Apple’s iPad is not an eBook Reader

The iPad is a mobile platform that also supports eBooks under the ePub standard. Instead of being a one trick pony like Amazon’s Kindle or the Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple is betting that the missing link for most people has been the lack of versatility and utility. Amazon, clearly seeing the iPad as a tremendous threat to the Kindle’s past success, announced an initiative to launch its own app store. Although necessary to remain competitive, the attempt is far too late and futile at best. The first iPads to reach the hand’s of a consumer will already have access to over 140,000 applications that have been downloaded more than 1.5 billion times, mostly for free.

Traveling professionals, students, medical personnel, are just a few groups that will find the iPad attractive. Below are some of the key applications and uses that trump other eBook only readers.

• Personal Information Manager (PIM) and Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
  On sexiness alone, the iPad surpasses lugging around an over stuffed Franklin Covey planner but can still offer all of the functionality. Out of the box, the iPad will have a built in calendar, contact management, and note taking ability. Beef up the PDA features by downloading applications for organizing information, scheduling appointments, project planning, and tracking expenses, and voice dictation that already exist in the app store.
• Ultimate Location based Services
  The iPad is now the largest, yet functional, GPS unit on the market when matched with the existing TomTom app. For travelers, applications such as UrbanSpoon’s Up Scope and Layars show relevant information by melding the real world around you with supplemental information through an augmented reality (AR) experience. Simply put, point your iPad or iPhone at a street and information about that street’s restaurants, complete with user reviews and ratings, is displayed. The amount and relevancy of information that will emerge from location aware AR will continue to find new uses.
• Mobile Office
  Unlike the iPhone, the iPad, has enough screen real estate to really use office applications whether it be Apple’s iWork or apps that allow creation and editing of Microsoft Office files. There are other mission critical applications already existing in Apple’s app store, beyond spreadsheets and documents, that can be downloaded for road warriors.
• Endless Entertainment
  Watching movies on a flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo is no problem for the iPad considering its tremendous battery life and large screen size. Reading books and playing games is also a cinch on the iPad. Find an Internet connection and the fun really starts since you could then watch movies on YouTube or from your own Slingbox, watch games via MLB or CBS College Sports, and keep in touch with others on Twitter and Facebook.

These are just a few categories where the iPad will probably provide a superior user experience as compared with the iPhone, other tablets, or existing eBook readers. The true potential of the device will be dependent upon the app development community which has yet to disappoint.