What We Think About the iPad

Now that I’ve had a few days to think about Apple’s new iPad, I’m ready to weigh in with my opinion.

There’s been some fuss from naysayers about missing features and weak hardware, but people are really wondering why anyone would want a bigger iPhone. Especially a bigger iPhone that you can’t make calls from.

The iPad has email, a calendar, browses the web, and duplicates a bunch of other features already included in the iPhone. Sure, it does all these things with a bit more of that Apple élan we love, but is it really just a bigger iPhone? I don’t think so.

The iPad is going to raise the bar for eReaders. Amazon’s Kindle seems low tech when you  compare it to the high-quality display on the iPad. Plus, whereas the Kindle is just for reading, the iPad allows you to look at images and videos, listen to music, surf the web, and check e-mail, among other things. In my opinion, the iPad will do to eReaders what the iPhone did to phones- change everything.

I imagine that developers everywhere are already exploring new ideas and will come up with some mind-blowing apps. In the meantime, I’ve come up with a few ideas for cool, everyday applications and some others specific to our member-based service, healthcare and education clients.

Everyday Applications of the iPad

I’ve never really been a football fan, but I love watching the Super Bowl ads. Now, if I (hypothetically) went to the Super Bowl, I could take my iPad with me and during those ‘pesky’ TV timeouts I could watch the commercials. You get the thrill of being at the game, without missing out on the next E*Trade baby or football-playing Clydesdale.

The actual football fans could see player and game stats in real time, watch instant replays, and get a whole wealth of game data. Even coaches down on the field could use the iPad to receive updates, stats and play information from the guys in the booth. The same sideline applications could be developed for baseball, basketball and even little league coaches.

In a retail environment, the iPad presents many advantages in assisting customers. Imagine you are test driving a new BMW. The salesperson sitting next to you could use an iPad to fill in the list of available options, color and features of your new 5-Series.

When you are shopping for your next hand-tailored suit at Brooks Brothers, they could use the iPad to enter your measurements and select a style and fabric for you. Sales associates at J. Crew could add items not available in the store to your transaction. The folks at the Alpine Shop could run through a gear checklist with you while shopping for your Everest Expedition.

Not only can the iPad help retailers help you shop, it makes making the final sale even easier. If you’ve visited an Apple store lately, you would have noticed that your transaction is handled by an iPod touch with a credit card reader attached to it. You don’t have to stand in line, they can email you a copy of the receipt and everything is entered into the POS from a handheld device.

The iPad can come into play throughout the entire buying process- from browsing possible options, generating custom orders, to making that final sale.

I’m also excited about the potential for news and publishing. While you can currently get the New York Times for free online, that’s not going to last much longer. The Times and other information providers may start charging for content, but with specially-designed apps for the iPad you could have all your favorite newspapers, magazines and other content on hand in one place.

Application of the iPad for Member-based, Healthcare and Education

Sure, the iPad will be great for reading book, browsing the web and watching funny YouTube videos, but it’s also going to be useful for some of our clients in the member-based, healthcare, and education industries.

Last year, Atomicdust developed a new identity and marketing package for Elsevier’s Evolve. In a nutshell, Evolve allows students and teachers to interact with textbook content and learning tools on their computers. It works with a desktop, laptop and potentially, the iPad. With its crisp images and portability, the iPad is the perfect hardware to manage, display and share this content between faculty and students.

Gateway EDI provides medical claims software for clients and we designed a user interface for their web-based service. While the application will run on an iPhone, it’s a little cramped because of the small screen size. The iPad solves this with its beautiful 9.7-inch display. Doctors’ offices could pair the iPad with Gateway EDI to easily handle all of their health care billing needs.

My doctor uses a practice management software solution. When I’m in the exam room, he pulls up my file on a clunky terminal, clicks through a couple of tabs and enters some simple notes. Practice Management Software providers such as NextGen or Greenway Medical could develop apps for the iPad so doctors can access electronic health records (EHR), e-Prescribing and other services for their practice in a faster and simpler manner.

Other member-based services clients such as Mosby’s Nursing Suite or potential clients like OpenTable or Netflix could develop apps for the iPad that will help improve current customer relations and also offer features to attract new subscribers.

There may be a lot of tech geeks out there that are unhappy with the iPad, but I am really excited about the endless possibilities it presents. The iPad will no doubt be a great tool to consume content such as books, movies, newspapers, and the internet, but  what’s really exciting will be working with clients to come up with marketing strategies and design applications for use on the iPad.

Tagged as: Apple, Healthcare, iPad, Member Based Services