Apple changes the game once again with the introduction of the iPad. Apple will reinvent the world of publishing and content distribution much the way it altered the distribution of music right under the noses of the lethargic record labels. By any standard, Apple’s relentless innovations are a marvel to behold. Apple deserves mighty applause for showing the world how to bake the marketing into the thing!
Indeed, the iPad is a shiny new device that nobody really needs. But that’s not the point. The iPad will find its way and become immensely useful over time. Publishers ( particularly independent content creators and app developers) now have a new platform to create for. It’s estimated that the market for apps alone is now approaching $1billion. The game has changed once again.
Will the iPad save the marginalized print media, publishing and advertising industry? Who knows, only time will tell. I think what’s more important about the iPad is not content distribution, rather it is the interaction of our fingertips on the surface of the screen that makes this device so compelling. Our physical interaction with this device is the big idea here. It’s my believe the iPad will change the way we use computers from here on out. This is just the beginning of a new wave, the first step in a new generation of devices that will bring humans ever closer to an altered state of virtual connectivity.
Of course, there are many competitive devices that will be introduced in the near term. One could argue the nature of Apple’s closed system approach to product innovation as a good or bad thing. None of that chatter will change the fact that Apple really matters to people! 300,000 units sold in one day says it all!
