So, the iPad arrived in a fury of media attention, debate over the product's merits (there were a few people who said they expected more from it) and snickering over its name. It will inevitably be closely followed by other tablets of both the Android and Windows varieties.

This was more than a big product launch – it was a geeksplosion, because this thing is going to touch every corner of the geekonomy. Here's a rundown on how it's going to affect most of the major industries we cover:

PUBLISHING: The splashy launch of the iPad moved electronic publishing front and center in the mind of the public, so even those who didn't consider reading books, magazine and newspapers in pixels before are thinking of it now. The result: Greater public acceptance of E-publishing, new E-book only companies and an ideal platform for the Skiff (I said it before and I said it again: They should give up on their own reader and concentrate on this).

And what of traditional readers? Despite the fact that the launch brought out the Chicken Littles who said the sky was falling for Kindle and its ilk, I don't think they're going to vanish right away, but they will do a slow fade – despite Amazon's puzzling attempt to push the Kindle as an iPad-like do-everything device.

MANGA/COMICS: The E-book only concept extends here, too – the ultra-portability and larger size suits comics reading on the go much more than phones, so expect this to mean a boom in digital comics, to the point where a new category of comic could rise somewhere between the traditional print book and the Web comic – the digicomic.

GAMING: Before the iPad's launch, it was touted as a gaming machine. While that wasn't a part of the news reports, it's very true that Apple is emphasizing that aspect of its device and has already cut deals with at least one major company (Electronic Arts). What this means to designers that you're going to now not only think small (traditional handhelds, which will NOT be killed off by this) and large (consoles), but also medium – not only for the iPad, but the upcoming DS XL.

MEDIA: The iPad is ideal for streaming media on the go, since it's easier to watch a basketball game on a 10-inch screen than a phone. Expect this to make streaming even more popular, and for the now-inescapable sports webcasts to be joined by streams of other major events, like the Oscars and the Grammys.

The bottom line: Wherever you work in the geeknomy, this will affect you. Even if you don't plan to purchase a tablet, you need to familiarize themselves with them – even if they're not here to stay, they will have a far-reaching impact.

- Bonnie