Apples iPad..Magical & Revolutionary? Perhaps!
Apples iPad
So here we are March 12th and the Pre-orders started today at 8:30am EDT with various Mac News, Rumor sites and technology analysts reporting that based on their estimates that these puppies were being ordered at an astounding rate of 25,000 units per hour! Is that number really accurate? I doubt it, but it certainly fuels the fever pitch which is something that no tech-company other then Apple, Inc. can garner in the computer industry.
So I have to admit my first reaction to this device was somewhat underwhelming and comparing it to an overgrown iPod Touch was easy to do. So you can look & listen to your photos, music and even movies on iPad and YES they will look nicer then on the iPhone 3Gs but that is not very compelling to me. Now Apple reports of 150,000 existing apps that are all just ready to be loaded on your iPad. Ok, but I already have them on my iPhone. Maybe I could put them on my iPad… but again not very compelling. Next up comes a 9.7 inch web browsing experience in your hands. I can see it being a great experience, but not enough to make me put my laptop away. The productivity apps like email, calendar, google maps are OK but, I have them on other devices. So what remains are really two functions/features which are iPad specific. It is in these two areas that get me excited. If you have not seen the Apple Keynote, it was these same two areas that got the most reaction from the audience in what otherwise was a very subdued keynote.
eBooks and iWork Apps, and Games
Where I see the biggest potential is with Books and Periodicals. With a device such as the iPad a users experience can now combine text, audio, and video into a very engaging and intimate experience. Of additional interest to support this, Barnes & Noble announced formal support of an B&N iPad App to read and access their bookstore! So I have to believe Amazon will not be far behind! Penguin a publisher in the UK showcased upcoming books that provide the kind of intimacy that will revolutionize peoples reading experience. While the video below starts with children’s books, it gets really interesting when they get to the fiction, travel guides and star charts!
Custom iPad Apps like Keynote, Pages, and Numbers will allow me to have enough power in standard business applications that I could easily leave the MacBookPro at home. With iPad I could teach my Social Media classes via Keynote and respond to email, and work on proposals with Pages and Numbers. I believe that these applications are just scratching the surface on what can be done with iPad specific applications! The last area that I believe has huge potential is the gaming marketing, but I will save my comments on that topic for a future post.
What is going to happen in 3 weeks?
- New Version of iTunes – We can expect that right before April 3rd we will see the launch of a new version of iTunes. It will at a minimum it will incorporate the sync services for iPad, and add sections to the APP Store for iPad specific Apps. I would also suspect that a Book Store menu will appear in iTunes so you can not only purchase but backup purchased books to your computer. I for one hope Apple produces booking reading apps for your iPhone, Mac & PC like both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have done with their e-reader devices.
- Guided Tour Video – I also suspect that before the end of this month we can expect to see an Apple Guided Tour of iPad that you can watch to learn more about this new device along with several How-To documents on the use of particular apps or settings.
- Another Commercial – We have already seen the first commercial for iPad, thanks to the Oscars but I suspect that another one will surface before the launch showing off more usage of the device.
- Revamped Apple Store – Finally on the evening of April 2rd if you happen to live near an Apple Store, expect the windows to be covered so that the window displays can be all “iPadded Up” and a section of the store carved up for both demo units and a plethora of accessories for iPad.
- No iPads! – What you won’t see are any iPads in the store before April 3rd. Apple unlike other tech companies (thinking Gateway & Dell) knows that you don’t tease your consumers with “Oh Look” check out my new sexy gadget/computer but sorry you can’t buy it now or get it here approach!
Well you might be wondering well am I getting one? – You Bet!
Between the potential with iBooks, iWork Apps, and Web Surfing I see great potential and opportunity from this device. In fact I pre-ordered the iPad 32GB WIFI model at 8:34am this morning, with an order Acknowledgement back from Apple at 9:04:06!
What you can expect to see and read here over the next three weeks:
- Updates and comentary on the iPad and aforementioned predictions
- Unboxing Video on April 3rd
- Comparison of iPad to other e-Readers such as Nook and Kindle
- iPad as a replacement to my MacBook Pro
- iPad for gaming
Will Apple’s iPad live up to being both Magical and Revolutionary or just another gadget looking to solve a problem that doesn’t exist? At this point I believe it is too early to say, but I for one see awesome potential here!
I would like to hear your thoughts!