How Important is the iPad?

On two occasions, Steve Jobs has called the iPad the "most important product" he has ever worked on. Keep in mind, this is the guy who, along with Steve Wozniak, essentially invented the personal computer. Jobs was also the driving force behind Apple's desktop publishing vision. He also gave the world the iPod and iPhone, products that have gone on to redefine the way we think about their respective spaces.

Yet Jobs calls the iPad the most important product he has ever worked on. I've been pondering this statement since the Apple CEO first proclaimed it upon the launch of the device in late January. Jobs clearly believes that there is something "magical" about the iPad. To understand his thinking, one has to realize that Jobs doesn't think like a techie. He doesn't concern himself with speeds and feeds. Jobs focuses on the ways in which people use technology. He is also interested in how the finished product looks and feels and how it becomes a part of a person's lifestyle.

How Important is the iPad?

Kindle Lover Oprah Fawns Over the iPad
The question comes to mind following some comments by Winfrey–a prominent past booster of Amazon’s Kindle–during a short segment of her influential TV show last week that featured tech analyst Omar Wasow and the Apple iPad.

Winfrey gushed about the “amazing” new device, which she said she got the day of its launch. One reason is that “books move,” she said, as she demoed how the iBooks app (featuring the Oprah Book Club) keeps e-books on a virtual shelf and how some books can feature interactive elements. “It’s going to change the way kids learn,” she said.

She also said that she loved the iPad because it is back-lit, which makes the screen good for sharing digital photos and playing games like Scrabble. “Gosh, those Apple folks,” she said.

Read the WSJ article By Geoffrey A. Fowler