I’m not really blown away by the iPad 2 but I didn’t expect to be.  One of the great things Apple does is to throw an incremental release between big product jumps (think iPhone 3GS).  So someone who bought an iPad 6 months ago doesn’t feel like they were completely ripped off.  That’s what the iPad 2 is. 

What really impressed me (and what I think says the most about Apple) is the new “Smart Covers”.   Engadget has a bunch of pictures and a video here.

This is not something that would have come out of Samsung or Motorola and that’s an important point. 

Apple’s view of a product is more holistic than other manufacturers.  They’re thinking as much about the little things as they are about the big things because they…to use a management term…take ownership of the whole product.  They aren’t just building a device around someone else’s operating system they’re building the whole interaction.  A product in its entirety from the chip to the OS to the case.  It takes that kind of thinking to realize “these thick cases are ruining the user experience of our thin device” or "all those finger smudges on the screen really ruin the experience"

To quote Steve Jobs’ presentation…

"This is worth repeating. It's in Apple's DNA that technology is not enough. It's tech married with the liberal arts and the humanities. Nowhere is that more true than in the post-PC products. Our competitors are looking at this like it's the next PC market. That is not the right approach to this. These are post PC devices that need to be easier to use than a PC, more intuitive."

I’m more of a business oriented person so when I talk about Apple’s approach I’m usually discussing the profit implications.  Apple’s great at cutting out middle men and coat tail riders and getting as much profit out of their customers as possible because of it.  But the design aspect of that approach is even more integral to the company’s success and these smart cases are the perfect example of why that’s the case.