Why the iPad?
Before we look at the specifics of the iPad for business, we have to get through the thinking process of “why” the iPad in the first place. There are many (although their numbers are decreasing rapidly) who consider it just a shiny toy. Let’s debunk that here, before we go any further.
Price for equipment.
I remember when a friend asked me a few questions about the iPad in the time between the announcement and release. The conversation went something like this …
“So, the iPad is less than a laptop, does the Internet, email and word processing?” He had a large family and desperately needed another machine for his teenagers to use for their schoolwork.
I replied, “Yes. Now it can’t print.” It couldn’t at the time.
To which he replied, “Well, I’m sure as heck not buying another printer … wait a minute … Facebook … it will still do that, right?”
I answered the best I could, “Well, it will run iPhone apps and the iPhone Facebook app is pretty good. I’m assuming you can go right to the Website too – but I don’t know for sure.”
He mumbled something about it being harder to play Farmville on the iPad might actually turn out to be a good thing and then asked the question that shined a great light on the topic at hand, “Why in the world would I want to buy a laptop that costs more, has a much shorter battery life, and isn’t nearly as cool?”
I told him it was a great question for which I had no answer.
I type this on a plane and across from me sits a business user with a laptop the size of dog. He’s playing solitaire on it. I assume he’ll be shutting it down very soon because of his lack of battery life.
I wonder how much money he (or his company) paid for it.
Behind me is someone running a DVD on their laptop. Actually, it might be a digital file but either way – that’s one expensive way to watch a movie. When you consider the fact that the battery probably won’t last the length of the movie, it gets even sillier.
The base iPad is fine for most everyone and is far less than a “decent” laptop. Sure, there are netbooks cheaper but I’m just gonna say it … Yeah, but they’re netbooks …
Price for software.
When my friend asked about the iPad for his kids, I forgot to mention that the word processor on the iPad was $5. A few months back I helped him find the “best deal” on the home version of Microsoft Office. It wasn’t cheap. You can imagine this one piece of news sealed the deal.
It still amazes me how cheap iPad software is. I’ve spent less on software than I have keyboards and cases and still spend a great deal of time in the free Mail, Safari and Calendar apps.
Not only that but with a our family on a single iTunes account (don’t worry, it’s allowed), I buy the software only once and both my wife and I enjoy use of the business apps. My kids aren’t that far off.
The thing to remember about iPad software is that although inexpensive, the good stuff is REALLY GOOD. I’ve spent thousands on productivity software but spend more time planning out my week on the iPad than on any desktop. The mind mapping software used to build the structure of this tome was so cheap that I initially questioned it’s power at that price.
I was wrong.
There are two reasons iPad software is so cheap – both of them are good.
The first issue is, simply, the “App Economy” is one of rock bottom prices. Anyone can underbid you price so you have to stay inexpensive to stay relevant. If you’re going to play in this playground, you have to play by the rules.
The second issue might make you feel a bit more comfortable with yourself and the value exchange of iPad software. The app economy sees 70% of all sales directly in the hands of the developer – with speed much quicker than they were ever used to being paid before. In the “other” software world of rampant piracy (still possible on the iPad, but much harder – and at these prices many say “not worth it) and antiquated distribution models, many are simply making more money in this space than they ever were. When you add to that the ease of the impulse buy in the App Store and you can sleep well knowing that your favorite developers are doing quite well, thankyouverymuch.
So with equipment and software cheap, the issue of price is a major plus for the iPad. But it isn’t the only thing the iPad has going for it.