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iPad 2 Review Roundup: Apple Has Another Winner

Mere mortals won’t see an Apple iPad 2 of their very own until 5 pm this Friday, but the usual suspects have their reviews up tonight. That gives everyone on the fence about iPad 2 an extra day or so to digest hands-on impressions, although I suspect that by now most people know if they’re taking the plunge or not. If you’re still undecided, perhaps this review roundup will sway you one way or the other.

Over at the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg is generally pleased with his week of using the iPad 2, pointing out that unlike all of the Android devices he’s ever tested, Apple’s new tablet didn’t crash once. The slimmed device feels lighter in the hand but due to the more curved back, it’s sometimes difficult to plug in accessories, something I’ve also found with my 4th generation iPod touch. Should you upgrade if you already have an iPad? Mossberg offers this advice:

[T]he iPad 2, in my view, offers an excellent balance of size, functionality and price, and keeps Apple ahead in the tablet race, at least for now. However, unless you are desperate for the cameras or feel you are laboring under the greater bulk of the original model, I don't advise that iPad owners race to get the new version.

Josh Toplosky of Engadget put his iPad 2 review unit through an endurance test and found that it fared slightly better than the original iPad and two hours better than the Motorola Xoom. Topolsky said that the device was used on and off for around five days on a single charge, which bodes well for those concerned about the dual core processor using too much juice. And that A5 processor provides a noticeable performance boost; both in terms of actual usage and the benchmark tests Engadget ran. Upgraders get the same message though: it’s an evolutionary, not revolutionary step. Still, Toplosky deservedly puts the iPad 2 on a pedastal, even with some minor issues:

It might frustrate the competition to hear this, but it needs to be said: the iPad 2 isn’t just the best tablet on the market, it feels like the only tablet on the market. As much as we’d like to say that something like the Xoom has threatened Apple’s presence in this space, it’s difficult (if not impossible) to do that. Is the iPad 2 a perfect product? Absolutely not. The cameras are severely lacking, the screen — while extremely high quality — is touting last year’s spec, and its operating system still has significant annoyances, like the aggravating pop-up notifications.

Glad to see I’m not the only one still bothered by the iOS notification system, but of course, that’s fixable and really shouldn’t sway anyone away from the iPad 2. Nor should the lack of Adobe Flash, USB ports, an SD memory card slot or 4G mobile broadband support, says Ed Baig of USA Today. He gives the iPad 2 three-and-a-half out of four stars. Like his peers, Baig critiques the camera quality. But the cameras add a simple, usable function that wasn’t there in the first model, so many consumers will see this, and the improved performance, as an overall win:

As Apple unleashes the latest object of desire, a slimmed-down iPad 2, it makes what was already a splendid slab even better, even if the overall upgrade is relatively modest. With a brand new Apple A5 dual-core processor, the iPad 2 is snappier, too, though it’s not as if the first-generation model was a laggard. Apple claims the graphics in the new machine have nine times the horsepower of the original. That’s difficult to measure, but Epic Citadel, a stunning, graphics-rich game, played smoothly in my tests.

The always entertaining David Pogue shares his review in the New York Times, and it’s far less about the iPad 2 hardware than it is about the iPad 2 experience. I really didn’t see any negative points made by Pogue, although he prepares you for his approach with the very title of his review article: “Appeal of iPad Is a Matter of Emotions.” Here’s a good summary of the emotions he’s talking about:

My friends, I'm telling you: just that much improvement in thinness, weight and speed transforms the experience. We're not talking about a laptop or a TV, where you don't notice its thickness while in use. This is a tablet. You are almost always holding it. Thin and light are unbelievably important for comfort and the overall delight.

Perhaps this emotional appeal is why Pogue spent more time than others talking about the innovative Smart Cover that uses magnets to attach itself to the iPad 2. Indeed, I can’t think of a recent device accessory that will get more people talking about and interested in the device it’s designed for.

