Comments on: Which industries will Apple’s iPad make sense for?

By: Justin Brady

Justin Brady — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:23:00 +0000

Here it is! The textbook thing is official. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703338504575041630390346178.html

By: Justin Brady

Justin Brady — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:23:56 +0000

Here it is! The textbook thing is official. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100014240527487...

By: Justin Brady

Justin Brady — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:35:01 +0000

Thanks Nathan, here is my 3¢ in bullet form.

iSlate - A Genius told me why this wouldn't be the name (2 months ago) It was a purposeful misdirect. Apple iSlate = Apple is late. Apparently the joke is on us.

Textbook - A true textbook reader will have options that have already been placed in applications such as Adobe Reader where highlighting happens to be an option. I love your ideas about interactivity. Imagine our classes where students can leave discussion boards in certain chapters or post questions in specific chapters. In addition, you would be able to keyword search the book. Holla!

Healthcare - The iPhone chart exists for the medical field. The iPad will certainly be getting this software very soon.

Skiff - The 174ppi is incredible, but why do I need a colorless flexible display, when they can get an iPad for most likely the same price (or just a bit more) that does 200 times more?

By: @GeoffWood

@GeoffWood — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 03:35:33 +0000

I like the idea of interactive text books but my guess is that the price won't fall from $100+ to under $30 very fast. I think the majority of the fee goes to pay for the content in the text not the costs of producing the book itself.

By: Romelle Slaughter II

Romelle Slaughter II — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:34:19 +0000

The healthcare industry could really take advantage of the iPad. Most doctors' offices and clinics have went from pen and paper charts, to using computers.

Problem is that while a small handful have now switched to using smaller laptops or PDAs, my endocrinologist's office, for example, has a computer cart in each exam room with a computer. It makes it difficult for nurses and doctors to navigate the small rooms to exam each patient and to input data on the big PCs.

By: kat

kat — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:30:06 +0000

Highlighting text is a challenge, but it's also an opportunity. What if there were a feature that allowed you to select text and it automatically copy and pasted that text into a notes document. It could even include a page and paragraph annotation for easy reference.

Combine it with an app for a service like evernote (Evernote.com) and students could take pictures of hand-written notes from class and, viola -- all your notes by topic and class and completely searchable.

Makes me wish it were around when I took Psych and spent hours typing my hand-written notes into Word so they'd be searchable when it came time for the comprehensive final!