7 hours, and 3 or 4 hours are pretty common values. Come on, is this device syncing with the entire Universe, or what? Oh, yeah, some reports also claim that syncing the iPad makes iTunes freeze, but this can be considered one of those unreliable applications issues…

Eleventh iPad problem: the screen

This may not be considered a problem by most people, but think about these facts: iPad’s LED-backlit with In-Plane Switching (IPS) display is less power efficient than OLED devices, while the e-ink screens used on eReaders (the Kindle, for example) are easier on your eyes. In the long run, I guess it would be better to have a Kindle, especially if you’re going to spend some time using the iPad/eReader…

Even more, I don’t think 1024X768 pixels is such a great resolution, since going wide would have been a better choice, at least according to quite a few people. Anyway, looking back at my own experiences with Apple products, the screen is usually one of the strong points, so… I am anxious to hear what you think about the screen – is it an issue or not?

Twelfth iPad problem: Apple’s closed ecosystem

Think about this – you have the freedom to choose whatever you like… as long as Apple also likes it, and the people behind that application went through the whole App Store approval process (it can be pretty painful, sometimes). In real life, people seem to trade freedom for a pale sense of security more and more, but what about this virtual world? Where are the terrorists? I know that Windows can be really annoying sometimes, but at least you can install whatever you want, from any source (with all the risks that come with this freedom, of course). After all, Apple is selling the iPad, not renting it!!!

Thirteenth iPad problem: the name (?!)

To be honest, I don’t see anything wrong with it, as long as Apple established a naming strategy that will remain standing for some time. The Apple car would be the iCar or iWheeler, the Apple-founded airline should be iFly or iRways (smart one, don’t you think?), and so on… Anyway, since more than just a few people considered this a problem, I decided to add this at the bottom of my list.

Conclusions

Good… so the iPad has been around for over a month now, but where will it go? Here’s what I think:

1. The iPad will never reach the success of the iPhone, simply because there are more people who need a phone than those who need… the iPad, and some problems with this first version won’t be fixed with simple software updates.

2. Second/third edition of the device will surely bring in a lot of fixes, making it as good as it was supposed to be in the first place (should we have an iPhone vs iPhone 3G match some day?), but some features will still be left out. I am sure Apple won’t add a memory card slot, but they’ll surely add one or even two cameras.

3. The iPad will remain chained to Apple’s App Store and AT&T’s services. Anyway, there’s always the jailbreak solution… and if you don’t like AT&T, wait for ASUS and the others to come up with their own iPads!

4. As long as it sells well enough (and it will, I have no doubts about it), the price won’t drop. Sure, it may drop for old versions when the new ones will drop by…

5. Apple won’t be too happy to add HDMI/USB to the new versions. Why do that, when adapters sell pretty well (at ridiculous prices, too, I must add)?

Possibly the Next iPad – Rendering

Next stop – some iPad funny movies, but that will happen some other day, because I already passed the “Is this the iPad Problems Bible or what?” limit, and what I want to hear from you is opinions about the iPad problems above and your own problems – if any, not about the indecent size of this article!