Game Changer

Ugh! And here I thought that spring had arrived in Toronto. I am reminded this morning that it is still early April, however still optimistic for a nice weekend and my first rounds of golf!

I know that I have been focused on the iPad lately but I simply can’t help myself. I was at a local mall last weekend and happened to walk past an Apple store – they had no iPad on display but the store was packed – as usual. Rounding the corner, I passed an HMV store – which was virtually empty. A few years ago, the HMV store would have been packed on a Saturday but times have changed. The front of the store was merchandised with books and video games, the middle with movies and TV shows on DVD and finally, at the very back, almost hidden away, music. I am guessing that the books are a short-term strategy …

Back to the iPad…I have read that opening day sales were somewhere between 500,000 and 700,000 units. The reviews have been great and if momentum continues then the technology will clearly be a game changer.
Here are links to few short articles that I found interesting (all from Harvard Business Review).

The first is about the Time announcement that it will charge a weekly subscription fee of $5 to get the iPad edition . It will be interesting to see who follows suit!

The second (and related article) focuses on how the publishing industry doesn’t understand that simply redressing content for the technology is not enough “to save the publishing industry”. It is a great article that could be related to many industries and companies attempting to integrate into the new media.

Lastly, is an article that suggested the true value of the iPad would come from the quality of the apps and innovations that come as a result of the technology. The iPod spawned the 99-cent download and iTunes while the iPhone was followed by 150,000 easily downloaded apps. The true innovation of the iPad will be seen in what follows.
With huge opening day sales, it is not a stretch to expect some major “twist” to be just around the corner.

There … I think I have said everything I need to about the iPad. Next time some actual original thoughts.
Cheers and have a great day.
George