How the iPad Changed Mobile Computing.

The Apple iPad has revolutionised the computing industry. It is not the first Tablet Computer to be produced, but it is the most successful Tablet Computer to be launched. Even after some criticism from the Media stating that it is just a Giant iPod Touch, there have been no signs of slowing sales. To date there have been over 4 Million iPads sold and with the iPad 2 soon to be announced, we can expect even more sales.

So, Has the iPad changed computing?

Yes, I think it has. Why? Its all about the trend. At the start of 2010, the Consumer Electronics Show was all about Netbooks and almost every major electronics manufacturer had their version of a Netbook. The iPad was announced in February of 2010 and started shipping in April of 2010. In the Consumer Electronics Show of 2011, nearly all the major electronics manufacturer were promoting their own Tablet Computer running Android or their own Software. What about the Netbooks? Some of the major manufacturers have updated their Netbooks but they have not been promoted as much. The Tablet Computer has stolen the show and will likely be the focus of 2011.

Why did the iPad Achieve success when earlier Tablets couldn’t?

Software. The downfall of the earlier tablets was mainly the Operating System. The OS for older tables were designed by Microsoft and they all ran a modified version of Windows that was just not designed to work with a touch screen. Sure the hardware was bulky, the touch screens were not sensitive to input and the battery life was appalling, but these flaws paled in comparison to the awful operating systems produced by Microsoft for the Tablet PC.

With the iPad, Apple fixed all the problems of the old tablets computers by using the iPhone Software as the base operating system, designing a super slick piece of kit, using an amazing touch screen and on top of that, giving it an incredibly long battery life. In one swoop, Apple changed the way people thought of Tablet Computers and in turn changed the mobile computing industry.

Should you get an iPad?

Yes. Because it is an amazing gadget and you will find all sorts of things to do on it. BUT at the time of writing, the 2010 iPad will soon be replaced with the 2011 version. So wait a couple of months and get the iPad 2.