Apple iPad comes with inhouse App store and will run all 140,000 iTunes App store apps from day 1. A new SDK will allow developers to customize iPad apps with more power. But that’s now what many are on a lookout for. How about Jailbreaking? Killing the netbook market, or rather challenging the netbook market – Apple has surely managed to create a stir in the industry. But when we talk books, magazines, newspapers, digital content, textbook along with apps – the scope for jailbreakers and hackers goes beyond imagination.
3billion apps have been downloaded on the App store officially and close to 10% iPhones / iPod touch’s are said to be jailbroken. If this hacking culture comes to the iPad, you might well have a serious piracy issue in hand. The App store piracy in a recent estimate was pegged at $0.5 bln approx. With leading newspapers and magazines added to the mix, its a serious commitment that Apple is making with the iPad.
You may say that the Kindle already brings home ebooks and newspaper, but why the issue only with the iPad? Well the issue is the advanced hardware and software that Apple brings in. If a single app on your iPad/iPhone that upon a click of a button can bring you all those apps and books for free, that you would normally pay for – wouldn’t it be a big loss to Apple and its partners?
On the other hand, the prospect of Jailbreaking is some good 3rd party apps, which would otherwise never make it to the wall-gardened App store. However my concern is piracy!