How Apple's iPad Will Change Your Business
 April 3rd, Apple released a “new” product called the iPad which you may have heard of. This iPad, while not a new category, completely reinvented it’s space. Living somewhere between the iPhone and a laptop, the iPad is that perfect device that you can carry to read books, your email, surf the web, and much more. It lacks the business end for now, but that will likely change as apps are built specifically for business.
Some might think there is no need for a device of this category, but what many don’t realize is that millions have been buying this category for awhile now. You might know it as a netbook, a laptop that really can’t do much but email, web surf and light business work. The iPad gives you a tool that allows you to do all that the netbook does and a lot more. It’s intuitive software design, and just like the iPhone, is easy to use and pick up.
Enough about the iPad itself. The question is—what are the ramifications of its launch and where is the tipping point? For one thing, web design needs to be rethought. If there is mass adoption of the device, web designers and developers must take the new dimensions into account as well as the use of HTML5 as Flash will not be supported by the iPad. In addition, developing customer apps in the iPad format might become a way to have a constant presence with your customers and prospective customers.
When will we know we have reached a tipping point? Well, we could base it on the number sold. I would imagine if it reaches the ubiquity of the iTouch or iPod then there is no question we reached mass scale. However, there may be another way to tell how the adoption of the device is going and what it’s future potential will be. We would look to healthcare, schools and businesses adopting the iPad as a way to get data into a person’s hands quicker and provide them with the tools in what they need in a mobile device. There are already stories out there of hospitals buying iPad in bulk to replace their current tablets. Business adoption for sales teams and education usage will likely follow, and this could be where the iPad grabs hold. This also raises the profile of cloud computing as the iPad makes cloud computing a requirement. If you want a netbook or need to replace one, look at the iPad. You will get a lot more than a netbook could deliver.
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