[April 03, 2010] iPad debuts with hopes of replacing other devices Tweet Apr 03, 2010 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- It's a week for devotion, and the faithful are braving long lines and covetous glares today to pick up an iPad, hyped by Apple Inc. as a "magical and revolutionary" gadget that arrives after years of speculation. A touchscreen tablet device, the iPad mimics Apple's game-changing iPhone in aesthetic, hype and ability to get countless industries and workers rethinking strategy. The iPad works like a giant iPhone, allowing users to surf the Web, check e-mail and take notes on the screen. Not that the iPad's arrival will abate feverish speculation. The excitement peaks today as early adopters and opportunistic entrepreneurs snatch up the first models; but it won't take long for focus to shift to what features the next iteration will include, or even what the follow-up product might be. Depending on capabilities, the iPad retails for anywhere from $499 to $829. The size -- about 10 inches tall and 8 inches wide -- situates the iPad as a direct competitor to e-book readers, and many see the screen as a potential replacement for textbooks, newspapers or laptops. Talk to Apple and you'll hear that iPads will be used for everything and could become as ubiquitous in the boardroom as briefcases or red ties. It's already a recruiting tool as industries cash in on the cache of the device. Seton Hill University in Greensburg announced this week plans to equip every full-time student with a 16 GB iPad. The announcement garnered national news coverage for the 2,000-student school, which has replaced its website homepage with an announcement about the iPad plan. Likewise, some companies see the iPad as a way to lure employees. Geraldine Yong is planning to outfit workers at her company with iPads. As founder and CEO of mobile application developer LeftRight Studios on the South Side, Ms. Yong will pick up her device today and plans to purchase more in the coming weeks as a workplace incentive. "We could fuel applications by saying you'll get an iPad if you work here," she said. Dave Nelsen, a social media consultant who runs Dialog Consulting Group in Cranberry, said that sort of intimacy would cast the iPad as a more immediate tool for company promotion. He'll be advising clients to tap the device's advertising potential. With the iPad, companies have a portable device to store video of testimonials, he said. It trumps clunky laptops, and even the act of holding an iPad may amplify the message it carries. "It'll be like an iPhone ... easy to hand from person-to-person, but it'll be a different and compelling experience," he said. Mike Woycheck, a technology analyst at Innovation Works, said he was skeptical about claims the iPad could replace his laptop. So he's planned an experiment: He'll use the iPad at the nonprofit venture capital firm in Hazelwood as his main device for 30 days. He'll dutifully record what he uses his iPad for and when he turns to his laptop. "I don't think [Apple CEO] Steve Jobs even knows what the use is going to be for people," he said. But one thing is for certain: Mr. Woycheck said the iPad can quickly turn you into everyone's best friend. "I've already had a couple people who've said to me, 'Can we have lunch sometime this week?'" he said. In the business world, that kind of attention isn't so bad. Sunil Doshi works remotely from Regent Square as a director of product development for 2ergo, a wireless development company headquartered in the United Kingdom. The portability and practicality of the iPad means he'll be taking it to client meetings and sales calls. But there's another business advantage to toting an iPad around: You look pretty cool. "With a Mac product versus a Dell or IBM machine, there's a feeling this person's on the edge of technology," he said. Some consumers who will get their hands on the first iPad may indeed find it profitable. Ads on Craigslist are offering the device to those who missed out on this sell-out round and don't want to wait until April 12 when more will become available. Expect a scalper's markup: An iPad that retails for $499 is currently offered by a Cranberry seller for $900. Apple is a King Midas company for Todd Zuro of North Versailles, as everything it touches turns to gold for the entrepreneur. He's buying two iPads today and selling one to help pay for the other. In his day job, he manages a used car lot, but moonlights by resurrecting broken iPhones to resell, describing his house as a land of broken toys that's seen hundreds of iPhones come through. He even tinkers with app development. Though he has secured reservations for the two iPads, Mr. Zuro will go and stand in line -- "it's an experience," he said. Even that has turned out for the best before. Last year, he stood for about four hours as the second person in line at an AT&T store in Monroeville, waiting for the iPhone 3GS before selling his spot for $150. Erich Schwartzel: [email protected] or 412-263-1455. To see more of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.post-gazette.com. Copyright (c) 2010, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]