For the second time in approximately three years, Apple is redefining an industry. Arguably, the launch of the iPad is the single most important launch in Apple’s history. This, folks, is a big deal. This really is beyond technology and enters into the realm of redefining the cultural norm.

Touch tablets will define our main method of interacting with the web, mail, social networking, written, audio and visual media and even gaming for the next decade.

Many people suggest that the iPad will fail for many of the same reasons that the iPhone would never capture significant market share. Here are a few of their arguments:

1. Adobe Flash: Flash is mainly used for games, displaying web video, and is a main tool in displaying advertisements on web pages. HTML 5 is set to replace Flash. People have stated that this will not occur in the mainstream for at least 5 years. I beg to differ. Major sites like YouTube, Vimeo, CBS, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times either have or are coming out with HMTL 5 friendly versions of their websites. Simply put, most people believe they care about Flash. In reality, most people won’t even miss it. Recognizing that over 60 million web surfers using the iPhone or iPod touch don’t currently view web pages in Flash yet account for 50% of the world wide handheld data traffic. (source: Admob) Let me ask you this: If you are building a website for your very own company, would you choose to build it in Flash where it will not work on these devices including the iPad, or would you build to where the Internet is going and use HTML5, javascript and AJAX? Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest athletes of all time said “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” Future development will be where the web is going to be – and that will be inclusive of mobile devices.
2. Multi-tasking: One of the biggest misconceptions people make surrounds multi-tasking. While future enhancements to the iPhone OS may include “true” multi-tasking, simply saving the “state” or a snapshot of where you are in a program works in a very similar way, without using up battery or processor power. When you go back to that application, the state is loaded and you are back at exactly the same spot as when you left. Regardless, my mail, music, alarms, etc. all currently work in the background.
3. Apple’s “Closed” System: Many tech pundits today make a huge mistake in assuming people do not want to get their applications from one location. They lead people to believe that you should be able to get it from anywhere you choose. So why are they wrong? Well, by coming from one secure location, people can trust the applications they install on their device and their network. If Apple finds an application breaching privacy issues or causing network disruption through poor coding, they can simply turn off the app and prevent it from being distributed. One store and method of installing applications keeps things easy and simple for all users – children through to senior citizens. App rating and reviews can also be viewed in a central location. The only thing that the iTunes app store has prevented to date, is the proliferation of porn on their devices. People can surf for porn on the Safari browser if they choose but cannot install x-rated apps. Porn sites are also a leading carrier for viruses and spyware which is another reason for showing concern for those types of applications. Still, if that is your thing, you will be better served with Google’s Android platform.

Most people will have to experience the iPad itself to understand how it will change their lives. Mike Elgan over at Computerworld sums up the user demographic quite nicely”

I’m predicting that old people, toddlers, baby boomers, teenagers, twentysomethings — OK, that all age groups will use the iPad in significant numbers. It will be the first consumer electronics product in recent decades to match the age demographic of the TV.

Everyone from engineers to neo-luddites will buy iPads. It will be the first device in recent years to match the technical-enthusiasm range of the cell phone market.

Gamers, readers, TV watchers and movie enthusiasts will get one.

Schools, churches, libraries, small businesses, restaurants, nightclubs, malls and other organizations will put them to use.

Pilots, teachers, public speakers, artists, contractors, writers and other professionals will enhance their careers with iPads. The Pentagon will go nuts for this thing.

He’s right. There isn’t a demographic this won’t appeal to in some way. Within five years, most students will be buying textbooks through an iTunes version of their University bookstore for use on their iPad. Students will be taking notes in class on their iPad. When these students graduate, they will be taking these devices into their work environments.

When I replaced BlackBerry’s at BuildDirect with iPhones we saw a 60% increase in our mobile usability. Considering that some of our team leave their laptops sitting on their desks at work when they go home at night or over the weekend, I can see a large productivity increase through the deployment of iPads. Being able to access our dashboards and KPIs at a moments’ notice, responding immediately to emails, staying current with our social media initiatives, and being able to interact with our customers in record time all negate the cost of ownership for the iPad.

And for IT professionals such as myself, iPads will be easy to manage and maintain when compared to netbooks. No antivirus and spyware software to install. No IT time required for OS updates and very little training required.

Related posts:

1. Microsoft: A Multi-Touching Moment!