I am getting my first iPad in a few weeks and it is going to be the ipad 2!! My dad and sister have one and I have played around on them a bit and must say that they are pretty damn fast.
I'm sure you will love the iPad 2. I have the original iPad, and if the iPad 3/iPad Pro wasn't rumored to be just around the corner, I'd be all over an iPad 2.
Got my iPad 2 a while ago. I seem to be still using my iPhone 4 and MacBook Pro more. I think I answered my question of do I need one. Well it's nice to travel with anyways.