The iPad 2 is going to make Apple even more money, but Apple isn’t pushing the cloud… yet.
Apple knows how to create a marketing frenzy behind its products, and the iPad 2 is no different. Rumors have been flying for months, and have hit fever pitch with the release of Xoom and other Android 3.0 tablets.
The iPad 2 does represent a significant design change being thinner (8.8mm instead of 12mm), lighter (1.35 pounds versus 1.5), and yet it has a faster processor and same battery life. Apple’s hardware design continues to set the bar in the industry.
Unlike HP’s webOS tablets though, Apple is not emphasizing cloud. Even in the new release of GarageBand for iPad, sharing your files between your Mac and the iPad requires emailing the file back and forth. Has Apple not heard of Dropbox, Sugarsync, or any other cloud sync tool?
Personally, I think Apple just isn’t ready yet. Apple is still finishing up outfitting its colossal datacenter in North Carolina. MobileMe’s revamp is on the horizon with many rumors focusing around location, friend finding, photo sharing, and the like. I think we shall see the cloud options in a new MobileMe, but not before then. If we know anything from Apple, they don’t do anything with third parties if they don’t have to.