iPad gold rush arrives in Canada
ipad gold rush arrives in Canada Print E-mail
Wednesday, 02 June 2010
Apple Inc.’s touch-screen tablet showed up on Canadian store shelves final Friday, but web developers are nevertheless trying to grasp the opportunities around it
By Curt Cherewayko
There's consensus in the web-development industry that the ipad will significantly alter how info is consumed. But three industry leaders at last week’s day-long Convergence digital advertising conference were still determining how to take complete benefit of Apple Inc.’s most recent device.
During a panel debate more than whether the ipad will revolutionize the communications business, the panelists agreed that web developers, marketers and other businesses which are reliant on an on the internet presence should dive into apple company ipad improvement sooner instead of later, given the pace at which the marketplace is currently moving.
Apple’s tablet-style touch-screen personal computer showed up in Canadian shops last Friday for $549, two months after it was launched in the U.S.
Dana Dansereau, moderator of last Thursday’s panel, which was part of Vancouver Interactive Digital Week, noted that some analysts have predicted that four million to 10 million iPads will be sold this year,
The company chance close to the ipad is compounded by the truth that the typical ipad owner so far is affluent and earning $100,000-plus earnings annually.
“This device and others like it are going to change how we interact not just with websites but with brands,” mentioned Dansereau, technical director of Fjord, which can be the digital marketing arm of Vancouver’s Cossette West.
“It utilized to be that your manufacturer was on the personal computer, but now its essentially being cradled in my arms. I’m holding it in my hand in a way I never have before.”
Panelist Olivier Vincent, who's president and CEO of Burnaby-based online lookup directory firm Canpages Inc., said that Canpages tries to pack as much relevant lookup content onto its website and software as it can, without having sacrificing usability and accessibility.
Given its larger interface, the ipad lends by itself to that method, said Vincent.
Canpages’s search providing recognized as virtual visits, which offers buyers with on the internet visual tours of businesses, is especially compatible using the apple company ipad interface.
“It’s not just about the interface and manipulation, it’s concerning the context in which you use [the iPad],” mentioned Vincent. “If we are able to discover the best context design for our app and apply it towards the ipad, we will possess a winner. I hate to say it, but we’re not there yet.”
Numerous internet developers in Canada who are especially eager concerning the ipad have already made the trip towards the U.S. to purchase an apple company ipad within the months prior to its launch in Canada.
Jason Snell, vice-president and editorial director of MacWorld, the leading magazine for all things Apple, mentioned that obtaining a really feel for that apple company ipad prior to it hit Canadian shops may be an advantage for Canadian designers over U.S. designers who rushed to be among the very first to develop applications for that ipad.
That initial rush resulted in some instead shoddy applications said Snell.
“I think people within the U.S. had a bit of various encounter exactly where there was some quite wild stuff for the first bit that just got retired … in no way to become observed again,” he said.
Scott Michaels, vice-president of Vancouver-based application developer Atimi Software program Inc. mentioned how the first wave of failed applications also reflects that developers have never worked with a unit with the iPad’s nature.
Despite that the apple company ipad is entirely new territory, Michaels noted that developers ought to move quick to discover possibilities close to it.
“This is really a fast-moving business, and you can’t wait for everything to settle itself out,” he mentioned, adding that developers need to begin improvement quickly if they wish to launch a robust ipad application in 2010.
“Because otherwise, after the shine wears offs … you won’t get that additional splash of marketing that will be free of charge for your manufacturer,” said Michaels referring to the marketing glow that emanates from any manufacturer that can associate itself with Apple.
“And you don’t have to do some thing huge, you just have to complete something good.”
Snell additional that you will find going to become numerous more devices like the ipad to hit the market within the coming years.
Said Snell: “So its much better which you familiarize yourself with what all of the issues are now because, if not, you’re heading to be playing catch up.” •