Well, you're at least curious, aren't you?

It's basically an either-or situation. You either want an iPad or your convinced that you don't need one.

The chances are you're reading this because, like everyone else, you at least want to see what the fuss is all about.

We're just a few weeks away from the iPad becoming a reality. Many have already jumped into the world of tablet computers by pre-purchasing the unit that will be either the latest, greatest mobile device or a big failure.

It's either going to be a boom or a bust...at least if you read the comments on blogs or articles.

Whether or not the iPad is a success, what Apple has accomplished already, is to be admired from a marketing standpoint and a victory for the overall brand.

Be a leader
What Apple has done in the past year is establish itself as the first to the tablet computer/e-reader market in terms of mindshare.

Al Ries spoke of the importance of being first in his seminal book 'Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind.' This statement underlines the significance of a customer's brand awareness.:

"You can't compete head-on against a company that has a strong, established position. You can go around, under or over, but never head-to-head.

The leader owns the high ground. The No. 1 position in the prospect's mind. The top rung of the product ladder."

When you think of soda, what brand comes to mind? Coke, right? For all intents and purposes Coke was the first to the market, rolling out their beverage in 1886.

They didn't necessarily invent carbonated beverages, but they have certainly created the awareness that they did. Once the neural pathways in the mind have been established, it's nearly impossible to reverse course.

Divide and conquer
Not only will Apple hold the position of leader in the combined tablet computer/e-reader category, but they also stand to eat into the market of tablet computing devices and e-readers as individual markets.

In the race to be first, the tablet computer market was surprisingly easy to beat considering several companies failed in their attempts to break new ground. The few existing tablet models are lackluster at best and probably should have remained prototypes. Can you think of the names of these devices? I can't either. That's all we need to know.

One of the most important items to consider for tablet computing is that the iPad will feature the same multi-touch interface as the iPhone, which is second to none in the industry. Very important stuff considering how much users interact with their computers through typing, clicking links, etc.

Other strengths include the user interface (about as simple and intuitive as they come), the super-reasonable unit price, and I almost forgot - the 150,000 apps!

There are over 50 new tablet devices expected to launch within the year. Surely the iPad won't have every single one of them beat feature for feature, but you can place a safe bet that it will be one of the leaders of the pack with a sound overall package.

The Kindle can't hold a candle
When it comes to e-readers, Amazon's Kindle story is no small feat. For a moment, the Kindle brand name was ever-so-close to becoming a sort of a generic meme for e-readers.

Before the iPad, Amazon had produced a quality product, owning a strong share of the market as a whole.

With two weeks to before the first units enter homes, schools and businesses Apple has just begun to change that awareness using a potent combination of it's brand reputation and tactical marketing.

On the surface the iPad is a loaded e-reader that makes the Kindle look obsolete in comparison. While it may not be first and many have complained about the iPad's lack of features, when compared e-reader to e-reader it's a monster. How about a strong second place

The e-Reader Future Market Share (courtesy: ChangeWave Research) looks like it's going through a major shift:

For Apple, the proof in the pudding is obvious when directly compared to another Apple product. Survey respondents (courtesy: ChangeWave Research) show an even greater interest in purchasing the iPad than the original iPhone when it was first released.

Finally, the respected opinon of John Biggs at Crunchgear:

While I may be bullish, I think the iPad is carving a niche that will change entire landscape of low-cost computing this decade.

via www.crunchgear.com

As a whole, the potential of the iPad is great. It may not be the end-all be-all for tablet computing, I doubt that was the goal. Apple has accomplished producing a self-contained mobile, computer/e-reader that will appeal to the masses in its simplicity and price.

Apple has assembled a smart package, that will change the game, redefine new territories, and if nothing else prove that if they do one thing right, marketing.

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company.

Films like the one below do a great job of telling the tales of our lives because the storytelling craft allows us to pause and reflect on our feelings about ourselves and of those around us. 

Sam O'Hare has assembled a vision of timeless grace using what we would often consider to be bland subjects of everyday life. The true artist doesn't need anything more than what we see and respond to every day - it's the assembly that counts.

For visual effect O'Hare use a process called tilt-shifting. Tilt-shift photography delivers a time lapse style while creating a 'miniaturizing' effect. Beyond that, my two classes of photography at college aren't going to do much to help me explain this process on a technical level. 