Finally, I hit up Mark Spoonaeur’s review at Laptop Magazine for two reasons: Spoonaeur is a true device user who typically offers excellent perspective, and because he tested the $829 iPad 2 for Verizon Wireless’s network. Different benchmark tests show much the same as other reviews. One test involving graphics performance stood out, though: Apple claims up to a 9x boost in performance while Spoonaeur’s results were roughly half of that. Still, the whole package, and not just specifications, is what counts and Spoonaeur says that packaged is indeed a compelling one:

[W]hile the new dual-core processor didn’t blow us away, it provides a noticeable performance boost while making resource-hungry apps such as iMovie feel buttery smooth. Then there’s the Smart Case, which demonstrates Apple’s uncanny hardware and software integration. The camera quality isn’t great, and there’s no 4G data or mobile hotspot feature. At the same time, Android 3.0 tablets such as the Motorola Xoom do a better job with multitasking and notifications. But when you look at the whole package–hardware, software, apps, battery life, accessories, and price–the iPad 2 is the king of tablets.

That last line sums it up from what I can see. Although I sold my iPad for a 7-inch Android tablet due to size preferences, it’s difficult to argue against the iPad’s continued dominance of the tablet field with this new model.

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Can Game Center Ever Be the Xbox Live of the Post-PC Era?
GigaOM recently sat down with ngmoco CEO and co-founder Neil Young to talk about the future of gaming and mobile apps. Young’s company blazed a trail for mobile apps developers, achieving early and sustained success in the Apple App Store economy. And while he thinks much about Apple’s platform, he’s not so keen on its own efforts to connect its gaming user community. Check out the video below (beginning at around 8:50) to hear Young’s thoughts on Game Center.

Watch this video for free on GigaOM

Obviously, Neil Young isn’t going to be keen to give too much praise to Game Center when his own company is the creator and driving force behind plus+, which is essentially a Game Center competitor. But there’s no denying Apple’s built-in service is lagging behind both plus+ and OpenFeint when it comes to features. Game Center acts as little more than a barebones leaderboard and achievements tracker, while other options like OpenFeint, plus+ and Gameloft Live at least offer the potential to really connect players to one another through matchmaking and other social networking features.

This isn’t the only time Apple has missed the target when it comes to social networking features and services. Ping, the company’s music-based, iTunes-integrated social networking tool was met with disappointment at launch, and though Apple periodically rolls out updates that seem to indicate it still has an interest in the service, it still isn’t succeeding as a social network.

Game Center seems to have been born out of the same kind of thinking: specifically, a desire to sell more content. Ping is very clearly designed to funnel users toward iTunes purchases, and Game Center is basically a sales tool designed to add perceived value to App Store game offerings. Both of which would be fine, so long as Apple wasn’t so transparent about its intent with both products.

Xbox Live, the king of social gaming networks, succeeds because it genuinely connects gamers, and it’s very good at doing that. So good that users are willing to pay a subscription to stay connected to the service. Think Apple could charge for Game Center? The Mac-maker may be very good at separating consumers from its money, but that’s a feat even it couldn’t pull off. Apple likely won’t ever charge users to use its gaming network, but Xbox Live also provides non-cash incentives for Microsoft that would benefit Apple just as much, including a sense of deeper platform investment and loyalty from gamers, and another means through which to effectively market gaming titles to an interested audience.

Young is right when he says in the above interview that games will succeed or fail based on the quality of the experience they provide, not based on how amazing their graphics or effects are or how much they push the limits of the technology that powers them. In a way, he’s talking about the same thing Jobs talked about when he discussed the post-PC era at Apple’s iPad 2 announcement event. In both cases, it’s the overall quality of the total experience that matters, not the isolated merits of the individual parts that make up that experience.

Apple understands this when it comes to its hardware, and most of its software, too. But it doesn’t seem to take that message to heart when it comes to its social networking efforts. Game Center, like Ping, is a missed opportunity that could add infinitely to the experience of iOS gamers. Alternatives from third-parties like plus+ go some way towards filling this gap, but if Apple can add true social networking elements (a messaging system, matchmaking service, more detailed leaderboards, chat and better user profiles, to name a few) to its own native offering, it can make iOS a much richer and wider-reaching gaming platform, for both users and developers alike.

