iPad To Lead the Way And Change the PC Landscape Forever

2010 Was about the iPad and after we have had a couple of days to digest Steve Jobs' March 2nd iPad 2 introduction, it is beginning to look like the Apple CEO is correct:  2011 is going to be about iPad 2.  And if you don't believe me or Steve, take a look at the hit the Motorola Mobility stock took today.  Down more than 5.5% on a generally up day in the stock market.

And from the number of folks selling their iPads for the iPad 2's, it looks like Apple's biggest problem is making enough to satisfy demand.

But we have to look at the big picture.  The PC market in 2011, as forecasted by Garner, will grow only 10.5%, down from nearly 16% from an earlier projection. And 2012 growth was also lowered.  That happened?  

Specifically, the iPad and, in general, the tablet market.  Now that Apple has proven that there is a market for a mobile device with a long battery life that allows users to consume media and remain product, mobile computing is change dramatically.  A couple of nights ago while I was waiting for some friends to arrive for dinner at a restaurant, I was able to take out my 3G iPad and get things done that only a year ago, I would have had to carry around a 4 or 5 lb laptop.

And also consider this.  Where are the netbooks?  While I was researching the Macbook Air, I briefly considered getting a netbook and turn it into a hacintosh.  As it turned out, find out information on the latest netbooks took a bit of digging.  

As a tech and mobile enthusiast, I eagerly adopt new technology and, frankly, a large segment of the population have not even touched a tablet, let alone own one, I don't know just how big of an impact the iPad and other tablets will on the PC market.  I suspect that the next couple of years will be very critical for the PC and tablet as they battle for the hearts and minds of mobile users.  

For now, I think the size of the tablet market is largely underestimated by tech analysts.  In the next couple of years, new features and, more importantly, new uses will find its way onto the tablet.  At the iPad 2 event, Apple demoed two key apps:  iMovie and Garageband.  Both are related to content recreation that was not there even a year ago.  I think we're just scraping the tip of what is a very potent mobile device. 

And the more innovation and competition there is in the tablet market, the greater the impact this new mobile computing device will have on traditional PC.  

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