Apple iPad 2 and HP TouchPad are two of the most popular tablet PCs in the market today. They are similar in size, but the iPad 2 is slightly thinner than the TouchPad. Often, both gadgets are portrayed in opposite colors: Apple iPad in its signature white, and HP TouchPad in black color. White represents good, while black represents evil. But do the gadgets really represent good and evil? Or, are they just a combination of yin and yang which represents the balance? I guess we should not need to worry about what represents which. We should worry more about their specifications as it is what we would like to talk about.
As mentioned previously, regardless the brand markings and colors, they are similar in size. As a matter of fact, the iPad 2 and the TouchPad have same screen measurement. Both tablets feature a 9.7 inch screen with 4:3 aspect ratio. Further, both gadgets offer same 1024 x 768 pixels of resolution with similar color quality. Each gadget also has a front facing camera although different in resolution. HP TouchPad sports a 1.3 megapixel camera which can be used for video chat. Meanwhile, although smaller in resolution, the 0.3 megapixel camera in Apple iPad 2 has more function than the one belonged to the TouchPad. The camera of iPad 2 can be used for video chat as well as shooting self portraits.
When it comes to the material used, iPad 2 somehow is more solid than the TouchPad. While the TouchPad is made from plastic, the iPad 2 is made from better material. Nevertheless, TouchPad is heavier than iPad 2. Perhaps it is due to iPad 2’s ultra thin feature. The 8.8 mm thickness of Apple iPad really beats HP TouchPad’s 13.7 mm thick feature.
TouchPad uses the webOS 3.0 operating system while iPad 2 uses the fourth generation of Apple’s iOS. The webOS is by far an excellent platform. Some even say that it is better in terms of performance when compared to the highly praised Android Honeycomb. While Android needs to catch up its technology, webOS is already settled. But do not forget that iOS 4 is also a strong platform. In fact, it has been proven that the iPad 2 is 4 times faster than the first generation iPad.
Apple iPad 2 was released in March 11, 2011, while the HP TouchPad will be released later this month. Available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB of storage options, both tablets offer competitive price, ranges from $499 to $599 depending on the brands and storage capacities.
George Collinsku
