iPad Envy?

The iPad is not just a short lived technological phenomenon with Apple dazzling us with yet another technology. The iPad is changing the way we do business, the way companies sell their products, the way consumers stay engaged with brands and the way PR professionals develop strategies. It is a fundamental game changer in today’s marketing world that is spawning creativity while also causing controversy. And we better get used to it.

- Yahoo Sports confirmed that Yankee stadium says that the iPad falls under its "no laptops" security policy and patrons won't be able to enter the ballpark with one in their possession. Say what? The TSA says that you don't have to take an iPad out of its case to go through security, but Yankee Stadium says the device is a no-go? See the story in The New York Times: click for content

- The Berkeley Hotel in London is providing guests staying in suites access to their own personal Apple iPad for the duration of their stay. click for content

- Concierges at the InterContinental London Park Lane will be equipped with Apple iPads to give guests local information from next week. click for content

- An inventor of the iPad Steering Wheel Mount can no longer meet demand for the iPad invention. “Due to the recent overwhelming increase in demand for the iPad Steering Wheel Mount we can no longer ship the product direct to the public from our Design Studio and Factory since it is only set up for low levels of production.” click for content

-The Financial Times iPad app is providing free access to consumers throughout July. Optimized for Apple's latest mobile device, the app provides instant access to the financial newspaper's award-winning global news, video, comment and analysis. From now until July 31, users get free, unrestricted access to the publication. click for content

According to the May 1st issue of PR Week, “There is little doubt the iPad, and the succession of me-too products that are likely to emerge onto the market in the next 12 months, have the potential to fundamentally change the way people access media. It is absolutely crucial for PR and communications professionals of all types to quickly take on board this changing content consumption dynamic and understand the implications for their clients and consumers. click for content

Why is all of this happening? According to Mashable and Forbes, iPads are selling at the rate of 200,000 per week, outselling Macs.

iPads seem to be flying off the shelves in the U.S. Mashable reports that Apple's tablet is selling at an impressive rate of over 200,000 per week in the U.S., outselling Macs at a nearly 2-to-1 ratio, according to numbers collected by Mike Abramsky from RBC Capital Markets. iPads, which are selling faster than the iPhone when it first launched, are currently only behind iPhone 3GS in terms of sales.

Mashable reports, that in a note to investors, Abramsky stated that inventories "show widespread iPad stockouts at Apple retail stores and Best Buy." These statistics show that the tech giant could sell around eight million iPads this year, and this number is only set to grow when it officially launches in Europe, Asia, and Australia on May 28.

The quick pace at which the iPads are selling challenges critics who did not think the device would reach a mass audience this early. It also signals that there is a market for a device in between a smartphone and a laptop. click for content

Just iPad envy? No way.