There have been many notable Apple milestones in the history of the company. Tomorrow is apparently going to be no exception with the (most probable) launch of the ‘iPad’, ‘iSlate’ or whatever Apple have decided to call their new tablet. Whilst the iPhone’s launch was both a milestone and a disappointment in many ways there is much riding on tomorrow’s launch. Sure it’s a new Apple product but I’m more interested in how this device could pave the way for something much more important than the superficial hardware functions of a tablet device. Apple’s iPod and iTunes software shook up the music industry. Apple’s iPad might just shake up the entire web. We’ve been spoilt by the ‘free’ internet – content is out there so it’s free.

Not for long. As news companies decide to charge for content the iPad could see the introduction of a real monetisation of online content. Similarly this model might then extend itself to the suffering music industry as well as encouraging people to buy more films to view on a tablet device. I’d like to see the removal of the ‘free’ connotation associated with everything online. As a small business it is often frustrating explaining to naive clients that just because you can grab a ‘free’ wordpress template you can have a website. The value is in the content, the design, the expertise and so on. Similarly why shouldn’t you pay for online news content in the same way you might a newspaper?

I look forward to tomorrow, it’s an Apple launch! But also it could be the start of a welcome change in online attitudes, content and how we value our media.