Beauty is as in the eye of the creator before the beholder.

"...innovation is based on a number of tools and processes which can be learned, and is enabled through looking at a problem through a number of different perspectives, or imagining new perspectives, which is all that artists try to do."

via www.business-strategy-innovation.com

If you're struggling with understanding just how innovation can be cultivated, read Jeffrey Phillips entry above.

I like to describe innovation as a discipline; An exercise in the practice of melding the known with the unknown. Artists understand how to create intuitively, but only because they've been rewarded through the years by the results of what they've created.

Beginning with a foundational base of facts, data, processes - pretty much anything we know about a subject, and working with these in an interdependent, creative fashion you will begin to see the 'artist' in yourself or your fellow employees. Be patient, it won't happen without the time being set aside and the work being done.

It helps to have time outside of your regular work environment, to travel, see and experience new objects, tastes and sounds as well as finding any way possible to keep the idea-generation team focused. 

Not everyone is able to make the time for regular innovation or develop this side of themselves. This obviously depends on what stage someone is at in their own career or the state of their business. 

Right and left brain work is not easy, but the payoff is huge. Innovation should be looked at as a regular program of maintenance for the health of your business and the life of your offerings. 

Where did this art economy come from? Is this piece worth more than that piece? These are important rhetorical questions, but the only answer available is that every person sees art differently. We can all learn from studying eBay that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Today, a painting by the likes of Cezanne, Matisse or Van Gogh can be valued at tens of millions of dollars by avid appraisers. Put that same painting in someone's garage with no signature on it and it might end up in a garage sale. 

Our society places great emphasis on the masters of yesteryear because they broke the grounds and created movements, essentially changing the art world forever. Surely that is worth something.

The Barnes Foundation
Last night I was fortunate enough to see Orange County's only showing of 'The Art of the Steal', a documentary that focuses on the priceless Barnes Foundation collection that was essentially stolen by means of legal manipulation from the hands of it's trustees. 

The key player in the story is the late Albert Barnes, the original founder of the foundation, who made every effort before his death to write specific terms into his will that stated his collection remain housed in a building in a Pennsylvania suburb, always to be designated an educational institution - it's works never to moved or sold. 

The film details the history of Barnes, the foundation, and the players who managed to wrangle the collection who'll ultimately benefit from moving it to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Do corporate interests and art mix?
The corporate interests of the art world have commoditized an industry that so many have different opinions about. In economics it's relatively easy to determine a value of something, for instance - onions. I merely have to get a general idea of supply and demand, take a poll or survey and I can get a pretty good idea how much onions are worth and what they can be used for. 

Art, however, is an entirely different beast. No two opinions are alike on the meaning of art, therefore how can anyone decide what art is worth? Leave it to the experts, you might think - well, that's basically what much of society has done and it's created a culture of haves and have nots. 

I have never taken art as seriously as some people that I know. My background in design has given me an important understanding of art, but I often see it in practical terms. 

I enjoy a piece for what it represents as far as the cultural trends and movements of the period in which it was produced. 'The Art of the Steal' zeroes in on the reason that I feel this way. When particular pieces are valued in the multi-million dollar range we cannot be surprised that they will be treated like any other commodity. 

The day when important pieces by Picasso and the like become truly priceless, that will be the day that people will cringe at the thought of putting a price tag on them.

Will e-books continue to deliver black text on white backgrounds? Maybe for already-released titles, but going forward the game has changed for publishers. 

What can we expect? A lot more of this type of content in the video below...

'Wow' is right. The depth of delivery here is intensely cinematic and provides incredible layers of mood and context. The storytelling experience will be thrust into a high gear with visual montages like you see in the video above. 

Media on tablet computers and the iPad will be a mix of video, audio and text. There will be no set standard, at least in the near future. Just like with the introduction of the web, the beginning stages will be a bit of a free-for-all, but then some standards will need to be established and designers and programmers will learn the limitations and more importantly the tendencies of how a users will define their own interface needs.

Advertising always has to adapt to the media vehicle it's being delivered by, so we can expect some interesting product placement and interactive ad media. Get ready for your business to compete in this space. There will be many opportunities to do so.

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company.