What are we doing with our iPads?

With our post-modern expectations for instant access and instant gratification, it’s not often we take a step back to consider how far computer technology has advanced over the last few decades.  Consider, for example, that the CPU responsible for putting Apollo 11 on the moon ran at 2.048 MHz, which in today’s terms means that super-thin tablet in your briefcase could do the same without even breaking a sweat.

It’s difficult to imagine a future in which we’re no longer fond of bigger and higher-resolution screens and the desktop’s future seems secure.  As chips continue to get both faster and smaller; however, it’s safe to say that the tablet computer will play an increasingly important role.  The iPad is proving itself to be an indispensable business tool, but as it turns out, most consumers are using their iPads for the entertainment they used to seek from other, more traditional sources.  According to a recent study conducted by the Arizona firm In-Stat, 50% of consumers are using their tablet consumers for streaming TV shows and movies, whether at the gym, in-flight, or even at home.

In fact, it appears as though the laptop might be the first casualty of the digital future.  According to a recent Nielsen Study, the tablet computer’s versatility is leading users to scrap their laptops, e-readers, and MP3 players in favor of the one device that has the functionality of all three.  As the study reports, the tablet is the best overall device for any situation because it is lightweight, easy to store, has fast startup and shutdown speeds, and fast connection speeds.

It makes sense, really; the iPad isn’t the ideal (yet) for listening to music, surfing the internet, streaming video, updating Excel files, sending e-mails, or reading e-books poolside.  It is, however, the best at doing all the above better than any other devices – desktops, laptops, iPods, or e-readers – are able to manage at the moment.

So if you’re looking for a platform to host your mobile app, you could do a lot worse than to target the iPad.  If you need any help with that, don’t hesitate to drop us a line.