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Apple Posts New Guided Tours for iPad 2, Including iMovie and GarageBand
Eager to see the new iPad 2 in action? Apple has posted some guided tour videos detailing a number of the device’s software features, including previews of the new GarageBand and iMovie apps. Also included are demos of FaceTime and AirPlay, plus a number of other features.

Apple’s new Smart Cover for the iPad 2 also features pretty prominently in the new video spots, and you can see just how versatile this one aims to be when compared to its predecessor (my own official iPad cover was only used once before being banished to the closet). They may be only a serious of tantalizingly well-shot marketing videos, but speaking as someone who can’t wait for the new tablet’s arrival, they’re plenty entertaining to watch. Check out the entire series of 14 videos at Apple’s site.

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MLB and NBA Team Up With Apple TV, Cord Cutters Rejoice
Apple TV got a software update today, too, alongside iOS 4.3 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Apple TV 4.3 introduces expanded AirPlay support for use with iOS devices, but also two new tricks that should have sports fans very eager to get their hands on the streaming device: MLB.tv and NBA League Pass access.

MLB.tv will allow subscribers to watch live spring training and regular season games on your Apple TV in HD (720p, which is the max the Apple TV supports) for $99.99 per year. You can also watch archived games, and check out home and away broadcasts if you’re a premium level subscriber ($119.99/year). You can quickly jump to run-scoring plays or specific players’ at-bats.

With NBA League Pass, you’ll get every regular season game live and archived (but only up to 24 hours afterwards for standard subscribers). You’ll also get access to scores and stats. Video access starts at $64.95 for limited access (seven teams’ games) or $99.95 for access to all NBA games.

This is terrific news for those looking to cut the cord but afraid they’ll miss out on live sports broadcasts in the process. Now they can watch all the baseball and basketball they can take from their Apple TV, either live or on a schedule of their choosing. The only downside is that, for MLB games at least, local blackouts still take effect, so you’ll likely be limited to out-of-market games for the most part.

The absence of live sports broadcasts from many cord cutting options definitely goes a long way toward keeping demand for cable subscriptions strong. I think this latest play from Apple could definitely help turn the tide in its favor.

For non-sports fans, the update also brings Dolby 5.1 surround sound support for Netflix streaming content (much appreciated by this user), and other minor UI changes and feature additions including a new on-screen keyboard.

Check out the video for our first look at the new MLB and NBA apps on Apple TV:

Watch this video for free on GigaOM

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Apple Releases iOS 4.3 for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch
Apple released iOS 4.3 Wednesday, a couple of days before its expected release date of March 11, alongside the official launch of the iPad 2. The update includes many new features, like Personal Hotspot for iPhone, Home Sharing, iPad hardware switch function customization, improved AirPlay and better Safari performance.

We’ve covered the new features as discovered in the developer preview, and as announced officially by Apple at the iPad 2 event last week, but here’s a quick rundown of what you can look forward to when you get this update up and running on your iOS device:
- Personal Hotspot. Share your iPhone’s data connection with other devices via Wi-Fi. Personal Hotspot can support up to five devices, but you may be limited to three depending on your carrier.
- Home Sharing. Access your shared iTunes libraries from your iOS devices. Home Sharing used to be limited to Macs and the Apple TV, but now you can wirelessly stream music stored on your Macs on your iPhone or iPad using it, so long as the devices are on the same local Wi-Fi network.
- Lock/Mute Switch for iPad. Change your hardware rotation lock switch into a mute switch in your iPad’s Settings. This is one users asked for, and it’s great to see it finally arrive.
- AirPlay for Third-Party Apps. Now third-party apps have full access to the AirPlay API, letting them stream video to your television via Apple TV. This is great news for people with extensive local video libraries.
- Improved Safari Performance. Mobile Safari runs much better using iOS 4.3, thanks in large part to improvements in how it handles JavaScript performance. We shared some impressive benchmarks that show just how much speed is improved just the other day.
Notice any other changes? Let us know in the comments.

