Tablet computing has been around for years, but the category didn’t take off until Apple launched the iPad in April 2010. A year and a half later, Apple has sold more than 25 million iPads. And that’s nothing compared to what’s to come. Millions and millions more will be sold over the next twelve months, by Apple and the slew of Android competitors being released.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about digital media technology over the last thirty years, it’s that when a new technology is invented, it usually takes years before it is widely adopted, owing to behavior—we humans simply like to resist change. There are exceptions, however. Google. Facebook. And now iPad.
The explosive growth of this device—and its projected trajectory over the next few years—will profoundly affect both publishers and readers alike. I believe the iPad will be as revolutionary to media as the Web was when it first erupted in the mid 90’s.
There’s a very good chance that you or one of your colleagues already owns an iPad. What we wanted to understand was how many of our readers are using iPads (or other tablets), how much these devices are used for accessing work-related media, and how many readers intend to buy one in the next 12 months. We conducted an e-mail based survey in May and received 1,180 responses, considered to be an overwhelming response.
Rapid adoption by PW readers
As the accompanying charts and graphs show, more than a third of Packaging World readers currently have an iPad, and nearly half currently own some form of tablet computing device already. Even more astounding, nearly 80% of respondents are expected to own some form of tablet computer in the next 12 months, with over half represented by the iPad.
The accompanying charts also show that these devices are definitely being used to access industry- or work-related media, whether in the form of e-mail newsletters, industry Web sites, or digital magazines.
The verbatim responses (28 pages printed out!) offered up a lot of feedback and nuance not as readily apparent in our charts.
Many readers told us to start with a PDF-like, page-by-page replica of our print magazine. “Keep it simple,” we were told by more than a few respondents. Though digital replicas on laptops and desktops have their die-hard fans, many users simply won’t tolerate the clumsy panning and zooming inherent in the platform, greatly slowing adoption. However, a digital replica on an iPad is a completely different experience. Page flipping, panning, and zooming is intuitive thanks to the touch display, bringing it a step or two closer to the print experience. You still lack the fidelity of paper, but no more stacks of magazines sitting on your shelf and the always-with-you factor is hard to beat.
Other readers encouraged us to start over and design something specifically for the iPad. There was a definite call for brevity: “I’d like to see something that grabs my attention—short, sweet, and to the point,” said one respondent. In addition to shorter articles (more summary than article, with the ability to drill down for more), readers told us to make an iPad edition more visual and multi-media oriented: loaded with photos, videos, galleries, including the ability to zoom in on image detail.
Still other readers asked for an app with continuously updated headlines, more resembling a Web site than a linear, page-for-page publication.
Regardless of the type of app readers wanted to see, there was a chorus of agreement on some basic features. People wanted to be able to easily share individual articles, usually by e-mail. The ability to save articles was important, too—the digital equivalent of tearing out a page, if you will. Many wanted the ability to search back issues or previously posted content.
