CNET gives a short and sweet preview of the upcoming iPad OS update (iOS 4.2 beta) – this is a major update with a bunch of updates geared towards higher usability and functionality… Here is a quick rundown of iOS 4.2 upgrade features:
Here is a quick summary of a short but good interview (published back in January) with Paul Grim (GP at VC SunBridge) – the questions/answers revolved mostly around business impacts of the iPad release:
The installed base of iPhone/iPod users will naturally migrate to this platform
I don’t think this will significantly impact the Kindle’s prospects, but I do think it bifurcates the e-reader market.
This is another giant leap toward the new human-machine interface paradigm.
There are some obvious vertical segments that could be completely dominated by the iPad: healthcare, education, design, architecture, basically any field in which someone carries around a clipboard or simply has to move around a lot while working.
The projections come via Gartner.com (Angela McIntyre, Analyst): “The most likely scenario for iPad sales this year is 4.2 million” – Gartner is underlying high price and limited technical capabilities as factors limiting sales potential. I could not find the source article, here is the link to the analyst’s homepage. TheStreet has some of the content published here.
Y Combinator (respect) has an interesting POV on how the iPad is meant to (silently) exterminate Windows from the marketplace:
… (coders) may never want a computer they don’t control, but ordinary people just want something cheap that works. And that’s how the iPad will seem to them. Many will never make a conscious decision to switch. They’ll get an iPad as well, then find they use their Windows machine less and less. When it dies they won’t replace it.
As always, the rest of the RFS is a good read – you may not agree with it but will certainly respect the view…
For the folks just joining the discussion: Apple will announce a new product on Wednesday, 1/27/2010 (read the old post here: Apple Yerba Buena Event 01/27/2010)
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