iPad Says Hello, Netbook Says Good-bye

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 Evan Kaplan, CEO

Yesterday, in the lead-up to the iPad launch, I read a great article titled “Apple Tablet: 10 Things we (already) hate about you .”  In the article, Sam Gustin didn’t see the tablet as a major revolution over what came before, unlike the iPod and iPhone.

I disagree. The iPad revolutionizes the netbook market; and if I were a netbook maker I’d be very afraid.

In a short period of time, netbooks have become one of the fastest growing computer categories. And, although in January of last year, a chorus of analysts told the market that the netbook had no role in the enterprise… the enterprise market for netbooks has in fact done surprisingly well.  Forrester recently reported that 13 percent of IT decision-makers are implementing or planning on implementing some netbooks, and 39 percent are at least interested in them.

If there is any truth to the prediction that 73 percent of enterprise workers will be mobile by 2012 (Forrester again) … I can’t imagine that they’ll all be deploying laptops or have expensive smartphone plans.

The iPad definitely has a play in the enterprise, but I do have a couple of caveats, though. The iPad needs the ability to multi-task, support for the Flash platform (used in many Enterprise cloud-based applications), and built in WiMax.

So here is my top 10 list of the 10 reasons that the yet-to-be-released iPad will revolutionize the Netbook market and redefine mobility. And I’ll go a step further — I’ll tell you why enterprises should care.

1. Take a Load Off. Fast paced changes in airline restrictions, combined with airline fees for luggage mean that now, more than ever, road warriors need to travel light. When I came back from Canada earlier this month, I couldn’t even bring my briefcase on board the plane.
2. Give a Big Cheer for Wi-Fi. Last week, my CTO wrote a blog on the rebirth of Wi-Fi. The iPad validates the importance of Wi-Fi going forward. The biggest use for the iPad will be Wi-Fi, whether it is on an airplane, in a hotel or at a café.
3. Send in the Clouds. More and more enterprise applications are available in the cloud. Many workers will not need a laptop or a traditional operating system to access the applications required to do their job. The browser is the only enterprise application you need…
4. A Scaled Down Laptop; a Supersized Smartphone. First look reviews call the screen “amazing.” Some people hate to use their smartphones for anything beyond reading email and making phone calls because the screen is too small, and the keypad is difficult to use. Older workers now make-up 17 percent of the workforce. There is a market for an oversized smartphone … some analysts thought this would be the netbook market. But the Apple iPad will probably change their minds.
5. Money. With a $499 starting point, Apple is not only in the ballpark, but in the game to win. If the iPad is anything like most Apple products in the next six months, this price point will come down.
6. Gesture-driven Computing. Like the iPhone the device delivers a gesture-driven interface. This opens-up new ways to interface with applications and the types of functionality that the enterprise will be able to offer employees.
7. Battery Life. 10 hours is a good start. It means you can stay powered on a transatlantic flight. Long term, I fully expect Apple to increase this further.
8. Lighter. At 1.5 lbs, it is half the weight of a netbook. Enough said.
9. Easier to Use. Apple has a reputation of designing products that are elegant to use. With strong emphasis on graphics and power, and an on-screen keyboard and an optional attached keyboard, this one won’t be any different.
10. Because … It already has a built-in base of great applications, since it will run all existing iPhone and iPod apps including the iPass client. An unlocked 3G model is interesting, and good for enterprises that may already have a 3G strategy in place. And, because it is cool.

Thoughts?