iPad Demand Just Keeps On Going

Apple is reported to be building 2 million iPad's a month due to strong consumer demand. While other hardware manufacturers are scrambling to produce clones for the holiday season, Apple has truly left them in the dust and plans to ramp up to 3 million a month for the holidays.  It seems the consumer has fallen in love with this first generation device.  Apple broke new ground and literally owned the smartphone sector when it launched the first iPhone; the same thing is happening with the iPad.  

Already adopted in the education and healthcare sectors, the iPad is still working its way into new markets.  Perhaps it won't be too long before we see the iPad in law enforcement, where access to criminal databases at the scene of the crime makes sense. Or, perhaps at a construction site where an engineer, architect or even designer need to access plans, make changes or check on delivery of supplies etc.  Apple is also targeting the business sector with features designed to make it attractive to the enterprise market. 

Expect new features for the iPad in the next 2011 release to include a camera and FaceTime.  For now, there is a new OS release (4.2) expected in November, which will bring around 100 new features including a game center, AirPlay and wireless printing, just to mention a few. 

This should be a very good holiday season for Apple products.  For 2011, analysts predict iPad sales to reach an astounding 28 million units.  Now that's probably going to kill the Netbook sector!  Beyond that, who knows if the iPad will eventually replace the laptop?