“It’s a brilliant device of beauty”

“Connectivity in your hand”

“Why did they call it that? Where was the female voice on that marketing team?”

So much has already been said about the iPad and I’m going to be one of the first in line. Am I a fanboy? Maybe. But I’m definitely into gadgets and this might be one of the most accessible computer appliances ever made. Yesterday I read a great post from The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TAUW) called “iPad in the Family: what it’ll take” by Michael Grothaus and I highly recommend checking it out.

Michael makes some solid points about how and where this product will be impacting the home and it got me thinking about the last several years and the full on assault to get your mom into their products. In this case your mom is a metaphor for the main market or average consumer but she really is also your mom. She’s got real electronic needs and wants to play in a digital sandbox. Now she might not want to play World of Warcraft or make a Second Life avatar but she might want to read an eBook, watch a movie while traveling or put more control into a digital planner.

Apple has had great success when they launched iTunes but honestly I don’t think even in their wildest dreams did they think expect the landscaping changing impact that it has had. As Apple just announced sales of over 250 MIllion iPods in January and billions in revenue they’re looking to continue to reshape the market to make sure that they’re at the head of the pack. Also last months they announced 75 Million iPhones have been sold, another market they entered and dominated within just 12 months. At this point in time it makes a lot of sense that Apple wants to have a device that becomes as common place as TV’s.

It is my understanding that the iPad idea was to replace all text books and primarily as an educational tool. Of course as the book store gets rolling and universities and schools around the country start treating digital copies as viable source material and recommending a digital book reader of some kind this will take the product to a new height.

My prediction is that as the iPad is released to the market they’re going to experience an unexpected boom from unanticipated demographics (Like the Wii with those over 60 and the Honda Element with Soccer dads). I think that the iPad could replace planners in depth, I was a Franklin Covey guy for many years and I like the side by side layout on the iPad. It could also completely be used as a lecturing/teaching tool. Then there’s the market that is unseen, the one that decides how this will be best suited. Could the iPad replace medical charts? Could an app be made that uses the display as a secondary display for guerrilla film makers? Will Seth get his idea for a non linear slide show presenter?

Whatever the case may be, this much is true – there is entirely a new market waiting for your ideas, your brain power and your innovation. If you could bring that with you as we wait in line together we could flesh out some ideas.