It has been said that the release of the iPad marks a new age in interface design. I politely disagree with that notion.
Good design is appropriate. It meets the desires of an audience. It does things. It works. None of these principles will change with the iPad.
The iPad is simply yet another device for people to interact with. It is simply a device that allows you to experience things through Apple’s lens. It is not a platform killer.
New & innovative apps will be made. People will be wowed. But this already happens all the time, each and every day.
The iPad will bring digital interaction to individuals who have not engaged in traditional computing. Other devices and software already do this, each and every day.
The iPad is a highly capable device. People will talk about it, and build things for it, and do things with it. No matter how prolific a device becomes, it is still only a device.
Devices will change. Design is forever.