Where does the time go? It seems like it was just yesterday that we were introducing you to Golfr and eagerly waiting on Apple to announce 2010′s most anticipated device! By the way, if you can keep a secret – and we trust that you Über-blog readers can – Golfr is about to receive its first update and get a few “helpful” features; can’t say what these features are, but you’ll like them, we promise.
So, the iPad. If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, well, you’ve come to the right place! A few of our Übies were sought out by the likes of Ad Age and CNN, before and after Apple’s iPad announcement, to shed some light on the “tablet computing” platform.
Prior to the iPad, many were speculating what other e-book / e-reader makers had up their sleeves in order to bring their devices up to par with Apple’s offering. Marketing and Media news giant, Advertising Age, spoke with Donald Brady, VP of Business Development here at Übermind, for their article, “App Developers Cautious on Kindle“:
The biggest problem: Amazon refuses to divulge the number of Kindles it has sold. In an analyst report, Citigroup estimates Amazon sold at least 2 million Kindles in 2009, accounting for about 70% of all e-reader sales. That’s a small fraction of the number of iPhones and iPod Touches in circulation. For that reason and others, Donald Brady, director-business development at apps consultancy Übermind, is doubtful that many developers will rush to make apps for the Kindle.
“The market size would be too small unless Amazon was underwriting it,” Mr. Brady said. “Plus, there’s too much demand for iPhone and Android apps right now.”
Speaking of Ad Age, be sure to check out their Digital Conference in New York City (April 13 & 14) where Übermind will be presenting on… you guessed it, the iPad!
Feeling sorry for the Kindle? Yeah, we are too; when you compare the Kindle to the super-chic iPad, which makes almost all hardware from the past few years look like something from the stone age, it’s not even close given the iPad’s overall usefulness and wow-factor. Here’s what you need to know about the iPad:
- Bigger is better – 9.7-inch LED-backlit widescreen (vs. iPhone’s 3.5-inch display)
- Viewing for one or more – 178 degree viewing angle thanks to IPS (in-plane switching) technology
- For the business user – PDF creation functionality built into the operating system, open to third-party apps
- For the home user – books, games, and more
- Think “longer” – up to 10 hours of battery life means allows for extended user experiences beyond what the iPhone has offered to date
- Make ‘em move – responds to motion using the accelerometer, making apps more engaging
- Sharing simplified – desktop file syncing for third party apps
Here at Übermind, we see a lot of opportunity for the iPad to establish a new niche in the personal computing segment as well as the “shared-computing” segment. For example, families might use their iPads to bring all their favorite board games along when on vacation, or perhaps creative technology companies will give their blogging teams (hint-hint) an iPad or two in an effort to foster total weblog-domination from anywhere in the office thanks to the iPad Dock accessories!
Seeking to better understand what app developers see in this new outlet for development, CNN reached out to Ryan Peterson, Über-marketing guru, after the launch of the iPad. Here’s a little something-something from “iPad apps likely to be bigger, pricier” on CNN.com:
Ryan Peterson, a spokesman for the app-development company Übermind, said developers at his company went to work on iPad apps as soon as they heard about the announcement. “It’s been a hotbed of activity,” he said.
Apps for doctors, financial apps and shopping apps will work especially well on the larger screen, he said. “This is going to open up worlds of apps and things and new processes — and things we never even considered doing on a device like that,” he said.
This has certainly been one of our longer posts, but hopefully you found a few takeaways, especially if you’re the person your company is looking to for some thought-leadership in the form of an iPad strategy. If you’re still a little overwhelmed, feel free to send us an email – pr (at) ubermind (dot) com – we’re here to help!