Very recently, Apple took the wraps off its iPad tablet device, which was probably one of the most eagerly awaited launches of the recent times. With the unveiling of the iPad, the company's status as a cultural icon has managed to hit new highs.

As has been revealed by a non-formal and unscientific survey of the newspapers recently undertaken, the iPad's pictures and stories about the gadget appeared on front pages of newspapers circulating in about 47 states and the District of Columbia, and also across 24 countries in 6 continents.

The newspaper industry is looking at the iPad as the very device which will help it from rapidly plunging even further, by spurring demand for downloadable applications that feature content which one cannot find online. Book publishers, on the other hand, are looking at the tablet-device as a means which would stimulate purchasing of e-books.

Even software developers who have been making money from the many Apple offerings by developing applications for them will be able to benefit more from the iPad and its much bigger screen.