iBoard?

Apple on 2020

The knowledge worker will also work standing up…

There’s growing sentiment that sitting all day is killing us slowly (google “sitting is the new smooking”). It seems physical idleness is related to increased chances of getting sick. And several startups are emerging with solutions in form of desks that will enable us to be less still, to pace, to be standing while working. An ex-Apple engineer is among the list of players addressing this opportunity space (see http://www.stirworks.com, http://goo.gl/diwGct and http://goo.gl/SxpkRz).

Working standing up may entail new tools…

People standing up while working have historically used black boards, whiteboards, flip charts, whiteboard-like walls, electronic boards, and now also the new desks mentioned above. But these tools are either passive (like a paper sheet is passive) or are made for group work. There isn’t any personal electronic tool for working while standing up that gives you an equivalent of writing on a black board. There isn’t any equivalent to the iPad for this kind of personal productivity.

Apple’s touch technology is more than ready…

Using a touch pen on a iPad for taking notes as you would on a piece of paper is still not a great experience—this does not apply to people who draw with broad brushes. But the iPad’s touch resolution would be more than enough on a flip-chart sized touch screen.

This would be the start of the iBoard. Think of it as a flip-chart sized iPad.

Battery life would not be such of an issue as, due to its size, it would not be mobile use. All the other iOS features would be put to good use: lock screen, FaceTime (video and audio), AirPlay, Messages, iWork, and so on.

Apple will be looking for new growth platforms…

In 2020, after 3 home-runs with the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad — and maybe with iTV—, Apple will be looking for another big market segment for which it can develop a solution that simultaneously can solve a specific customer need and it can get hold of the underlying key technology’s IP.

iBoard’s target market is the core market segments Apple has always been strong in: schools / colleges / universities, creative professionals and small businesses. If Apple iBoard wins over these key audiences, it will naturally invade the corporate segment just as the iPad did.

Apple’s iBoard. Your canvas.