So, when the iPad was released in early April, you wouldn’t be wrong to assume that I was pretty tempted. I haven’t bought one though. Instead, my interactions with the sales staff at the Apple store have gone something like this:

Apple Guy: Hi Sir, I notice you’re checking out the iPad
Me: …yeah, I’m just looking really.
Apple Guy: No problem, just noticed you’ve been standing there a while – do you have any questions.
Me: Not really – I’m just trying to convince myself why I need it.

Luckily for Apple, such existential concerns haven’t dampened sales of the iPad – which some have dubbed the “Mac for the Masses” and project sales of 21 Million more in 2011.

So who’s finding use for this new technology? Beyond “gotta have it” consumers, many influential industries are getting onboard early:

Remember when the iPhone first came out? A lot of people couldn’t use it at work right away

Even the Mayor of New York City can find a use for the iPad

because the IT department wasn’t ready and there were security issues. Now, odds are you see more iPhones than Blackberries. Well those early pains have paved the way in terms of security questions for the iPad, which is being seen as a way to add excitement to presentations and work better remotely.

With the strong push towards electronic medical records, the Healthcare industry has begun to embrace the use of the iPad. In fact, there are currently more than 300 iPad apps solely targeted to the medical profession.

Lastly, with all the latest new and worry about the millennial – it should be pointed out that the iPad is getting heavy use on college campuses. In fact, some universities are giving an iPad to each incoming student. When those students enter the workforce, the iPad – or some future form of tablet technology – will surely come with them.

Huh…you know what? I think I may have just rationalized the purchase now. See you at the Apple store.

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Kevin Smith is an Account Supervisor at PJA Advertising & Marketing. Follow him on Twitter: @Mr_KevinSmith

This post was featured as the social media dream segment during the September 23rd edition of PJA Radio.

A nice – shorter – write-up of the findings can be found on gigaom.com.

One of the most Tweetworthy findings to come out of their research was a dramatic shift towards mobile web use. In fact, they predict that mobile web use will surpass desktop web use within the next 5 years.

You read this blog, so it can be assumed that you’re a pretty tech savvy person, so think of how many of these you already have: a kindle, a smartphone, an iPad or a GPS system. According to the folks at Morgan Stanley, we’re still very much at the beginning of the Roger’s Adoption curve. More and more people will begin to gravitate and rely on mobile technology to access content and part of that reason is because mobile content will be personalized content – all thanks to Location Based Services.

Yes, Location Based Services or sometimes called, Geolocation. The same technology that fills up your Facebook and Twitter feed by letting you know that someone you’re only friends with online just bought a slurpie at a random 7-11.

Sure, Foursquare is annoying at times…well, most of the time. But it’s square one in the timeline of Geolocation services – and already has over 1 million users worldwide. And much like Google was the evolution of an idea dating back to 1945, Geolocation will evolve and find higher purposes.

In terms of marketing, Geolocation will eventually become the Holy Grail. Think of how many hours and marketing dollars are spent trying to determine how to display the right message to the right prospects at the right time. So embrace it and start getting familiar with the technology, because if the researchers at Morgan Stanley are right, within five years if it’s not a part of your marketing plan – it will most likely be a part of your competition’s plan.

For consumers, Geolocation is the next level of internet customization. Soon the value of Geolocation services will be on par with how we value mobile apps today – enabling the web to come to us.

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This post was featured as a social media dream segment of the June 3rd edition of This Week In Social Media.

Kevin Smith is an Account Supervisor at PJA Advertising & Marketing. Follow him on Twitter: @Mr_KevinSmith