Steve Jobs is gone, but his creations continue putting a dent in the universe. When the erstwhile Apple cofounder and CEO said on January 26, 2010 — three years ago — that the iPad is “magical and revolutionary,” many scoffed. They said it was just so much Jobs hubris.
However, it not only killed off the netbook, rather quickly mind you, but iPad unit sales already exceed any vendors’ PC sales — Apple’s tablet alone tops Hewlett-Packard or Dell or Lenovo.
The category the iPad spawned, tablets, is on a trajectory to surpass total PC sales. Moreover, as tablet sales accelerate, PC sales are contracting and that’s even true at Apple.
Yes, we are in the post PC era and the trend is only accelerating away from traditional desktops and notebooks.
So, was Steve right to call the iPad “magical and revolutionary”? Although the haters gonna hate — perhaps Apple’s tablet has black magic? — there is no question the iPad has caused tectonic shifts in computing and, as is just now becoming apparent, education, media consumption and shopping.
So, happy third birthday, iPad, I have a feeling your are just getting started. And, if your father were here to see you now, he would certainly be proud of all you have achieved…
What’s your take?