macbook-vs-ipadOkay, two months ago I posted my thoughts on the iPad after the announcement. It seems like this device was a lot more appealing before people knew exactly what it would be like. It’s the butt of a lot of jokes. I’ve really only met a few people who really, really want one. Actually, I think there are a lot more people who really want one, it’s just that there’s not as many people willing to fork over the cash for it. So, here’s my prediction.

I think the iPad is going to be wildly successful. I really think that once people get these in their hands and play with it a little, they’re going to want one. I do think that the 2nd generation is going to be the killer device and they’ll sell even more of them. Maybe the price will be a little better or maybe there will be a webcam built in for video chat. Whatever it is, it will have worked out some of the bugs from the first version and everyone’s really going to want it.

However, I’m thinking beyond the iPad. I think that with the release of the iPad today, personal computing is changing in a big way. I think that 10 years from now, we’ll point back to this day as the day it all changed. The tablet has been around for more than a decade, but it’s never caught on. Why? Because the makers were thinking “laptop” when they created it and they tried to put a laptop in a tablet. Apple decided to rethink how a device like this would be used and went from there. As a result, Apple opened the door to a new way of personal computing, the tablet that everyone wants to use.

In the near future, Google will have their Chrome OS on a tablet. We’ll also find android on a tablet. I’m sure we’ll also see Windows on this new form factor styled tablet as well (and why wouldn’t we?). The competition will be stiff, but within a few years we’ll have so many options with the abiliyt to do so much more than what the 2010 iPad can do. It’s going to be really exciting.

Viva la revolucion!