Apple Launches iPad 2 available March 11. The new iPad will help special needs users with a built in camera to help you customize communication apps right on the iPad itself. Here is a list of features that will interest the special needs community:
- 2 Cameras: Having a camera on the iPad will dramatically simplify the creations of Proloquo2Go pages (and many other communication apps). This means you can create new, more customized icons without having to use aseparatecomputer and a camera.
- Video: The iPad 2 has both a video camera and new graphics hardware. This is will allow users to create video and even edit it directly on the iPad itself. The new hardware will make graphicintensiveprograms run faster.
- Thinner and Lighter: The iPad 2 is 15% lighter than the iPad 1 and 33% thinner. This is just a good thing.
Accessibility Features from Apples site
- Support for playback of closed-captioned content
- VoiceOver screen reader
- Full-screen zoom magnification
- White on black display
- Mono audio
Some concerns for special needs:
- The new cover, while very nice for typical use, will likely not stand up to the demands of more aggressive users.
- The new design means that very few cases or mounting gear will be available right from the start. As time pases this will become less of an issue.
- There is still no removable media slot. This is just and issue of how much media you want on hand and how often you have to go back to a computer to swap media.
Here is a link to the apple site where you can want their video and find out more. http://www.apple.com/ipad/