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VeriFone Attacks Rival Square With Ethically-Questionable Security Exploit
UPDATED (x3). Internet payment firm VeriFone today released an open letter, with the stated intent of alerting consumers to the risks inherent in using rival Square’s method of mobile payments. Square allows you to use a free dongle that plugs into the headset jack of your iOS or Android device to accept credit card payments. VeriFone found you can easily create an app that uses the dongle to skim financial and personal info from a user’s credit card, so it went ahead and created one.

In his open letter regarding the exploit, VeriFone CEO Douglas G. Bergeron explained how it works:

A criminal signs up with Square, obtains the dongle for free and creates a fake Square app on his smartphone. Insert the dongle into the audio jack of a smartphone or iPad, and you’ve got a mobile skimming device that fits in your pocket and that can be used to illegally collect personal and financial data from the magnetic stripe of a payment card. It’s shockingly simple.

VeriFone even went so far as to release the version of the fake Square app it created to the public as an .ipa/provisioning file combo for installation on your iPhone or iPad. The company is sending that same app to Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and JP Morgan Chase for their consideration.

There’s no denying that Square presents a risk to consumers in the manner indicated by VeriFone. The app does indeed do what it says on the tin, providing a way for motivated criminals to acquire and potentially abuse the sensitive personal info of duped credit card holders. But there’s also no denying that VeriFone has a considerable vested interest in seeing Square fail.

VeriFone is in the business of securing digital transactions. It entered the mobile payment game shortly after Square, going head-to-head with Square using its own PayWARE mobile payment hardware and app for iPhone, and ~~just this month~~ last year it announced Apple Store availability for that PayWARE product. VeriFone obviously wouldn’t include this in its open letter, but it’s at war with Square.

Exposing Square’s security vulnerabilities in this manner is an act of outright hostility on VeriFone’s part, and a sign that it’s unnerved by Square’s growth. Not only did the company create an app that specifically targeted Square’s payment system, it publicly released the finished product of that effort for public distribution. I contacted VeriFone and Square to see if the company made this info available to Square privately before going public, but I’ve yet to hear back. If this move is coming at Square out of the blue, it’s a severely murky ethical move on VeriFone’s part, since normally, white-hat hackers (those who don’t intend to use exploits for malicious purposes) privately approach companies to get them to address vulnerabilities without going public. Technology and intellectual property lawyer Evan Brown of Internet Cases had this to say about the ethics of VeriFone’s actions:

In my mind this isn’t so much of a legal issue as it is an ethical one. And in all this we’ve got to stay aware of VeriFone’s motives. Naturally it views Square as a competitive threat, or at least as a threat to the integrity of that industry. The question refines itself into an inquiry of whether VeriFone has gone too far by doing this, or in other words, whether the benefit created by releasing this application into the wild (awareness raising) outweighs the real potential for the technology to be used for harm. Was it really necessary to put the skimming technology into the marketplace, thereby placing real consumer money at risk to make the point? It’s a great question for utilitarian philosophers to ponder. Personally, I’m hard-pressed to find a good philosophical justification for actually releasing a technology that has stealing money as its main purpose.

The exploit’s release could even be legally questionable, since if the code released is used for illegal purposes, VeriFone could even be subject to prosecution, as happened with PS3 hacker Geohot. Brown shared his thoughts with me about whether VeriFone could potentially be subject to any legal recourse on the part of Square or users who might be affected by malicious use of this tool:

It’s interesting to consider whether a victim of theft committed by this tool could sue VeriFone for what one might call “contributory” theft. The victim could borrow from copyright law on this: remember Grokster. The courts shut down Grokster because it marketed that tool as an instrument to commit copyright infringement. But a claim like this would definitely have its difficulties — Grokster lost because of the way it marketed the product, i.e., “go use this to infringe.” VeriFone has cloaked its communications in the name of public service — “we’re releasing this to show how bad Square is.” There’s an important difference there, one that would likely protect VeriFone if a victim were to take it to task.

Another angle involves copyright again — it would be interesting to know whether and to what extent VeriFone had to use any code proprietary to Square to develop the skimming application. That might give it some copyright infringement problems. I have no idea whether it had to or not. Similarly, did VeriFone have to circumvent any of Square’s DRM to create the application? That could give VeriFone problems under the anticircumvention provisions of the DMCA.

