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It’s been a big few weeks for tech with the launch of the game-changing Apple iPad and the debate is raging whether it will effectively kill the netbook, revitalize the publishing industry, and/or increase carpal tunnel syndrome.
I couldn’t resist and bought an iPad a few weeks ago and I’m seeing my own computer habits begin to change. I spent most of last week traveling and while I may not write the great American novel on my iPad, I definitely won’t be dragging my laptop through airport security anytime soon. I find the potential for innovation — across multiple verticals — inspiring and it reminds me of several other significant milestones in technology: my first laptop, the early ethernet cards, the evolution from dial-up to 4G.
After a successful launch — Apple said it sold more than 500,000 iPads in the first week after its U.S. launch — the only significant hiccup was the complaint from consumers about the product’s Wi-Fi Internet connection. As FierceWireless’ Mike Dano points out, the iPad’s connectivity issues come ahead of the release of the 3G-enabled iPads and he speculates that AT&T will continue to have difficulties adding the iPad to its already full network of customers.
Sprint recently took a creative step towards offering customers a way to connect to their 4G network by offering a free iPad case with a pocket for their Wi-Fi router. As customers will have the option of adding ATT’s 3G option to the iPad next week, I suspect many might opt for Sprint’s solution. Wired notes that the significant advantage to going this route is that it allows users to use Sprint’s Overdrive modem with any device.
I’ve said this many times, but our mobile devices are only as good as the Internet connection that supports it. This is only increased by our increasing adoption of cloud-computing. From storing photos in an online album to accessing e-mail via a Web-based server to connecting with friends on Facebook, our amount of time spent online is only increasing.
We’ll be keeping an eye on all of this from our end. We have to agree that there are many industries that would benefit greatly from adopting an iPad-similar technology to streamline business functions, increase automation and efficiency and reduce costs.
One Comment
“What do you think of the iPad?” Well, since you ask, I think it is a step backwards. I haven’t used one, but it seems to me that if the iPad had been in existence already and the laptop or notebook had not yet been invented, then when the laptop finally came out, people would love it and think it was a great improvement over the iPad which would soon become obsolete.
Jeff take a look at the South Florida population. While Miami-Dade County has about 2.5 million people, it’s population density is 1,158/square mile. Broward County (Ft Lauderdale, etc) just to the north has more than 1.6 million people, but is much smaller and has a higher density of 1,347/sq mi. Palm Beach County has another 1.3 million people, but is the largest county in the state by area. Nonetheless, the businesses at the southern part of Palm Beach County might also be worth looking at in addition to Broward for expanding your business. Everyone in southern Florida looks at the tri-County area and you seem to be looking only at Dade County. Aside from that, keep up the good work.