The iPad was officially launched in the US today, this device was first previewed back on January 27, 2010 and received mixed reactions. Since then people have begun to explore the possibilities of this device thanks to the launch of the iPhone OS4 SDK, and it seems the reactions to the iPad have gone from luke warm to blazing hot in a matter of months. So isn’t this just a big iPod Touch and just another device we don’t need? Well no it’s completely different from an iPod Touch due to it’s large screen and the possibilities that comes with the extra space, and although we don’t need this device necessarily, you know we’re going to want one, badly!
So will it be a success? Probably.
This thing launches with over a billion apps, thanks to the success of the iPhone and the iPod Touch That success also means that most people are already familiar with Apple’s touch screen software and already know how to use it. It’s Apple so of course this thing looks beautiful, but that beauty is not just skin deep, the interface is stunning and very easy to use. Applications will again be the killer feature for the iPad, after all who want to buy a product that has no software? Gaming will be huge on the device, literally! With a screen size pretty much double that of the iPhone, the iPad takes gaming to the next level and puts huge pressure on the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. Then you have the myriad of apps that do everything from simulating comical body sound effects, to helping you navigate the globe and even saving lives.
So is this the start of another gold rush? Definitely!
It’s such huge potential market that’s just too big to ignore. Who wants to run the risk of their competitors beating them to the market? But this time the iPad offers companies the change to create desktop level software for the touch screen device. Apple as led they way with iWork a multi touch version of their desktop publishing suite, along with familiar Mac applications like iCal (Calendar), Address Book, Safari and iTunes. Microsoft are planing to bring the first ever touch MS Office to the iPad and we can expect a bigger version of the Adobe Photoshop iPhone app too.
One cool feature of the iPad is that it is amazing eBook reader, or iBook as Apple have called it. We’ve seen eBook readers like the Amazon Kindle, which do their best to make digital books look like real books, but on a screen using e-ink. Apple gives us a richer book experience, with nice page scrolling simulations, high quality book covers and a range of fonts to make reading easier on the eye.
While that is all very nice, it is magazines, comics and even the traditional newspaper industry where the real innovations will come from. The publishing industry is a declining market and people are going online for their news these days and so buy less printed material. The problems is that good editorial cost money, time to write, edit, create artwork, take photos and so on. The web has made information more accessible and free, but has something been lost in translation? People have been returning to the old newspaper publishers, for better quality news, and their websites are experiencing an increase in traffic, even the ones that have started charging – so the market is still there, just the industry needs to redefine it’s self in the digital world. The problem with websites is that there are still many restrictions that prevent a true magazine experience online. Some companies use Flash to deliver a richer experience, but this can cause usability issues. Then factor in limited safe fonts, different screen resolutions, different hardware capabilities and new and old browsers. It’s a mess!
The beauty of the iPad is that you can build an rich magazine experience that you know will work well, because it’s designed to specifically for that device, you know the screen resolution, you know it will play video, sound and it has a multi touch screen, allowing you to have more fun with the navigation and user journey, but without the slow frustrating mouse. As existing applications show you can tap, drag, pinch, rotate with the accelerometer and even blow on the device to make something happen. With video built in, traditional static pictures can become videos, you flick through pages again and reinvent traditional printed games like Crosswords and Suduko, with a richer interactive experience.
This device is great for large corporate companies and small business alike, with exchange support and rich email with attachments. With the iPad, you will be able to do client presentations, edit documents on the go, and access the internet anywhere with the 3G model.
But why stop there?
Interactive brochures
Why not develop an interactive brochure for your business? This will really impress your clients, and by taking advantage of the touch screen, your clients can flick through your brochure, and even watch a video for a specific product or service. Why not use it as a catalogue where clients and browse your products with link that direct users to your online store.
Regular newsletters
Companies could go way beyond email or traditional printed newsletters, to create a rich interactive newsletters for the iPad, what could start out as a ad hock newsletter to impress prospective clients could turn into a regular publication, maybe something that people are willing to buy on a regular basis, who knows?
Turn Web Applications into iPad Apps
If you currently make web applications, ones that are simply too large for the iPhone – now would be a good time to start developing an iPad version. Whether it’s an online accounting software, booking system, blogging tool or any productivity web based system, you could offer a really great user experience on the iPad.
Games
If you have an idea for a game, then why not create one for the iPad, games have been extremely popular on the iPhone and with iPad’s lager screen, they will be just as popular. Games can be used to advertise a product launch, or to raise awareness of service or event.
3D Tours
Got a hotel, restaurant, or somewhere interesting to visit, why not create a virtual tour that the user can explore using the iPad’s touch screen, just like Street View on Google Maps.
The possibilities of this device are endless, and now it’s out in the wild, we will soon get glimpse of shape of things to come. Here at Code 9 we are very exited about this product and where it will take the digital industry in the future. We have a few things in the works, but if you would like us to help you with an iPad/iPhone app, or any digital application, please feel free to get in touch.
In the UK we will have to wait until late April for the iPad, for those who can’t wait here’s a quick review from PC magazine:
PCMag: Apple iPad video review from PCMag.com Reviews on Vimeo.