In short, VeriFone looks to have mostly covered its back with regard to any serious legal implications, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t still a very aggressive and ethically questionable move. This is an ugly turn in an already steeped battle, and we’ll keep you updated if and when hear back from both sides.

UPDATE: Edelman PR VP Victoria Brown got back to us with official comment from Verifone. In response to the question of whether or not Square was notified in advance that this vulnerability existed, she had this to say:

The devices are already in the market, so we felt there was a compelling need to alert the public. Square has known about its security flaws for months now (and we were not the first to point it out), but has chosen to ignore the issue and focus on doing whatever it can to boost the numbers of those systems out there.

UPDATE 2: Brown also shared this comment regarding the legality of the app released by VeriFone to demonstrate the Square vulnerability:

The app VeriFone published is a demo version and does not contain source code so it cannot be used for skimming.

This means that the VeriFone demo app then probably can’t lead to any legal action on the part of users or Square.

UPDATE 3: VeriFone has taken down the demo app it created, and the video of the app in action since this post was originally published, so neither are available in the updated version of VeriFone CEO Douglas Bergeron’s open letter linked above.

We have yet to hear from Square, but we’ll update again as needed.

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Check Out This Working CSS3 Version of Apple's Wireless Keyboard
Ready for an awesome mid-week time-waster? Check out this fully functional Apple Wireless Keyboard designed in CSS3 by Dustin Cartwright (@noxxten on Twitter). Once you click inside the text box above the image of the keyboard, tap away on your own hardware keyboard and watch the keys on the virtual version depress in sync.

Note: Click the image above to be taken to the actual working keyboard.

I noticed that some keys don’t work as of right now, like the “Eject,” “delete,” and function keys, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is an almost-perfect simulation. One request, Dustin: Make the Caps Lock key’s green light turn on when it’s active. Even if that never happens, thanks for the excellent Wednesday distraction.

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Twitter Backs Down on Quick Bar in Latest Update
Twitter introduced an update for its iOS application last weekend that included the Quick Bar, a black bar that featured trending topics prominently displayed at the top of a user’s tweet stream. It was met with resounding and forceful hatred by the Twitter user community, and quickly nicknamed the “dickbar.” A new update today doesn’t take away the dickbar, but it does make it far less annoying.

With the new update, the dickbar still sits on top of your tweet stream; that’s apparently not something Twitter is willing to make optional. But now, mercifully, it doesn’t stay within view as you scroll through your timeline. While I still don’t find the Quick Bar was in any way helpful (I rarely pay attention to trending topics, instead trusting my followers to surface things that I’ll find interesting), at least now it no longer really takes anything away from the experience, either.

As Mathew points out, the Quick Bar is a step toward making Twitter a profitable business, something which obviously irritated users who have certain expectations of the network as a free service. Twitter can’t make the Quick Bar an option, since it would mean giving up on or stepping back its promoted trends monetization efforts. But users should realize that if they don’t want ads in their free official Twitter app, a static Quick Bar is a very small price to pay instead.

This whole Quick Bar fracas should also remind users that the official app isn’t the only game in town. Twitter clients and which was best were once the subjects of hotly contested debate. The availability of an official solution has really eclipsed many of the great third-party options available. But as Twitter struggles to turn itself into a business, third-party apps once again have a chance to come to the forefront. Twitter’s App Store rating suffered hugely (down to only two stars) in the wake of the Quick Bar’s introduction, making this a good time to strike. Alternate Twitter clients might want to consider sales or even temporary giveaways to highlight their better-rated product’s visibility. Tapbots was smart, in that it just announced that its own Tweetbot app was currently in beta testing yesterday, which (coincidentally or not) was nicely timed to benefit from all the negative attention Twitter has been getting.

Do you use the official client? If so, would or has the Quick Bar cause you to switch? Do you think third-party Twitter apps still have a chance against official channels?

