The key to a connected media TV experience will be in layering content
When it comes to a connected media experience on our TVs, full screen apps will have their place, but the benefit will really be in layering over other content -A customizable sidebar would be a key feature in a connected media experience on your TV.
I’d love to have the ability to have an open bar on the side of the screen that would show when my friends are on Skype, emails in, plus a section that is adaptable to the content on the screen: Like when a movie trailer is playing on the screen that a button slide onto the sidebar that would allow me to a) Check local availability via Flixter b) Add to Netflix. When watching a sporting event then I can add a player stats bar, or a Twitter feed with a #hashtag of inline conversations (like the World Cup Tracking Page).
iPad & Content Sovereignty
The iPad is the beginning of a whole new way of computing - The whole idea of cloud computing, or content sovereignty - this giving us the option to access the data from anywhere, on any device, rather than the here-and-now device, is where we’re headed. If you look at my most important apps:
Evernote, Things for Mac, and Instapaper - All these things offer device independence (and also early to the gate with iPad versions - much to my delight).
iPhone was not about to challenge the laptop/desktop space, but I think you will start to see much less laptops casually out in the wild because of devices like the iPad - The Coffee Shop is going to have a much different look over the next year.
I am excited to see what Apple does next with MobileMe. This creates an environment where all my data can be accessible on the most convenient platform for the task. There is a lot of talk about cloud computing, but this is really the first time that leaving the content in the cloud is being rationalized by the everyday consumer.
ex: In Tweetie (for the iPhone) I can push a URL, that was tweeted, directly to Instapaper for later reading. Now in the morning, I can tap on my iPad and read all those articles that I grabbed earlier. No matter which device I have in front of me, the content is current.
Desktops/Laptops will still be the place for your peripherals (for now) , but as things like Eye-Fi automatically push to your cloud, you don’t loose everything - cause you forgot to sync, or haven’t gotten home to cable up.
Just my thoughts.
