
Apple is back with a second-generation tablet computer that squeezes more power into a thinner shell while keeping prices in check. Underscoring the tablet’s importance to Apple, CEO Steve Jobs briefly emerged from a medical leave on March 2 and made a surprising appearance to unveil the iPad 2 himself.
With the original iPad, Apple proved there is great demand for a tablet that’s less than a laptop and more than a smart phone, yet performs many of the same tasks. Dozens of copycat touch-screen devices are in the works, but so far none has broken into the mainstream consciousness the way the iPad has.
“The competition is essentially going to be picking up the crumbs that Apple decides to leave behind,” said Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Rodman & Renshaw.…Read More