The iPad’s future is brighter than ever

A recent survey by the good people at PiperJaffray concluded, unsurprisingly, that teenagers spend their money on clothes, makeup, and video games.  More importantly, however, teens are buying tablets and smartphones at an ever-increasing rate—83% reported that their next device purchase will be a smartphone – and iOS devices are by far the preferred operating system for discerning youngsters.  Furthermore, 29% of teens currently own a tablet computer, and 22% are expected to purchase an iPad within the next six months.

According to MacTech, the overwhelming preference for the iPad is intimately related to the teenage predilection for video games.  Gaming itself is evolving, if the  gaming community’s recent success in helping fight AIDs is any indication, and the platforms on which gamers game are evolving right along with them.  MacTech cites the slow decline of game consoles and hand-held devices, as well as the growing importance of “new gaming experiences” afforded by increasingly sophisticated tablet computers.

That said, gaming alone doesn’t fully explain the iPad’s appeal to the younger generation.  Another factor driving the iPad’s success lies in its increased use in education.  Stanford University has equipped some of its students with iPads to help them learn Mandarin Chinese.  Through the use of a number of specialized applications, students are able to read the language, as well as to reproduce the elegant and intricate brushstrokes of written Mandarin without parchment, brushes, or inkpots.  The iPad has also come to be known as education’s “equalizer,” especially if we consider the case of Anthony Leuck, a quadriplegic with multiple disabilities who, through the use of his iPad, was recently able to play a musical instrument for the first time in his life.  Of course, many believe that the iPad will be at the heart of an imminent educational revolution.  Fast Company, for example, cites a number of innovations, including enhanced Facetime, high-definition video editing, and real-time image mirroring, that will improve classes in science, history, geography, math, and the arts.

What this means for iPad developers is that there’s never a better time for you to be good at your job.  If you have an idea for an iPad app, drop us an e-mail or visit our site for three free iPad app quotes.