iPads. Ready for Prime Time? A Social Media Examination Event

I attended the Social Media Breakfast in Austin, Texas on April 26th, 2010 where the topic centered around the newly released Apple iPad. The meetup, hosted by Bryan Person was at Mandola’s Restuarant at 4700 Guadalupe with a beginning social period followed by a discussion led by Jon Lebkowsky.

Breakout groups were formed to discuss and report back to the group on the following topics:
1. What makes the iPad compelling
2. Impact on Life Style
3. Impact on Productivity
4. Impact on Marketing
5. Social Media and Group Formations
6. Impact on Publishing
7. Connectivity Like Water: It’s always on

Since I was one of the few with an iPad, I was grouped up with some business folks to discuss the first topic, ‘What makes the iPad compelling?”  Answers to this question were varied:
- the Apple name is compelling. Most iPad users seem to have one or more ‘i’ products. Jon Lebkowski had a mini-iPad which looked strangely like an iPhone but since he gave no one a chance to examine it, we will just have to wonder.
- a compelling shift in computing styles. The iPhone led the way with its touch screen technology followed quickly by the iPod Touch, and now the iPad. And the touch screen capabilities keep getting refined.
- Some thought it was a creativity gateway, lending new capabilities to writers, artists, and advertising agencies.
- One BIG compelling feature – the instant-on capability. Turn it on and start where you wish immediately. No more waiting several minutes for the OS to boot.
- Compactness. Email, music, digital books, ALL my PDFs, instantly available to consume.
- takes us out of the lugging business. This goes along with compactness. Although the iPad is heavier than the iPhone, it is far lighter than existing laptops.
- fast. Goes along with instant-on as well as with surfing the net. At home, I can surf equally fast with my iPad and my MacBook Pro. I did notice some degrading at this event but there were a LOT of people banging on the Mandola Wi-Fi.

I was not able to capture the comments from the other breakout groups but Jon took notes and blogged about the event.

An iPad was donated by the Austin American Statesman and was presented to the group by Publisher Michael Vivio. The prize went to the lucky winner, Charlie Browning.

My reason for buying an iPad? I needed a bigger viewing surface than I have with my iPhone but not the bulk that I have with my MacBook Pro. I have loaded scads of PDF files that I read using GoodReader. I’ve transferred all my Kindle purchases and continue to obtain and transfer free books and MP3s. I love the portability and ease and rapidity of use of my iPad. His name is Robert. Yeah, Robert the iPad.

Note: The story behind my naming my iPad. Years ago, I was in IT for a newly created Lockheed organization in Vienna, Va. Lots of the new employees came from the Pentagon and had never seen a Macintosh, let alone a mouse. The executive secretary vowed that she would NEVER use one of those things (512K Macintosh). By the time I got through with her, she had knitted a jacket for her mouse and referred to it as Mickey. Not too original, but a quantum leap in technical acceptance.