Much has been written in the last few months on the Apple iPad, both prior to the launch event, and since. Interestingly, much of the commentary following the launch event has centered not on what the new device has, but what it does not.

The iPad is a new device category folks. It’s not a smartphone and it’s not a laptop. Sure, staging feature releases is a great way of ensuring your user base has a reason to buy the next iteration of your product. But it is also a good way of minimizing confusion around what consumers will compare the new product against. In other words, the more the iPad can do, the wider the comparisons and alternatives the consumer will weigh up before making an iPad purchasing decision.

The industry has spend billions of dollars in advertising and marketing teaching consumers how to choose the right product to solve problems and enhance their personal and business productivity and enjoyment. A new product category has the added challenge of un-learning consumer behavior.

So perhaps there is is more than one legitimate reason why Apple might initially limit the iPad’s features ?

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Tags: Product Plan, Product Portfolio, Product Positioning
Posted in Newsletter