iPad Becomes Central Part of Many Business Operations

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How Apple iPad is changing the way many West Michigan businesses operate. (Grand Rapids Press, 3/13/2011)

Excerpt:      As customers buy roasted beans at Rowster New American Coffee, an Apple iPad takes care of everything from a credit-card swipe to electronic proof of payment.

There’s no cash register, no computer and no paper receipts.

The eight-month-old roaster/cafe at 632 Wealthy St. SE is among the many businesses which have made iPad a central part of their operation. That is perhaps most remarkable because the iPad has been available for less than a year.

With this month’s debut of the iPad 2, along with a slew of similar tablet computers expected to hit shelves this year, the integration of these high-tech slabs into business is only expected to continue.

“It’s nice because it’s really flexible,” said co-owner Stephen Kurtis, who learned the method from a coffee shop in San Francisco. “It’s more interactive than the traditional point-of-sale system.”