The iPad is More Than “Just Another Reading Tablet.”

Apple released the iPad today, which is the love child of the MacBook and the iPhone/iPod Touch. It’s the next big thing in their revolutionary family of products, but this one stands out to us for another reason. It breathes new life into “print” media.

Everyone’s wondered what will happen to print, namely the fate of newspapers. Printing is expensive (so are the ads), and nearly everything can be accessed online. To many, reading the paper version of the newspaper has become an antiquated notion. From a studio perspective, we’ve seen our clients decide against using print campaigns and go with digital ones instead.

Here’s where we see something bubbling beneath the surface: The iPad gives its users access to a brand new app- The New York Times. This is extraordinary because when you view the Times on the iPad, it’s as if you’re reading an actual newspaper- columns and everything. Some might say it’s another website translation, while others might vouch that it’s a legitimate, revolutionized digital version. We haven’t quite made up our own minds yet, but it leaves us wondering if more clients will opt for a similar format for their former print pieces. For example, where they might have previously printed a catalog, will they choose to create more than just a glorified PDF, or a website- but a truly reinvented digital version of the former format?

The iPad, along with the iPhone, and all other internet-friendly mobile devices in general make it easy to access nearly anything… anytime… anywhere.

We could be on the exciting edge of a new print era… one where we create print pieces that never actually get printed.

Read more about it here. This blog had it right- before the iPad was even released…