Apple’s New Toy – IPad
The iPad is still in the development process and no one knows exactly how the final picture will look. However there are already signs that it will be a formidable force in the mobile computing market. When we talk about mobile computing the issues of bulkiness or otherwise are always at the forefront. The iPad addresses all these concerns in one tiny swoop.
The fact that it is compact just feeds into the stereotypical hardware that the mobile computing industry needs. The possibilities are virtually limitless. Perhaps the biggest challenge that the iPad will face is the innovation of competitors who will try every trick in the book to secure a competitive advantage over them.
To begin with the highly stylized looks that have gone into the basic design mean that the younger market segment will not be pushed away. Mobile computing is driven by the younger generation and if you make hardware that is not suitable to their tastes, the chances of success will be significantly reduced. With the iPad, the young people will never feel ashamed to use the equipment in public. I am not sure whether the design sleekness was intentional but the upshot is that it is very appealing and leaves a modern impression with everyone who uses it.
The Challenges for the iPad
I have had the opportunity to look at the initial costing formulas that have been attached to the iPad and was disappointed to note that they tend to go back to the paradigm of wealth equaling access. If we are talking about eight hundred dollars for people who barely live above the dollar rate per day, it is quite clear that the iPad will be limited in its role as an expansion tool for mobile computing.
What is even more disappointing is that the issue of cost distribution has not been taken up as a priority issue. Perhaps the calculation is that the traditional customers will have enough strength to sustain the market in mobile computing. In such an instance, the acquisition of new customers is not such a high priority for the iPad. The problem for them is that another player within the mobile computing business will have a different take and might decide to completely overhaul the costing.
If that were to happen then the iPad will be in a lot of trouble. This is not something that is entirely outside the realms of possibility. The virgin brand did the same thing to the airplane industry and traditional providers such as British Airways are still suffering from the aftermath. Without seeking to actively increase their customer base in the mobile computing world, the iPad faces the ignominy of obscurity. That is the bane of all technological innovations.
To conclude I would argue that the iPad is an essential hardware tool for the mobile computing age. However in order to be effective the pricing strategy has to be adjusted in order to increase the current customer base for the company.
