Ars Technica pounced on some early iPad 2 benchmarks by CNET UK (link currently down), suggesting that the iPad 2’s improved processor doesn’t give it that much of an edge over the original tablet for web-based tasks.
CNET ran the SunSpider JavaScript test on both an iPad 2 and an original iPad running last week’s gold master build of iOS 4.3. Though the new iPad has a dual core processor, it only ran the JavaScript tests 1.5 times faster than the first iPad on average, leading Ars to speculate that the A5 is not based around Cortex A9 cores but rather two of the A8 cores found in original iPad’s A4. Furthermore, CNET found that the original iPad running the 4.3 build generally ran faster than one running 4.2, suggesting that users of iPads both old and new could see a significant speed increase when 4.3 rolls out.
Of course, as developers start writing graphic-intensive apps tailored for the iPad 2’s beefed up guts, the disparity between the two will become more prominent. But if you’re an original iPad owner mainly spending your tablet time browsing the web, there might not be much reason to covet the new guy. [CNET UK via Ars]