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The hype generated by the Apple iPad is huge to say the least. The innovative user interface and ease of use has propelled this device into the realm of must have gadgets. Being the innovative people we are at the FX Business Centre we just had to have one to test it out for suitability in business environments (or that's what we told the boss anyway!).

Here are my thoughts. The user interface on this device is just magic (no pun intended!). This makes it easy to use that anybody who picks it up just "gets it" in a matter of moments. The battery life on the device is also excellent. It makes for an awesome experience in viewing content such as videos, webpages, etc but here is its major downfall, content creation (you know typing anything more than a few sentences) is a pain.

So it makes an awesome device for personal usage but how does it stack up in a business environment? It definitely has potential. I see some niche applications emerging in certain industries. (Eg. how cool would it be for a real estate agent to carry an iPad around with them to show clients realtime information on the properties they are currently evaluating). It definitely doesn't replace the laptop for most business people who need access to specialised software (not to mention those who are attached to their keyboards). However it can certainly supplement a laptop in a lot of cases.

The iPad (and tablets in general) are an interesting development and the concept is here to stay. What does the future hold? Well imagine the software and user experience of the iPad on a paper thin flexible display (ePaper) that you can roll up and put in your pocket when not in use... Now that would be magical!

As we look for suitable replacements for paper for displaying and interacting with documents, a technology that is often mentioned is Electroinc Paper or e-Paper.

This technology is basically a new kind of media intended to replace the paper document, which can be re-printable at will. Just like paper, and unlike other displays, e-Paper uses natural light and the material’s reflectivity to display the images and text; it does not require power (except for printing) and can keep a printed image for a theoretical endless period of time, but can then be re-printed as many times as possible. Most importantly, e-Paper was meant to retain some of the affordances of paper-foldable, lightweight, and inexpensive.

The initial research actually started back in the 1970’s at Xerox PARC – but it is not until the last few years that the technology has matured enough to hit some (niche) concrete applications. For instance the Amazon Kindle e-reader device makes use of this e-paper technology invented by Xerox all those years ago to act as a portable e-book reader.

Fuji Xerox is continuing research into this technology as it has some interesting future applications. Click here for more info on the technology.

So will e-Paper replace paper? It will certainly take a few years, but I can imagine myself reading newspapers on an e-book. As of today, the e-paper or e-book readers have more of a PDA / tablet PC form factor than a real piece of paper. But to build a truly interactive notepad, with annotation capabilities while being really portable, this will take longer.

PS: Thanks to our friends over at the Xerox “The Future of Documents” Blog for their insight.

1. Don’t be swayed by the cheapest colour printer you can find – consider the cost of producing a colour printed page as well.
2. Ask about the First Page Time Out speed. This is an industry standard for determining when the first page will be printed and is often linked to a printer’s memory capacity.
3. Think about whether you can print double sided as enabling this feature may lead to a reduction in paper usage.
4. Consider the number of users who will need access to the printer. This would make a difference between buying a desktop model or a larger business device.
5. Consider the energy efficiency of the device.
6. Find out whether the manufacturer offers a cartridge take back program to minimise the ongoing environmental impact of the device.
7. Ask about the service plans or warranty offered –What level of service is offered and is it onsite or return to depot or something else?