Apple iPad Gets the Burning Questions Answered by Industry Intellectuals

Despite the fact that the iPad is going to finally be in consumer's hands this Saturday, and despite the fact that Apple has posted up a long list of iPad "how-to" videos, there are still questions. Of course, a lot of those questions can't be answered by either of those two things. The truth is, people's questions about the iPad are vast, far-reaching experiences that very nearly touch upon the Devil's Advocate scenario. But, that didn't stop Laptop Mag from compiling a list of those questions, and then getting them answered by some of the industry's greatest minds.

We'll freely admit that there's a lot of variables still being left open by the iPad's existence. A lot of Internet-based staples, like Flash Player, are being told that they're on the way out, because of the iPad's existence as a whole. That's just one of the many questions being addressed here. The others are:

  • Do you think the iPad will change mobile computing more than netbooks have?
  • How many iPads do you think Apple will sell? Is it already a hit?
  • Do you see the iPad as having any major weaknesses that consumers care about?
  • What do you see as the potential killer apps for the iPad?
  • Will the iPad help HTML 5 replace Flash as the video delivery mechanism of choice for websites?
  • What percentage of customers do you think will order the 3G model?
  • Where do you see most iPad use taking place? At Home? On the road? Work?
  • Are there any tablets coming to market that could be a serious iPad competitor?
  • Who did Laptop Mag get to address these pressing questions?

  • Michael Gartenberg, columnist here at SlashGear, and partner at the Altimeter Group
  • Tim Bajarin, the principal strategist at Creative Strategies
  • Roger Kay, the founder and president of Endpoint Technologies Associates
  • Ross Rubin, the executive director of industry analysis for the NPD Group
  • With as many questions that need to be answered by the iPad, one of our biggest ones would be: how quickly does Apple need to answer all of them? Should we expect to see Flash Player wiped out of the consumer's eye in the next few months? Or, perhaps more likely, will we see some kind of market that happily joins HTML 5 and Flash Player, into an ecosystem that everyone can enjoy? Or, as many have suggested, can there be only one? Let us know what you think in the comments.

    [via Laptop Mag]