iPad and Entrepreneurship

By now I’m sure many of you have heard about the Apple iPad, a tablet computer revealed last week at Apple’s press release. So far the responses I have heard from friends have been rather mixed; I’ve heard quips about the name, criticisms about the lack of Flash support, and confusion about the overall purpose of the machine. Although the iPad does not have as much core capabilities as a net-book (and many people expected more renovations to the tablet design than were supplied), the iPad has the potential to influence entrepreneurship in a huge way.

First of all, an entrepreneur thrives on information access. The iPad offers 3G capabilities and would allow the user to easily access information on the web.

Secondly, the iPad is a slick presentation device. This device would be the perfect way to throw a sales pitch to a random potential customer.

Ever seen a thin, touch-capable, futuristic computer in a sci-fi movie? Because of Apple’s huge fan base, support for that kind of technology will increase now that the iPad is known to the public. This is good for the web entrepreneur because an increase in Web-dependent technology means an increase in potential customers.

Yes, the iPad has drawbacks. It may not be what people were expecting. However, web entrepreneurship can only benefit from the creation of a device like the iPad.