Impressed by large screen, grandsons' demo

Yet another world leader has opted to become an iPad 2 user. Following President Obama's lead, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth has acquired an iPad for her personal use, according to a report in the British tabloid newspaper The Sun. Reportedly the monarch was given a demonstration of the device by her grandsons, princes William and Harry. She was said to be impressed by the ease of use, the large screen and light weight of the device.

The report has not been independently confirmed, and The Sun is not considered the most reliable source in British journalism circles, but the story is generally believed to be true.The princes have said previously that the 85-year-old queen is pretty technologically savvy for someone her age, and "think she's really cool" for getting an iPad, which they both reportedly own as well.

Her Majesty is not new to Apple products -- having purchased an iPod back in 2005 -- and was given a newer model in 2009 as a gift from President Obama in 2009, pre-loaded with pictures of the Queen's previous U.S. visit and a selection of Broadway show tunes. The report quotes an unnamed palace source as saying "She thinks it will be great to keep her entertained on all the long trips she has to make."

The newspaper accompanied the report with a list of five apps it suggests for the Queen (in jest), including the UK equivalent of Groupon (called Vouchercloud), the newspaper's own iPad app, a horse-racing app for monitoring races around the UK, and a dog-to-human "translation" app called Bowlingual for "talking" with her prize Corgis. [via AppleInsider]

by MacNN Staff