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Which iPad 2 Should You Buy?
With the iPad 2 launch just days away, it’s a good time to consider which iPad model you want to buy. If, like me, you plan on upgrading yearly and taking advantage of the iPad’s excellent resale value, it’s crucial to be aware of what models are popular, and you should also consider your usage habits in order to decide between 3G or Wi-Fi only connectivity.

16 GB FTW!

NextWorth, one of the many companies that offers cash for used electronics, has recently seen a five-fold increase in the number of iPads being traded in. Not surprisingly, the 16 GB iPad is most popular, making up just under 40 percent of trade-ins during the first four days of March, with the Wi-Fi version accounting for most of those. The 32 GB and 64 GB models roughly split the remaining trade-ins, though somewhat surprisingly, the 64 GB 3G was second in popularity. For those considering selling through NextWorth, the resale price of the 16 GB model was around $255 as of last week.

Looking at eBay today, the distribution of iPads being auctioned is similar, with the 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad again being most popular. Resale prices are higher on eBay than on NextWorth, with 16 GB Wi-Fi iPads selling for an official average of $420.78, and the 32 GB and 64 GB models adding approximately $50 and $75 respectively. 3G adds another $25 or so to the asking price. Keep in mind that selling on eBay entails more cost and risk, and that there are other options.

While these numbers only show what people are trading in, they also provide a good representation of what they’re interested in buying in the first place. The numbers may change with the iPad 2 as people realize they need more storage or better connectivity, but the bottom line is that it shouldn’t be hard to find a buyer for a 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad, even if these numbers shift slightly over the course of the next year.

3G or Not 3G?

If you plan on owning an iPad 2 for years or more, the extra connectivity of 3G is worth considering, and as an added benefit, the 3G iPad also features true GPS. Unfortunately, for U.S. iPad 2 buyers, that also means choosing between iPads designed specifically for either the AT&T or Verizon network.

Setting aside coverage issues, comparing plans comes down to price and data. AT&T offers the cheapest plan at $14.99 per month for a measly 250MB of data. Nonetheless, if you get by on that with an iPhone, it’s worth considering for an iPad, but note that for just five dollars more Verizon offers four times the data. Also worth considering is speed, where Verizon still lags until the iPad gets LTE capability. Unfortunately, neither company offers rollover data like rollover minutes.

Which is Right for You?

The takeaway is that if you plan on upgrading your iPad yearly, the 16 GB Wi-Fi model will likely offer the best return on investment. Those planning on keeping an iPad 2 for as long as possible should consider the model with the highest storage capacity they can afford. While rumors of an iTunes cloud service would make storage less of a necessity, the likely reality is that Apple will offer unlimited downloads rather than storage-saving streaming, at least for the foreseeable future. Also, increasingly rich and sophisticated games like Infinity Blade need between 500 MB and 1 GB of storage today, and requirements will only go up from there. More storage is a good long-term investment, and so is 3G capability.

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iOS 101: Migrating to a New iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch
When you get a new iOS device, like maybe a new iPad 2, you’ll probably want to transfer data, settings and content from an old device to the new one. For many users, this may be the first time they’re moving from one iOS device to another. Luckily, it’s not difficult to do. Here’s how.

Step 1: Sync and Back Up the Old Device

First off, you need to create a backup of the old device using iTunes. This should happen automatically when you plug the device in, but if not, or if you just want to make sure, right-click the device’s name in the sidebar and choose “Back Up.” Note the name of the device, because that’s what the backup will be named in step 2.

Step 2A: Sync the New Device (Brand-New Devices)

If you're transferring to a brand-new device that’s never been synced before, plug it in with the USB cable to begin the activation process in iTunes. Since you backed up your old device, you’ll be presented with a choice: set up as a new device or restore from a backup. Check “Restore from the backup of” and select the correct device from the dropdown list. Then hit the “Continue” button and your device will be set up exactly the same as the old one.

Step 2B: Sync the New Device (Previously-Synced Devices)

If, instead of a new device straight from the box, you’re setting up a device that has been synced with another iTunes library before, this step is slightly different. If you bought the device second-hand, hopefully the previous owner restored it, but if not, follow the instructions below.

