Apple recently launched its iPad which is basically a tablet pc or even more accurate a bigger more powerful iPhone. Nothing amazingly new however I predict that it will accelerate sales of tablet computers over the next 12 months and we will see the rise and rise of tablet computing.
Who is going to buy the iPad? Well initially its people like me, people who love technology and are happy to spend all their hard earned money buying the latest and best gadgets but over time I think you will see the older generation embracing these touch screen devices.
This is because it’s simple and it’s easy. I know for a fact that my parents don’t use 99% of their laptop computer, all they want to do is surf the internet and occasionally send a few emails. I know my girlfriends grandmother (who is about to inherit an old laptop from us) doesn’t want to use the command prompt or hack the registry, she just wants to press a big button that says INTERNET or a big button that says FACEBOOK.
Computers are great, I love them (sad, but true). But for most users they are over kill. What Apple has done with the iPad is to give people a device which they can slowly adapt to fit their lives, it starts off with the basics such as Internet and Email but over time you can add a big button for Facebook, your bank, your favourite website, etc...
If I admit it I’m one of those “simple” users too... yes it’s true! I like the fact that I can sit on the sofa watching TV while using a tablet device like the iPad to surf the internet. If I want to go into “advanced mode” then ill nip upstairs on the PC with the good old keyboard and mouse or ill get one of my many laptops out. But if I just want to lie in bed looking at the day’s news then I want a simple device to do it on.
What does all this mean to your online business or website? Well it will be a massive increase over the next 12-18 months of users with touch screen interfaces.
These touch screen users won’t want to struggle to click (sorry, press) your tiny links, they will want BIG buttons that are easy to press. They will want to scroll through your online store with ease; they will want the whole process made simple, just like their new device.
I know this myself, I have a iPhone and the sites and Apps which are designed for it are just so much easier to use. I also have a Sony Vaio touch screen Windows 7 computer and again its really nice but you need to use applications and websites which have big easy to click links to get the most out of it.
Touch is here to stay and for the majority of users it will supersede the keyboard and mouse.