What's The iPad Gonna Do?

In my quest never to have to work for the Man again, I have been thinking through social trends. Back when Apple introduced the iPod - back in 2001, if you can believe it - people knew intellectually that it would change the way people bought music. No one could have predicted that it would destroy an entire industry, and give rise to grass-roots music efforts that finally allowed little-known performers to make a living with their art. If I had known in 2001 what the landscape of American music would look like in 2010, I would have done a few things differently.
   I want to be ahead of the curve this time. So I'm trying to figure out what the iPad is going to change. Because you know it's gonna change something, even if you don't want it to. I gave it some thought, read a few things, and I figure the iPad is going to change:

      games - the screen on an iPad is just big enough to get your game on, and the touch interface is perfect for gaming. Who needs a controller or a keyboard?
      books - the iPad is the Kindle-killer. There, I said it. People might say print is dead (which they've been saying for 20 years), but print is going to have a resurgence with the iPad. Being a writer this is especially near and dear to my heart.
      shopping - there are already iPhone apps that read barcodes and tell you places close by that have that thing for less, the iPad is probably going to do the same thing but better. And because the screen is bigger people will use that function more.
       work - another subject near and dear to my heart. The iPad isn't a clunky laptop, and it's not a minuscule smart phone. It's right in between, and perfect for not being in the office. Which is my aspiration.
      theft - the iPad is just the right size for stealing too. So I'm pretty sure when the broadband-enabled iPad comes out there's going to be a surge in thefts, and then subsequent resales to pawn shops and what have you.


COMMUTE: there - 35 minutes back - 60 minutes, it's raining there were accidents
CONTRACT COUNTDOWN: 81 days