The iPad Isn't Just A Toy
A lot of articles have been showing up in the past few days on the possible use of the iPad in the medical field. If you think about it, tablet computers would really be a big step toward truly paperless hospitals and doctor's offices. Doctors could pull up a patient's information with a few touches of their fingers rather than having an assistant dig through shelves and shelves of heavy charts. And with a $500 price tag for low-end models, hospitals won't have to worry about the expensive costs that come with current tablet computers.
Another field that could see heavy use of the iPad is journalism. The industry has already been revolutionized by Twitter and smart phones, but with an iPad, journalists could bring thorough coverage of events to you as they happen. Of course, the iPad doesn't have a camera, but it can definitely make it easier to post a complete news story without the need to necessarily sit down somewhere with a laptop or rely on handwritten notes being used after the fact.
I could go on for quite a while about the different ways that the iPad could be used in this final industry, but for brevity's sake, I'll keep it short. The service sector in the country could easily be improved by using the iPad. Wait staff at restaurants could send your order to the back kitchen while they stand at your table. If a clothing store doesn't have the size of something you want, they'd be able to find it at another one almost instantly. The list for ways this industry could be changed could go on seemingly forever.
So there you have it. Even though the iPad wasn't necessarily the state-of-the-art tablet computer many of us were expecting, it definitely has the potential to revolutionize a few different business areas. What other areas do you think could be affected by the iPad? I'd love to hear your comments!