Will a Smaller iPad Be a Hit In Business?

People are already preparing themselves to exchange cash for iPad once Apple announces the launching of the iPad Mini, which, according to the rumor mill, will be at the same time as the launch of the iPhone 5, if not at a separate event in October.  This is probably the most awaited gadget from Apple aside, of course, from the iPhone 5, which was sublimely hinted at in the September 12 invitations the company handed out to members of the press.  The iPad Mini is said to be a somewhat similar version of its predecessor, but significantly smaller in screen size. Considering this will be Apple’s first small-sized tablet, many view it as the company’s effort to further its dominant position in the market, giving Samsung, Google, and Amazon a run for their money.

There are no doubts that this gadget will be a hit among tablet PC users.  With the hype that it is getting even before it is launched, Apple is assured that people, especially its die-hard core group of fans, will be outside its stores, patiently waiting in line to get their hands on this latest baby, should it become available.  No doubt this mini iPad can easily be marketed to consumers who would probably use it as an entertainment device. So, who exactly will sell iPad to upgrade (or downgrade) to a smaller iPad?

If you come to think of it, there is quite a large market for smaller tablet PCs, as seen by the good sales figures Amazon, Google, and Samsung all have for their 7-inch devices. One would think that with Samsung and Amazon already lording it over this market segment, Google would be selling its goods to a saturated market when it presented the Nexus 7 in July. However, sales figures for the Google device were impressive, while those for the Samsung Galaxy 7.1 and Kindle Fire did not suffer drastically.

But the question on everybody’s mind now is if enterprise segments will be caught up in the hype and look at it as a device to help increase productivity amongst its workers. One sector that might have a big interest in the small device is the education sector.   Students would be very much interested if their books could be converted to digital content and accessed through the device.  However, as students get older and content becomes text heavy, it would not have the same effect.  

As for the business people, the iPad Mini might be a contender in terms of using it as a productivity tool. However, since it has limitations compared to laptops and bigger and more powerful tablet PCs, it will have a hard time convincing companies.  The same goes for the other 7-inch tablets like Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus.  Not a lot of people use it for business but more for entertainment and gaming. Whatever the target market will be for the iPad Mini, Apple is assured that there will be people who are willing to exchange cash for iPad (click here to know how) still.

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