A lot of the analysis now seems to be focused on what the fabled 'early adopters' are going to do about the iPad. Who is going to buy them, and why will they be doing so? Is it fever? Is it hype? Or does this product really meet a need which has not been met by any of the other devices?
Whichever of these explanations is true, the iPad does seem to be generating a lot of traction amongst early adopters - a recent GigaOM survey suggested that 12% of them would definitely be buying a web tablet in 2010, with another 52% saying that they were open to buying one.
There has also been a lot of focus on what the iPad means for operators. AT&T struggled to deal with the network issues raised by the iPhone, even leading to AT&T's Ralph de laVega complaining that iPhone users were consuming too much data on their unlimited plans.
For operators, the iPad's larger screen size and faster processor is a terrifying drain on network capacity. I'm sure it won't just be AT&T who are keeping a keen eye on network traffic around the iPad launch on April 3rd.
To a mobile developer/strategic designer though, the very same factors which make the iPad a headache for network operators are the ones generating excitement for us. The 9.7inch screen, beautiful visuals, and high quality capacitive touch is truly something to behold. Throw into the mix the fact that it runs off a similar SDK to the iPhone, and it feels like we have a brand new medium to work with.
It's more of a challenge than ever to remain strategic in our thinking and not get swept away by the hype. It is still possible, after all, that the iPad could fail to live up to expectations. The demand for tablet computers has yet to be conclusively proven - so far we have seen only surveys, not sales. Yet, if straw polls are anything to go by, I have spoken to telecom players, senior executives, media, our designers, and our customers, and they are positively buzzing about it.
We do not want to be caught sitting on our hands here and at Fjord, we are already working on more than a handful of iPad applications. There's a lot of time and effort going in across the business in helping our clients get to grips with this new platform.
At Fjord, we truly believe that it will be something deeply transformative and will drive innovation in the newspaper, magazine and banking sectors. The prospect of combining iPad with high level personalisation options is fascinating - even though we are designing for a device which neither we nor our clients have seen!
The most interesting thing about the iPad for me though is its monoblock form factor. Monoblock is industry jargon that describes an object with no moving parts, so slides, and no folds. It is constructed in one piece. This is probably why it will be easier for Apple to send you a new iPad than to replace the battery if it breaks down.
Monoblock devices are, however, simpler to manufacture and they are cheaper. They tend to be cheaper as mechanics complicates the manufacture process - it compromises design and reliability. When Apple introduced the iPhone, there were relatively few monoblock mobile devices around - now there are many. I expect the iPad to do the same with the computer.
If I had one major reservation about the iPad, it would be the lack of a keyboard. I don't think that the lack of the keyboard is a dealbreaker, particularly as the iPad has a keyboard accessory, but I have a passion for human factors and I am worried about text input. I'm not worried that this will cause the iPad to flop, but I worry that it is going to significantly limit its use.
As of the 12th of March, my iPad was ordered. My (non-geek) girlfriend has also ordered one. It should arrive in the Fjord New York office on the 3rd of April. I then have to figure out how to get my hands on it, given I'm leaving the US a few days earlier!
Sales figures will be keenly watched by analysts globally, but here in Europe at least, the anticipation is palpable.
Christian Lindholm, Managing Partner
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