The official announcement of the Apple iPad yesterday reminds me of an old quote from Steve Jobs. He says, “People don’t know what they want until we show it to them”. This is exactly what Apple is trying to do with the iPad. They are trying to create a new category of devices that consumers never knew they needed.

But creating a new category of devices is not easy to do. Especially when it is human nature to be resistant to change. There are 3 phases that the device will need to go through.

Phase 1 – ridicule. Whenever a radical new concept is shown to the masses, the first reaction is to laugh it off and discard the idea. As we can see, there are already many jokes abound about the iPad’s name in reference to a certain feminine product. There’s also complaints about how the iPad’s limitations of not having a USB port, multi-tasking or support for Flash. Thus the conclusion is that the product is not a serious contender for netbooks. We’ve heard such jokes before about the iPhone and “cut-and-paste” but that did not stop the iPhone’s success in penetrating the market.

Phase 2 – great opposition. You will begin to see many people aggressively protesting why they need another device. Especially when their friends and relatives begin to purhase them on mass. When this occurs, attacks on the device will increase as people need to justify why they will not adopt a new category of device into their life and business.

Phase 3 – accepted as self-evident. This will be a time when such a device will be as common place as a TV or a toaster in one’s home. And at that point it’s just “normal” to have a tablet to browse the web, share photos or check your email without having to turn on your computer. Today, nobody questions why they have an iPod for example.

If any product has a chance to make it through all 3 phases, the iPad will be it. Here’s are three main reasons why:

1. Apple has had an amazing track record in creating new categories of devices. Obviously, the iPod and iPhone stand out. But they also created the concept of purchasing music and applications online with the iTunes store and the App store.
2. The key for the iPad to gain widespread use will be in the multitude of applications from third party providers. By intelligently integrating the existing 140,000 iPhone apps into the iPad – they immediately have a head start over any other competitor. And frankly, I don’t see any other competitor that can catch up to the App Stores success.
3. Apple can make hardware and software. The closest rival – Google and the Android platform is still behind because they currently do not create their own hardware. Because Apple’s hardware is already in the hands of so many people, they are in a much better position to attract third-party developer to build the best apps for their platform. Therefor reinforcing the previous point.

As for me, there is no question that I will be purchasing an iPad when it becomes available. Here are my reasons why:

1. The price at $499 onwards make it an easy decision. Some digital photo frames already cost just as much!
2. Having used an iPod Touch for the last 2 years – I know the value of a mobile device to browse the web, share photos and checking email. There has been consistent instances when the iPod Touch has saved me the trouble of using my computer or laptop.
3. I can already see the use of the iPad for giving presentations using Keynote, reading books, data entry using forms on Numbers and much more. I believe you will soon see your local Starbucks crowded with people curled up on couches reading eBooks with their iPad.
4. I can use all the apps I had purchased for my iPod Touch on the iPad. And I am excited about the new apps that will be created just for the iPad. The use of the iPad is not limited by my own imagination but also by the imagination of any iPad developer out there! There are probably amazing uses for this device that you will not discover until you become immersed in it.
5. 10 Hours of batter life and 1 month of standby time. Do I need to say more about this point? I don’t know any other device that can compare.

I could probably go on but you get my position on this product. I really think it will go all the way to become a new category of device that is widely accepted and add much value to your life. The sooner you learn to adopt this device into the way you work, live and play, the more value you can extract from it. Go buy it!

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Tags: apple, ipad