With the original iPad, Apple brought an attractive, easy-to-use tablet computer to the masses at a reasonable price - a feat numerous companies are trying to top. With the release of the iPad 2, Apple is pulling further ahead, with improvements that make an already excellent tablet even more enticing. It goes to show that when it comes to tablets, Apple refuses to be bested. The new iPad is skinnier, faster and slightly lighter. It comes with cameras for video chatting and snapping photos, while keeping the same prices, ranging from $499 to $829 depending on the configuration.

第一代原創iPad問世時，蘋果以合理的價格帶給消費大眾迷人又好用的平板電腦，這次漂亮出擊，使無數公司試圖後來居上。但等iPad 2發表後，諸多改進，使本已十分出色的平板電腦更加誘人，蘋果已遙遙領先。事實證明，在平板電腦這區塊，蘋果堅拒被擊敗。新款iPad更薄，速度更快，稍輕，配備用於視訊聊天和快照的攝影鏡頭，但價格相去不遠，視配置不同，從499到829美元不等。

Competitors such as Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. sell good tablets of their own, with many of the same features. Motorola's new Xoom even has a higher-resolution screen than the iPad. Still, nobody has been able to match the iPad's simplicity, innovation and style.

競爭對手如摩托羅拉移動控股公司和三星電子公司，各自推出自己的平板電腦，而且有很多功能相同。摩托羅拉新款Xoom平板電腦螢幕解析度甚至比iPad要高。儘管如此，iPad的簡約、創新和風格無人能及。

The iPad 2 looks much like the first iPad, though it has a sleeker, lighter body with a curved back. All this helps the tablet fit more naturally in my hands, and the modified shape makes it easier to hold for extended e-reading sessions, for example.

iPad 2看起來和第一代iPad很像，但外形更時尚輕便，背面還有曲線。所有這一切都有助於使平板電腦更自然合手，例如，修改後的形狀更方便手拿，供長時間閱讀之用。

Among the most noticeable changes is the inclusion of cameras, one on the front and one on the back. This is something I've been hankering for, as the iPad's crisp display, measuring 9.7 inches diagonally, seemed like the ideal canvas for video chat. The subsequent arrival of several tablets with front and rear cameras made it practically a necessity for iPad 2. Fortunately, Apple thought so, too. Both cameras on the iPad 2 work with the company's FaceTime video chat application and the back camera shoots high-definition videos.

其中最引人注目的改變是加入鏡頭，一個在前，一個在後。這是我一直夢寐以求的東西，因為iPad清晰的顯示螢幕，對角線達9.7吋，似乎是視訊聊天理想的畫面。隨後問世的幾款平板電腦都有前後方鏡頭，使這幾乎成為iPad 2必備品。幸好蘋果也這麼認為。iPad 2雙鏡頭搭配該公司的FaceTime視訊聊天一起運作，背面的相機可以拍攝高解析度視頻。（圖1／美聯社）

A friend I chatted with over FaceTime moved pretty smoothly on the iPad's screen, though the image could have been much sharper. With the front camera, my friend could see me. If I switched to the back camera, I could show him my surroundings. You can take still photos, too, though I found this awkward given the tablet's size. The results were not fantastic, but self-portrait fans will find the front-facing camera useful for composing new profile photos for Facebook.

跟我在FaceTime視訊聊天的朋友，在iPad螢幕上的動作相當平穩，雖然影像可能可以更清晰一點。有了前面的鏡頭，我的朋友可以看到我；如果切換到背面的鏡頭，則可看清周遭環境。你也可以拍靜態照片，但我發現，由於平板電腦太大，用起來很不方便，結果並不十分理想。但喜歡自拍的網迷會發現，正對前面的鏡頭，在為臉書拍新的個人資料照片時很好用。

Apple is also rolling out iPad versions of its iMovie video-editing software and GarageBand software for recording and editing music. I tried GarageBand （$5） and was wowed by how simple it was and how well it took advantage of the iPad's touch screen. If you're musically inclined, you can pick up your guitar and adjust its sound through GarageBand's bevy of amplifiers and effects pedals. If you don't play an instrument, you can swipe through a list of “smart” virtual instruments. A guitar with preset chords lets you strum by swiping the screen. You can arrange drums on a grid based on how noisy and complicated you want the beat to sound.

此外，蘋果還推出iPad版本的iMovie影音編輯軟體和GarageBand軟體，可用來錄音和編輯音樂。我試過GarageBand（5美元），對它操作那麼簡易又可善加利用iPad觸控螢幕歎為觀止。如果你喜愛音樂，也可以拿起吉他，透過GarageBand一群擴音器和音效踏板調音。如果不玩樂器，也可以試著打擊一系列「聰明」的虛擬樂器，一個預設的和弦吉他讓你只要輕掃螢幕就可彈奏。你也可以視個人希望鼓聲多嘈雜繁複在電網上配置數個鼓。

The coolest part is how sensitive the virtual instruments are. Start beating your fingers on a virtual drum kit, and you can hit the drums and cymbals harder or softer. You'll get different sounds if you hit the ride cymbal in different places, and you can even tap the rim of the snare instead of just hitting the drum itself. It's quick and easy to record and edit songs, then save or e-mail them to a friend.

最酷的部分是虛擬樂器十分靈敏。你可以先在一套虛擬鼓上敲打手指，也可以用力或輕柔地拍鑼打鼓，打在鈸不同的部位，會發出不同的聲音，你甚至可以打擊小鼓邊緣，而不只是打在鼓上面（圖2／美聯社）。錄製編輯歌曲快速又容易，然後你可以存起來或透過電子郵件寄給朋友。

Without question, the iPad 2 is a great tablet. Still, this doesn't mean the first iPad is ready for the trash can. It's still a stellar gadget, and now it's cheaper with the arrival of a successor. Should you feel the urge to have the latest and greatest, however, go for it. Chances are, it will be the best tablet in town - at least until the arrival of the iPad 3.

iPad 2無疑是超棒的平板電腦。儘管如此，這並不意味著第一代iPad已經可以準備扔到垃圾桶裡。它仍是個明星產品，而且隨著新款問世，現在價格更便宜了。但如果你渴望擁有最新版和最偉大的平板電腦，別再猶豫了，很可能這是市面上最好的平板電腦，至少在iPad 3上市前如此。