Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs surprised Apple fans when he walked on stage today to announce the iPad 2.  Jobs has been battling pancreatic cancer for some time and recently took a medical leave from Apple to receive more intense treatment for the disease.

“We’ve been working on this product for a while and I just didn’t want to miss the day,” Jobs told the crowd to a standing ovation.

The new iPad 2 is thinner, faster, and includes 2 cameras among many other new and/or improved features.

Here is some of the highlights regarding the iPad 2:

• New dual-core A5 processor that’s twice as fast as the first iPad
• 9x faster graphics, 2x faster computer speed
• 33% thinner than the first generation iPad
• 10 hours battery life
• Magnetic, self-cleaning cover
• Bit lighter at 1.3 pounds (original iPad 1.5 pounds)
• Front and rear cameras for FaceTime video calls
• Ability to connect iPad to HDTV’s for movies/videos ($39 cable required)
• Compatible with AT&T and Verizon
• New apps that include GarageBand, Photo Booth, and iMovie
• Available in Black or White
• Ships March 11, 2011

Should you buy it? If you already have an iPad you might want to wait for the iPad 3 unless you can unload your original on eBay for a nice price.  If you are in the market for a tablet then you should pick up the iPad 2 for sure.

[image: techcrunch]