Today is the day that the media frenzy for Apple’s latest toy, the iPad, reaches new insurmountable heights with its launch in the US.
What can we learn from the iPad that you can apply to your business?
Here are some of the traits that strike me:
- design thinking – it looks beautiful
- usability – it looks easy and fun to use
- innovation – it may redefine the computer – will separate keyboards become a thing of the past
- game-changing – digital or ebooks may finally have THE portal device that could make them mainstream. I suspect the Kindle will look primitive in comparison
- anticipation – Apple created a buzz before Steve Jobs announced it in Jan 2010 – we knew they had some sort of tablet on the way but no-one knew what it would look like or its name (e.g. iSlate anyone?)
- evolution – look back at how the iPad evolved from the ipod (first incarnation was clunky looking but functional). The ipod Touch and iPhone developed the touchscreen that was necessary to roll out the tablet iPad
- crowd-sourcing – the real value of the iPhone and ipod Touch emerged from applications developed by external developers. Apple resisted releasing the developer tools initially but since then applications (both free and paid for) within iTunes have flourished. These will also be available for the iPad
- stubbornness – nobody asked for the ipod – we had perfectly good walkmans. Apple just showed the way.
- never resting on their laurels – Apple could have sat back and basked in the glory of the ipod and iphone. They are still selling by their millions. But no, they pushed forward with the iPad to change the game once again
- building new markets – the publishing industry may be changed beyond measure. Magazines and books may be consumed in new ways.
What have I missed?
