Whither the iPad?

Now that we've made it through the initial hype on the iPad, we can sit back and watch the rollout and see how it impacts the computing world. Is it going to replace netbooks and be the next great computing device or, like previous tablet computers, simply support niche applications while other devices continue to dominate the computing market?

Jason Hiner, editor-in-chief at TechRepublic discussed Five business scenarios for the iPad and other tablets in his Tech Sanity Check blog.

His list includes:

1. Conference room computing
2. Small-scale presentations
3. “Back of the Napkin” sketches
4. Business reading and audiobooks for road warriors
5. Replace 200-page business documents

While some have called the iPad "an over-sized iPhone," others are predicting great success for the device. I've never been a fan of tablet computing and we only support a handful of those devices at On-Site Technical Solutions. 

AT $499 to $829, it seems a bit pricey for a device managed through iTunes (like the iPhone) that doesn't have a  camera and doesn't support Adobe Flash. Not to mention ATT as the only supported vendor at this point. 

Certainly Apple fans will be willing to use the iPad despite limitations. The ability to use current iPhone apps as well as new ones that will be created specifically for the iPad will make it more attractive than tablets from the past. But anyone who has used a tablet knows the user experience is not the same as a desktop or laptop.

It's still early and the jury is out the iPad. In the short term I'm looking forward to seeing the apps developed for the device. Longer term we'll see what kind of enhancements Apple rolls out, as well as what innovations competitors develop if the iPad starts to catch on like the iPhone.  

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