SaaS and iPad; first thoughts

One of he first things came to my mind after the iPad launch was how it will impact he SaaS market. Or will it impact this market at all?

iPad will have a small user base

Considering it is (especially for now) less appealing for the mass market, it won't...

iPad represents a new segment in computing

Well, it is still early to say that but I believe iPad can be a really good Tablet computer. Apple needs to add few more features to it first and then you'll have a decent thin client for as low as $500. They should really keep the price down.

Storage as a service

Local storage is kind of ignored just like in iPhone when the OS encourages (or forces you somehow) to forget about copying files around and listing your glorious documents in a Finder style fashion.

Storage providers like Dropbox could work on apps that overcome this and save the users from buying more expensive iPads, while providing a more secure and more available storage.

A 9.7-inch Safari

It will be really delightful to access web applications in a bigger screen and UI designers will be more comfortable supporting iPad. When you d your online invoicing or perform daily CRM tasks that few extra inches will definitely save the day.

On the other hand, SaaS developers should avoid Flash as much as they an which fortunately is the case for most services. Java applets too, are still in the iPad no-fly-zone.

iCollaborate, iProductivity, iSaaS

Applications like Zoho or Google Apps make great companions for iPad. Students, researchers, and businesspeople will be able to maintain fun and business together in one small device.

iNotRevolution

iPad is a Apple's take on Tablet and evolutionary in some ways, but not revolutionary at all. We don't expect it to solve all our problems. It's not designed to do that.

It's a good device for consumers and another way of selling stuff (music, video, apps, games) for Apple. Fair enough. Developers on the other hand, enjoy making and selling apps on Apple's platforms.

What does it have for SaaS? It makes perfect sense to see iPad as a powerful and stylish thin client that leverages the virtually unlimited processing and storage power of the cloud.