I haven't seen an actual iPad in person, but I can already tell it's a game-changer. The iPad will tap completely new markets. Here are a few things to think about:
Non-technical types: We all know at least one of these. Someone who hasn't really found their place in the twenty-first century. Someone who "hates computers" or just never learned to use them. Often, these people have a computer, but you are the one stuck doing technical support for them. With an iPad, they won't have to deal with most of the issues that make computers difficult for them: very little configuration, scant chance to catch viruses, software that installs automatically, no worry about lack of mouse dexterity and no file system to navigate.
Most of these users just want to check mail, surf the web and maybe show their friends pictures of the grandkids. All of these things will be considerably easier on the iPad than on a conventional computer (the iPhone was too small for older eyes). Gently and slowly, they can be engaged to read books, listen to music and watch video. You'll want to buy them an iPad so that you don't have to support their computer any more.
Mobile service techs: Think of the plumber, contractor, yard man, cab driver, delivery driver, and so on. These people don't need a computer, they don't do many computer-type things. For the most part, they fill out forms and say "sign here, sir." It won't be long before someone invents a hardened case for the iPad that has a credit card reader built in. The plumber pulls up an app written for plumbers, checks off "unclog drain," "repair faucet" and "standard service charge" and select the customer's name and address and they're done. The bill is computed and displayed. They swipe the credit card, wait for authorization and get the customer to sign their bill with a stylus (or their finger, if that works). The form is instantly transmitted to the home office and a copy emailed to the customer.
Most of the companies that make refrigerators and other household equipment already have their repair manuals online electronically. If a tech needs to look over the dishwasher's motor assembly, they click a bookmarked page and bring up a PDF (that is, until Whirlpool makes "an app for that"). If there are parts to order, they fill out a different form and transmit it to the home office immediately.
Couldn't they do all of this with a laptop? Yes, but not as well. Here's the difference: the iPad is designed to be used while held in one hand, a laptop requires a surface. This difference will turn out to be profound. Everyone who has tried to use a laptop while standing or walking knows what a pain it is, especially compared to the simplicity of holding your phone in one hand and tapping with the other. The keyboard part of a laptop will be mostly wasted on this type of user, as they don't enter much information. Much of what they might enter, such as customer name and address and such, would be downloaded before they left the office in the morning. For filling out forms a touch interface will be faster than a trackpad.
Let's put it another way: if using a netbook was a natural for this type of user, they would already be doing it. Clearly, this is a new niche that hasn't been previously exploited.
Store Clerks: Apple already does this in their stores and the mystery to me has always been why they didn't just write "an app for that" and convert from their weird little PDAs to iPhones. Now we know: they were waiting for the iPad to ship. The iPad, coupled with a credit card reader and bar code scanner (there's already barcode recognition software for the iPhone), frees the clerk from their cash register. Not only can they interact better with customers (by walking around), but they can be much more helpful, since they can access the company's catalog, check inventory and so on. As I said, Apple already does this in their stores, with a much inferior device, so this is a no-brainer.
Kids: The iPad will be much superior to a computer for young kids (I'm thinking four to eight year olds). The platform is much more restrictive than a full-fledged computer and requires much less fine motor control. With parental controls built in (as they are with the iPhone), parents can restrict their kids in ways that are nearly impossible on a computer (for example, restrict them from playing music with "explicit" lyrics, but allow all other music). Take away their ability to pull down new apps from the app store and you effectively sandbox them in a way that can't be defeated by a thumb drive or other work around that a general purpose computer allows. All the parent has to do is clean the slime off the screen now and then.
Readers: The iPad looks like a superior book reader, except for the niche where the Kindle still wins: in sunlight. So, assuming that you do most of your reading out of the sunlight (and I hardly ever read outside, bright sunlight is lousy for reading even with paper books), the iPad will be just fine. Add in the extreme ease of obtaining new content and organizing it and you've got a great use case. It's also a near-certainty that Apple will expand one of the eBook formats to better include audio and video. I'll bet that US sales of electronic books exceed paper books within ten years.
Office workers: So, you're going to a meeting in the conference room down the hall: laptop or iPad. The iPad is lighter and lays flat on the table in front of you (unlike the laptop that puts up a wall between you and the folks opposite you). If you take notes, you just open up the eMail app, take the notes into an eMail and send it to your desk. Giving a presentation? the iPad is perfect for that. Want to IM someone down the table and tell them a joke to crack them up and embarrass them during the meeting? slide the iPad down into your lap and tap away. I don't want to overplay this one, I don't think the office is the iPad strong spot, but it's certainly capable of blending in.
Gamers: The iPad is going to be a great gaming platform, Jobs already demonstrated that. The game industry is already geared up to turn out iPhone games, this will just be an extension of that existing market. Hard-core gamers are not going to care, but a whole new market of casual gamers has grown up around the iPhone and this will only add to that. I've spent maybe $10 on iPhone games in the last year, but zero dollars on games for any other platform. With thousands of games already available for the iPad, it's certain to take off as a gaming platform.
So, that's six niches that are new or expanded for the iPad and I didn't even think about it very hard. If you read the historian Thucydides, he says this of the ancient Greeks: "They didn't invent anything, but they made everything they borrowed better." That's Apple: they don't invent, they improve. The PC, the iPod, the iPhone and now the iPad are all devices that Apple improved so much that it just seems like they invented them.
