What the iPad can do…

At last Apple announced its much anticipated tablet computer, the iPad… And let me start this post by saying I think it’s quite a disappointment… It is for the most part a large size iPhone. Nothing revolutionary…

But it is still a nice device at a decent price and it carries the Apple logo. I wouldn’t bet against how well it will sell and lead to more choices of tablet computers in the market.

However, let’s not focus on its limitations. What’s significant about the iPad is that it will be the beginning of a big change in how we consume the various formats of media. (Actually Amazon’s Kindle has already started the process by getting more and more people to read books on an e-reader.) Think about how much space in our homes that we have devoted to shelving and storing books, CD’s, video types or DVD cases right now. That’s about to change. And think about all the tress that can be saved when newspapers and magazines no longer exist.

Even more interesting to me is that I think there will be a convergence of the different media formats. I think what this will do is, instead of saving the print media, actually killing them. I don’t mean the companies that produce printed content today will all die. But rather… it means they will be forced to produce the same content but in a mix of formats and deliver it in a different manner.

Think about it… On the iPad when you read the New York Times via their iPad app, you will read articles (text) but you will also see video content as well. Not to mention all the “social” features that can be built into such an app. Sooner or later, the New York Times won’t be your good ol’ print media company. No one will be.

A device like the iPad allows us to demand media content to be interactive, social and mobile. It will not be like what it used to be!

I’m excited about it. I already read news on the Internet and don’t watch TV much. I think the media industry will continue to be re-shaped by the emergence of new technologies. It means a lot of opportunities will come of this evolution!