A few months ago, I checked into a sleek hotel in downtown LA where there was no check-in tables. Instead, I was told to chill out in a lounge where I was checked-in with sony vaio netbooks. The iPad is a solid opportunity for application developers here because in just a few years, I can imagine the world shifting over and changing to this device (or something similar). The Microsoft surface world is beginning to take form, only Apple is the one to kickstart it off.
Designers and developers today have an opportunity to rethink about how they can provide applications that will quickly be adopted. Even web designers should really think about the iPad’s resolution when designing sites, think about making buttons bigger, and how people are going to be reading and interacting with content.
A few examples of where I can really see the iPad practiced in the real world outside of just consumers using this for photos, videos, books, and web browsing:
- An application that allows the use of a new form to check into hotels, airports, offices, really pushing these industries to rethink how things are done today and new experiences can be formed from this new device
- An application that doctors could use the log data, view your heart rate and other medical diagnostics
- An application that allows architects to view and browse through blue prints
- Students replacing their laptops and desktops and using this for writing their essays, carrying their textbooks, and so on
- Replacing what we call today a notepad
- An application that allows for browsing, ordering, and paying for items at a store or restaurant… maybe you’re given an iPad instead of a menu at a fancier restaurant
- Changing the dynamic of online gambling in vegas (or other casinos)…interactive gaming tables, maybe you don’t need a deck of cards anymore
- Improved applications for DJing and other musical instruments where more artists may use the iPad as their primary musical device
The opportunities are endless, really. The device is small, light, affordable, and can do a LOT. It’s really a great time right now to be an iPhone/iPad developer.
