Why are we excited about the iPad? Well for starters, there has never been a product quite like it and we love technology!
Until now most if not all similar products were designed as something else first. Primarily laptops that, with the addition of a touchscreen, deletion of the keyboard and mouse and a pretty interface, with little or nothing done to the underlying OS. This produced devices that were not really good at anything. We would argue that this is not what we would consider a seamless experience.
What Apple™ has created in the iPhone is a completely new user experience that many don't know how they could live without. The iPad is going to be the same experience for mobile access to information. We imagine it to become a standard for access to news, mobile internet, portable movie viewing, mobile research, sales information, relationship building and so on. Other uses we see for the iPad: photos, games, books and who knows what else. We also feel that it will be a fantastic interface for our Crestron Complete Home Integration Experience allowing the ability to control your home systems from inside the house (or in the back yard poolside), or anywhere that has cell or wi-fi access around the world!
Will an iPad replace a wall mounted or dedicated touch panel controls? Just as we would never suggest replacing your touch panels and remotes with the iPhone this rule still applies to the iPad. A limitation to consider in use of the iPad as a lone control device, are the facts that it is not always going to be where you expect it to be. One of the kids could be reading a book on it , someone can be playing a game or it could have been left in the bedroom. Not exactly what you would call a convenient situation for controlling the lights in the kitchen for instance. Those are just some of the reasons that a dedicated interface is better than an iPad in certain situations.
The iPad is just another example or great way to extend the power and flexibility of your Sound & Vision system.
We feel that we have created a unique user experience with the iPad and we invite you to come and preview the Complete Home Integration at our Willowbrook Design & Experience Center today!
