The latest version of Apple's tablet, the iPad has been officially released. The arrival of the iPad 2 puts to rest the 'what to expect' machinery on the Internet!

The new device was unveiled by Apple's CEO Steve Jobs, who briefly returned from his extended medical leave. The excitement within Apple Inc. was quite visible as well.

Dressed in his trademark blue jeans and black turtleneck sweater, Jobs joked to the audience at the San Francisco launch, "I just didn't want to miss today."

Here's how it measures in comparison with Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Zoom!

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Interestingly when he launched iPad 2, Steve Jobs said if 2010 was known as the year of the iPad, 2011 would be known as the year of copycats.

So are you an Apple loyalist or would you rather prefer a Samsung Galaxy Tab or Motorola Xoom? Do you happen to own any of these stunning machines? Share your user experiences with us!

Simply shoot an email (subject line: My favourite tablet) to gadgetsandgaming@rediffmail.com and be part of the tablet PC war!

The iPad 2 is both thinner and lighter than the predecessor -- 33 per cent thinner and 15 per cent lighter.

The iPad 2 is powered by the 1GHz dual core A5 processor, which brings it on par with the rivals in terms of power -- the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

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Simply shoot an email (subject line: My favourite tablet) to gadgetsandgaming@rediffmail.com and be part of the tablet PC war!

Apple also said that the new iPad will have 9 times more powerful graphics. The battery life remains same, at least as far as what Apple promises -- 10 hours.

The device will ship with the latest version of the iOS4.3, which will be available for the iPhone4, iPhone 3GS and the iPod on 11th March 2011.

The HDMI out feature has been introduced as well, allowing users to connect the iPad to the TV and either mirror the iPad display or enjoy multimedia content on the bigger screen.

However, users will need to buy the HDMI cable which costs about US$ 30. Also, the iPad 2 will be available in white and black colour options.

What the iPad 2 misses out on is the widely anticipated Retina Display.

The 9.7 inch display from the original iPad has been carried forward, with the 1024x768 resolution. This is where the two rivals take a lead, at least on the spec sheet.

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How the iPad 2 shapes up against the rivals (see the table)

With the Android 3.0 powered Motorola Xoom and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. This table will help you in comparing the specs.

Here's how the latest iteration of the iPad stacks against its predecessor (See table).

Before we sign off, let us just take a quick glance at how the iPad 2 is different from the predecessor.