Along with hosting the Olympics, the Jubilee and thrashing the All Blacks, 2012 is likely to be remembered as the year that the tablet computer really arrived.
Tablet computers are nothing new but advances in screen technology and wifi have made it the right technology at the right time. This week David Clulow has announced a trial of the technology in its network - not surprising given the power the product has to educate patients, show frame on face images and take fitting measurements. What makes the iPad even more powerful is its ability to offer any lens, frame or contact lens to the customer whether it's in the store or not.
It will also be interesting to see if older wearers as well as younger ones can be engaged in buying off-screen. I was told a story recently of a high street retailer dabbling in iPads on the shopfloor to queue-bust the customer service desk. The iPad is used to order items not in stock, to source different sizes, colours or styles. These products can be bought there and then by the customer and picked up at a later date or mailed out. During the week the iPad was hardly used, but at the weekend, when the Saturday boys came in to work, the week's sales target was hit in a couple of hours.
An interesting thought for anyone thinking of using tablet technology in their own practice.
By Chris Bennett, editor.