Again, connect the device to iTunes. If it hasn't been restored since its last sync, iTunes will warn you of this and ask if you want to erase it and sync. Click “Erase and Sync,” and wait for the process to finish. Then, right-click the device name in iTunes and select “Restore From Backup.” A popup window will appear asking which device backup to use. Select the correct one and click “Restore.” Your device will be restored to factory settings, then synced with all the content and information from your backup.

Once the restore has been completed, your new device is ready to use, and should be set up just how the old device was. All of your email accounts should be synced, your apps should be how you left them and the settings should be the same as before. Did I miss anything? Add your own tips or advice in the comments.

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Air Display for Mac Review: Spare Macs Become Spare Screens
Looking for a way to connect an additional display to your Mac, but you’ve already used up the single video-out port most ship with? Air Display ($19.99, Mac App Store) can turn a second Mac computer into an additional display, so you can use your MacBook as a spare screen for your iMac, or vice versa.

Air Display for Mac is the OS X version of Avatron’s iOS application for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices. Like the iOS app before it, it lets the host Mac connect to secondary devices via local Wi-Fi in order to use them as additional displays. No wires or cables are required, and the only setup you need to do is install an app on both host and supporting machines.

What It Can Do

If you have experience with Air Display for iOS on the iPad or iPhone, you might be surprised when checking out the Mac version. First, there’s the cost ($10 more than the iOS app); $20 may seem like a steep price to pay for an app this simple, but once you use it, you’ll realize there’s plenty of justification for that price increase. You get much more screen real estate using a second Mac over an iPad, obviously, but also, the performance is much better than when using Air Display on the iPad. It probably comes down to available system resources (which leaves me eager to find out how iPad 2 handles Air Display), but it makes such a big difference that even at $20, Air Display feels like a steal.

Air Display for the Mac is smooth. That’s not to say you still won’t get some stutter when you drag and rearrange windows; you will. But the app seems to recognize when it needs to skip frames very well, so even this doesn’t feel like undue lag or hinder usability at all. Once your windows are in place, cursor movement is absolutely crisp, and your wirelessly-connected Macs can even handle video playback pretty well. A YouTube video playing in its original aspect ratio in both 360p and 720p played back with perfect audio sync and very few hiccups on my Air Display-connected, 2009 13-inch MacBook Pro. Using full screen reduced the quality of the experience considerably, but it still performed as well, if not better than my old G4 12-inch Powerbook playing the same videos itself.

Like on iOS, reconnecting an Air Display computer acting as a monitor will restore your window configuration so that you only have to set up your work station once if you get it just right the first time. You can also choose to have your computer automatically connect to Air Display when you launch the app. Air Display also offers both a scaled window and full-screen mode, so you can choose to both use your spare computer as an extra display and still access its own OS, files and applications. Finally, you can even connect via Ethernet if you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi network.

What It Can’t Do

Air Display isn’t a remote desktop app, so you can’t share files between two computers using it. And while it does work using a Windows computer as the host, and a Mac as the secondary monitor, it doesn’t work the other way around, which is too bad, because I’ve got tons of worthless Windows laptops gathering dust with great screens that would do much better showing off OS X.

The app also unfortunately requires OS X 10.6.6 or later, which means that it won’t be very useful to those with older Mac hardware. I was really hoping to take advantage of the app to put my Powerbook back into service as a second screen, but since PPC support ended with Leopard, it’s not happening.

People who often take screenshots should also note that you can’t capture the screen, windows, or a section of the screen from an Air Display-connected Mac with the built-in OS X screenshot tool, though it does work with Skitch and other third-party apps.

Who It’s For

If you have two or more Macs, you should definitely get this app. Even though I have two additional hardware displays connected to my iMac, there are still times when a fourth screen can come in handy, and I’m sure other multi-monitor enthusiasts out there will agree. Air Display is also great for people who use a Mac notebook as their primary computer and who spend a lot of time working from other Mac-equipped offices, since it means you can easily make use of those computers as secondary displays while using your own system settings, apps and files.

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