Hunting the Killer App for Apple's iPad

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That said, I don't think the present generation of apps will become killers. They need to be more real-time and dynamic, with content that has greater relevance to users and their location. The iPad is still new and most publishers are simply trying to get to market quickly, rather than stepping back and transforming their business models.

personal "information dashboards?"

Transformations are expensive and time-consuming. I don't think any newspapers yet think of iPad apps as the new printing presses, although they are. We're at the Gutenberg stage on this journey, with lots of innovation still to come: We need a new experience that merges reading, watching, listening, editing, and communication. There's no name for it. When the new paradigm is invented, shaped, and perfected, it will likely become a noun and a verb at the same time.

Another promising avenue for tablets is what I'll call managing life information. We're entering the era of cloud computing, where data and applications are stored in the Internet. For cloud computing to work, users need a reliable (and relatively speedy) online connection. The proliferation of files and data in the cloud also may make it more difficult than ever for users to keep track of their digital "stuff."

That's where the iPad could come in. With the right app, a tablet could become a sort of "information dashboard," a control panel that lets users find, manipulate, and share their personal information, regardless of where it resides and whether or not they're currently online. In technical jargon, the iPad would be comparable to a cached front end to the cloud. To make the user interface work, I'd suggest moving away from the classic "files and folders" hierarchy to something more attuned to the way people remember information, such as a time line.

Last but not least, I think there's opportunity to take better advantage of the iPad's multi-touch screen technology. Today we see apps that are scaled up from the iPhone, permitting the use of two fingers. With the iPad's larger screen, I can foresee two-handed apps that open up whole new avenues of user input.

It's well known that owning a platform gives you power, while inventing a killer app can lead to dominance. That's why everybody wants to come up with the next big thing. I think we'll quickly recognize the iPad's killer app or apps. For now, we've got work to do. Let's start cooking.

Lindholm is a partner and director with Fjord, a leading European digital design agency.

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