As I think of all the industries that will be forever changed by the iPad (and of course the myriad of “iPad Killers”) I envision a media rich engaging real estate app that can be used by both professional real estate agents (Pro Version) and house hunting civilians (Free Version).

Imagine having an media enhanced real estate app that allows you to add comments of what you like and don’t like about a potential purchase while you are touring the house. Adding comments about a particular or feature or room.

Within this app is also a sophisticated financing and mortgage component that can give you real time feedback while in the house.

Because all the floorplan dimensions are included you can easily calculate what it would cost to paint a room or the entire house. As well as replacing carpet or hardwood floors.

Your agent (with the paid for Pro Version) can with the swipe of her finger transfer her research and recommendations from her iPad to yours for you to evaluate later.

The GPS enabled iPad will instantly plot schools and businesses around any potential purchase. Of course it will also calculate drive times to your office as well.

House hunting will be forever changed to a less stressful and much more fun experience.

I laugh and cringe every time I read or hear about the next ‘iPad Killer”. The description of said killer(s) centres around all the cool hardware features the product has and how it has stuff the iPad doesn’t.

My favourite was a list of seven “tablets” that were potential killers. They did the standard pro’s and con’s and the fun part is where I read that one of the PRO’s was that the “killers” will be running Windows 7 and thought when is running Windows 7 ever a PRO.

Then comes the best part where for each and every one of them a CON was that they didn’t have access to the Apple App store that had 150,000 apps that could run on the iPad. It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so sad.

It never ceases to amaze me the knee jerk reaction from Apple’s competitors when Apple launches a product like the iPad. They scramble around trying to first, knock off the design and then duck tape some inane features on that no one will ever use but sound good in a press release.

All I can say is “Stop the Insanity” and that “It’s the Software Stupid”

This Saturday is D Day (delivery day) for the iPad in the US of A. Us Canucks will have to wait until April 24th (rumour). 

I bought my son Jason one for his birthday and our company BIG bought one of the partners Les one for his birthday and my my birthdays isn’t until September but I am buying one for myself. I am sure once we have a couple at the office EVERYONE will want one.

Not only will the iPad be a hit with businesses it’s also going to school, Seton Hill University will be giving every full-time student (starting in the Fall, 2010) an iPad as part of admission.

Where will it all end? Are you going to buy an iPad?

As the US launch of the iPad nears (April 3rd) everyone with a keyboard or smartphone seems to have an opinion of the potential success or lack there of.

My favourite was an article that listed 7 iPad killers. They did a pro’s and con for each product. The fun part for me was that a pro was that they ran Windows 7 lol and a con was that these killers won’t have access to the 150,000 apps from Apples App store DUH!

These killers will make the exact same mistake that the iPhone wannabe killers made. They ripped off the hardware design, made it a touch screen and tried to pass it off as an iPhone. People are then tricked into thinking they are similar and purchase one of the wannabe’s and live to regret it.  

A friend of mine bought the first touchscreen smartphone from RIM, the Blackberry Storm. he liked to tell me how it was just like an iPhone but it did have a few bugs, like when you typed R you get a T, ya I would say that was a bug. The fix apparently was imminent, imminent in RIM’s mind was a month.

Apple is a software company (people seem to forget that) that builds great hardware and services to deliver a great software experience.

If you were an app developer would you spend your limited resources on the giant Apple app ecosystem (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) or focus on the fledging Android smartphone market or worse yet bet on Microsoft who seems to change their strategy every six months.

The iPad will usher in a new era of computing and welcomes all competitors. I love the competition because competitors makes it real easy to pick the best solution.

Apples iPhone OS continues to chip away at the gaming market.

In 2008 the iPhone had a 5% share of the US Portable Game Software Market (by Revenue) Nitendo DS had 75% and the PS Portable had 20%.

Keep in mind that games for the iPhone have an average purchase price of $1.36. Games for the Nitendo DS range and the PS Portable range from $4.00 to $99.00.

Last year (2009) the iPhone OS grew to 19% and the Nitendo DS dropping to 70% and the PS Portable to 11%. OUCH

An estimated 44% of the total iPad apps currently in development are games. Now the Nitendo DS and the PS Portable will have to weather the coming iPad gaming tsunami. 

GAME ON :-)

DATA:Flurry Analytics http://www.flurry.com/

Last post I talked about the iPad in a restaurant environment. Now I would like to take that a bit further in the hospitality industry and imagine the iPad as part of the hotel/resort experience.

When you arrive at the hotel every guest is given an iPad like they are given a room key. Using near-field technology the iPad acts as a secure mobile key service for your room. I won’t get into the technical details here but if you are interested how it works check out http://www.openways.com.

Now that you have your iPad in it’s cool hotel branded cover you can use it to purchase anything at the hotel, room service, movies and at the hotel stores. And if you like you can finish watching the movie (that you were watching on the large flatscreen in your room) by the pool on your iPad as well as listen to the music you downloaded.

At anytime you can view your hotel bill in realtime on your iPad to keep your spending in check (if you want ;-)

If you want to relax and just read a magazine or two and or a novel simply tap the iBook store and select from the thousands of interactive books and magazines. Plus lets not forget the 140,000 plus apps that are available for the iPad.

If you want to play some games choose from the over 24,000 games available at the touch of a button. Literally a game changer.

I believe the hospitality companies that embrace the iPad will see an exponential increase in customer satisfaction and more importantly retention.

Stay tuned for more iPad stories.

Imagine going to a restaurant and at every table is a dock with an iPad and on that iPad is the home page of the full interactive menu. You pass the iPad around the table selecting your drinks and lunch order.

The menu recommends additions based on your selection ie: a video of the restaurant’s sommelier pops up and suggests a nice Pinot with your meal.

If you have allergies click the corresponding food allergy button and the menu will be reconfigured to match your needs and only display items that you can eat safely.

As well there is a help button on every page if you would like to have a server visit your table otherwise the order can be submitted to the kitchen directly by you.

If you would like you can even register yourself on the IPad for special offers for your next visit and it will remember what you have had and recommend some other dishes.

If you or your group is on a budget you can select a budget range and the type of food you would like ie: only appetizers or appetizers and entree’s and the iPad menu will create a meal plan for your table.

The menu also gives you a running total of your selections.

When you are finished and would like to leave simply swipe your debit or credit card on the wireless iPad accessory and use the iPad to complete the transaction and your itemized receipt will be printed right at your table.

The future of the restaurant experience.

Apple changed the music industry with the iPod (market share 87%)

Apple changed the mobile industry with the iPhone (market share 16%)

So the question is… What industry will Apple change with the iPad?

The answer is “pick and industry”. Apple will change every industry with the iPad. A bold statement I must admit.

The iPad will be Apple’s third Blue Ocean (iPod and iPhone). A Blue Ocean as defined by authors Kim & Mauborgne (www.blueoceanstrategy.com) is an uncontested marketplace where your competition is irrelevant.

If there is one thing Apple does better than anyone is that they make their competition irrelevant. Their market strategy is their market strategy and they react to their customers not their competitors.

In the coming weeks I will describe how different industries can or will adopt the iPad.

The following is from The Ingenesist Project website.

“What if knowledge assets were tangible? What if you owned your knowledge like a company owns a structure or specialized machinery? What if it could be quantified and qualified so that it resembles all other tangible assets? .”

A fascinating series of questions. Please answer before watching the video or going to the website. The answer will blow your mind and create even more questions and opportunities.

Visit the website www.ingenesist.com and watch the video titled “Tangible Knowledge”