The Apple iPad has created more discussion in the blogosphere in the last two weeks than many other subjects in the media. It seems to be a 'Marmite' product in the sense than you either love it or hate it. Apple's Steve Jobs enthused about the web browsing experience of the iPad, while its critics criticised it for lack of support for Adobe Flash in its web browser.
Apple's competitors have been, unsurprisingly, negative. The trade publishing world, on the other hand, is excited about the iPad. They now have a potentially strong platform through which to sell more of what their customers want by way of eBooks.
One great advantage that Apple has with the iPad is an army of developers around the world that have been developing iPhone applications (including us) and who can now upgrade their software development kits to be able to develop applications for the iPad too. iPhone applications are plentiful and they are being downloaded in their millions from the App store on iTunes.
The iPad 'platform' is similar in its potential for success to all of the successful games consoles which redefine their sectors. Microsoft's XBox came onto the scene and took on Sony's Playstation and it had some great games, including Halo. Wii redefined gaming because it redefined gaming by being a group activity rather than an individual pursuit. All of the major consoles now have wide capabilities in addition to gaming including playing DVD's, hooking up to Sky TV, downloading games from the internet, communicating with friends and so on.
In common with the iPhone and the iPad, games consoles are supported by a continual flow of new games (or applications) which people want to buy or download for free to try from an array of developers.
The iPad brings not only eBook capabilities but the device has many other functions such as watching DVD's, email and web browsing which its specialist competitors devices, such as the Amazon Kindle, do not. Nor do they have a range of applications for you to try on your electronic reading device. This is why publishers are excited by the iPad. The past shows that devices with lots of good software to use on them tend to be more successful than those that just do one thing.
We were recently asked for our views on the iPad by the BBC. Here is the extract from the radio programme which includes comments from Steve Jobs at Apple, the BBC's Maggie Shiels and Jon Moss from Hull Digital.
Will Hawkins
New Business Director