Look, I’m a parent. As much as I hate to admit it, kids do greatly influence spending in the household.
My 6 and 4 year old don’t just like the iPad – they get it. As Reese, 4 years old says, “It’s the iPad, you watch TV and do stuff on it.” And then she goes off and well, watches TV and pokes around on it. It fits in her lap, is loud enough without headphones and doesn’t turn off or freeze if she happens to get curious.
Reese Chillin' with the iPad
Mass consumer adoption of technology requires everyone in the family to get use out of it. Say what you want about whether the iPad works for you as a work computer, it definitely works for a TV that does stuff for most families and it doesn’t cost much more than a flat screen that does nothing. Forget how this thing screws up computer companies… what about the TV market…. what about the kids stuff market….
Kids love it = mass adoption. QED.
I think it extends even further than that. People who don’t normally “get” computers (older, or intimidated, or luddites) will flock to this as well.
It is my belief that Apple has, essentially, tapped into a new market that has been mostly untapped until now.