One of the first things I did when I got my new iPad 2 all set up, synced and configured was to try Face Time. The addition of the front and rear facing cameras on the iPad 2 now make the use of Apple’s video chat feature possible on the iPad. I’m not much of a Face Time user and haven’t been shy about my feelings towards it. I mostly see it as a “cute” add-on that although admittedly cool not something that most people use.
I’ve been proven wrong on a few occasions when I’ve run into people who express their love for Face Time and the ability it offers for them to keep in touch with their family members across the county. Still I just haven’t adopted it other than for brief demos amongst non iPhone 4 users.
However, that all may change with the iPad 2. I was stunned by how much I enjoyed Face Time on the iPad 2. With the iPad safely held in my Griffin A-Frame Stand I carried on a lengthy Face Time chat with Michael Panetta. The screen is large enough on the iPad 2 that I was able to do other tasks at a distance yet still see Michael clearly and hear him as well. Face Time on the iPhone 4 is great when you’re mobile – but it requires a WiFi connection which to me almost defeats the purpose. The iPhone 4′s screen is small, especially in comparison to the iPad’s and 99% of the time I find myself holding the iPhone 4 when on Face Time.
The fact that I can use Face Time on the iPad, in a stand while multitasking, makes it truly feel like some sort of spaced aged video conference center from the Jetsons or Back to the Future (the second one, where they actually go forward into the future.)
I might just be a Face Time convert after all.
What’s the first thing about the new iPad 2 that made you go wow? Leave us a comment below.
Original Author: Larry Greenberg
