Apple has set its eyes on the dying infrastructure of the PC industry and Microsoft’s Windows operating system business. The release of the new 128GB iPad clearly shows Apple is working hard to offer businesses the flexibility they need. Fortune 500 companies require space to save their data whether it's spreadsheets, presentations, images, X-rays or any other type of content. As professionals find apps other than Microsoft's suite (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) to help them accomplish their goals, expect PC sales to continue to spiral downward.
Apple's 128GB iPad costs $799. Microsoft's 128GB Surface costs $999. There are issues about the accuracy of Microsoft's claim. The truth is their 128GB is really closer to 80GB. I will have more to say about this in the future.
My PC sits closed on my desk. I have a Mac for Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign which works overtime daily. An iPad along with an Apple wireless keyboard allows me to email my coworkers, type out my ideas, arrange my schedule and sketch. After a days work, my Mac stays put while my iPad goes into my bag traveling home with me. This way I am still connected to work and play. Only on heavy workload days does the Mac comes home. This flexible setup just works better for me and it takes 30 seconds to break everything down and get it into my bag.
It's interesting what's been happening lately with the PC. The launch of Windows 8 seems clouded with mystery. Sales numbers are guarded so the actual number of early adopters is unknown. Intel has decided to stop making motherboards for full PCs only to focus on UltraBooks and tablets. The streamlined ARM processor is given respect but only by those who can code efficiently.
This is a lot to take in for PC manufacturers. The metrics show a determined decline. Acer is pointing their finger at Microsoft for soft sales and Microsoft points their finger right back at the hardware manufacturers for not building more compelling machines. All of this confusion may result in professionals demanding more structure. An iPad provides a structured platform many/most businesses are willing to investigate and integrate into their networks. By offering an iPad with greater storage the gap between computers and tablets reduces. The plethora of productivity and specialized apps for iPad means more work gets done without the need for legacy Windows software. Anyone who needs to save lots of files and enjoys working on an iPad can further reduce their dependance on their PC.
It's an exciting time in corporate America. One where mobility is a reality and the 'PC' used to get your work done is an iPad.
