Amid the media hype over the iPad's potential to transform Japan's conservative publishing industry, experts say the tablet computer's potential is even broader: The gadget might change the way people view videos, play video games and music, or even how they get an education.
"It's true that making a business model with the e-book is Apple's main aim, but when thinking about the (multimedia) potential of the iPad and its available services, we think that the device is something like a large version of the iPhone or the iPod (rather than being simply an e-book reader)," said Kanae Maita, chief analyst at Tokyo-based IT advisory firm Gartner Japan Ltd.
In addition to hundreds of thousands of applications already available for the iPhone, millions of songs and video images already available for the iPhone and iPod can be also run on the iPad.