Indoor Coverage

Actually it is cancel the news paper, cancel subscriptions to magazines and even cancel paper based books in favor of the iPad, the iPhone, the iPod and other smart phones and tablet computers. More and more people are purchasing smart devices which they have with them at all times and they subscribe to RSS feeds to get their news for the day. Some people will even browse web sites from news organizations to keep abreast of what is happening in the world.

Survey Results

A new survey which focused on the iPad is included in this post that supports this view:

Here’s what a team at the Missouri School of Journalism learned in a survey of 1,609 Apple (AAPL) iPad owners conducted over the past three months:

• Using the iPad to follow breaking news reports and current events is the most popular use for the device, with 84.4% of respondents saying this is one of their main uses.
• More than three quarters (78.6%) of the users spent at least 30 minutes during a typical day consuming news on their iPad.
• Nearly half (48.9%) of the respondents said they spent an hour or more during a typical day consuming news on their iPad.
• Among the 931 respondents who indicated that they currently subscribe to print newspapers, there is a statistically significant, moderately strong, positive correlation between iPad news consumption and the likelihood of canceling their print subscriptions. (emphasis ours)
• For example, more than half (58.1%) of the respondents who subscribe to printed newspapers and use their iPad at least an hour a day for news said they are very likely to cancel their print subscriptions within the next six months.
• More than three out of 10 (30.6%) respondents indicated that they do not subscribe to printed newspapers, with another one out of 10 (10.7%) saying that they had already canceled their subscriptions to printed newspapers and switched to reading digital newspapers on their iPad.

The typical iPad owner who responded to the survey was a 48-year-old man with a B.A. earning more than $100,000 a year who bought his iPad within two months of its release.

Other Smart Phones & Tablet Computers

Although the survey was focused on the iPad and probably funded by Apple (we do not know that), these results can most likely be extrapolated to other smart phone users and smart device users. If this is correct, then more and more people are forsaking the printed word and moving to the electronic word for all of their information needs.

A simple observation of people riding the bus to and from work shows that over half of the people on the bus that I ride are busy using their smart phones, a few are using iPads to keep up with their emails as well as browse various information sources. This is the beginning of a general trend that is catching on in the markets.

Newspapers and magazines need to and many have been re-inventing themselves. They are creating apps for these smart devices that make it easier to get their message out to their readers and most important display advertising as well which earns them funds to support their business.

Lets continue to watch this new emerging segment of the electronic industry as well as the old standard to see were they both end up! Comments on the survey as well as our opinion are welcome.

The Apple iPad 2 is rumored to be released in the 1st quarter of 2011 and the ideas and feature rumors are rampant. We have searched a number of sites to compile a list of new features that Apple may be adding to the new iPad.

Here is the rumored list:

• a 7-inch display.
• a mini or micro USB port.
• the 9.7-inch model will actually stick around.
• a new, smaller model would be “in addition” to the larger, original-sized iPad.
• the device will feature Apple’s Retina Display.
• include 128GB of memory.
• will feature a camera.
• will feature a camera in the front as well as in the back.
• be lighter to hold in the hand.

Non of these features have been confirmed yet and Apple may even be letting them continue to keep the competition guessing. And it seems to be working since all of the competitors are aiming to introduce new tablets by the summer of 2011. Apple would appear to have the advantage since it’s product has been out there for longer and has had a chance to stabilize.

Even so, the developers for Android are  working hard to catch up and surpass the Apple juggernaut. Android may have the lead by the summer time in terms of other competitors, but it is any ones guess at this time how quickly they will catch up to the new iPad!

However, while everyone can assume that Apple will put a camera on the new iPad, nothing has been confirmed. And if earlier reports are true, and Apple is indeed creating several different physical models of the new iPad, to throw off any “leaks,” then it may be awhile before we start seeing a clear picture as to what Apple has up their sleeve for their new tablet device.

Rest assured, Apple will aim to be head and shoulders above the competition when they introduce their new iPad. In addition their other products will also not be far behind with feature additions as well. This was demonstrated by the releases of the iPhone 4 and the new iPod Touch in 2010.

More to come as we enter 2011 and Apple gets closer to the eventual release. Comments and rumors welcome!

Can you believe it there are actually some people who hate their iPad! Perhaps they had unrealistic expectations with all of the hype that there has been out there in the news and the web regarding the new iPad. We will take a look at the pluses and minuses of the iPad and let you decide if it is the right device for you.

On the plus side it does have the following features which many people love:

• Shiny, sleek and cool — the latest must-have accessory
• Thousands of Apps developed for the iPhone and iPod Touch are showing up on the iPad
• You can also purchase a keypad for the iPad
• Brand new form factor that can easily be carried anywhere
• Surfing the web, sending short emails, paying bills
• the (.com) button is really handy
• Uses WiFi connections to connect to the net
• Fantastic device if you are a consumer of information
• User satisfaction according to Apple is better than 95%
• Best feature is that it is “always on”

There are some things that the iPad just will not replace:

• Use an iPad as a replacement for my laptop if you only browse the net
• Sending long emails is more difficult
• Easy to make typo’s (that is why many people sign their messages with – Sent from my iPad)
• Slower typing for people who are fast at typing on regular keyboards
• Lack of a tactile sense when you touch the keys
• Some people do not like the finger prints that show up on the screen
• Some people find it heavy to carry ( much lighter than a laptop)
• Not the most efficient if you generate information

Like many new devices there is an adaptation period that everyone must go through when learning to use the device. The iPad is no different and if you have used a PC all of your career, then the adaptation will be larger and well worth the effort.

Also I have found that the use of the iPad really depends on what I need to do. After a few months, I found that there are some activities I would rather use the iPad for and never touch my PC. At the same time if I am generating content or making modifications to my web sites, it is just easier to use my PC with larger screens, the mouse and the keyboard.

The message I would like to leave for most people that are considering purchasing an iPad is that it really depends on what you plan to use it for. If you just need a device to read email, browse the net, watch movies etc, then you will likely be very satisfied with with the iPad. On the other hand if you need to do more with your device, generate content, work on spreadsheets or presentations, you may not want to use the iPad for this type of work.

I really like using my iPad at the coffee shop to read emails or catchup on the news. It is so much easier to carry it with me rather than a bulky lap top.

If you have your own experiences with an iPad, please leave comments to help our readers. We accept all comments that are constructive and helpful for our readers, Spam comments will be deleted. If you want to link to this page, create a pingback and we will do the same.