Here was the normal scenario over the last 10+ years:

"Check this out."

"What?"

"On my computer. No no. Come around here and take a look."

"Oh. What's that?"

"Use the mouse and click on that button. Yeah. Up on the right. No no. The other button. Here. Move over and let me do it."

The phone isn't any better:

"Check this out."

"What?"

"Here."

"I don't see anything."

"Oh. Hold on. Now look at it."

"Neat. Oops. I clicked something."

"Let me see. Yeah. Here. Try again."

In the two scenarios, the sharing of information was awkward. For desktop computers you have to shift, adjust and lose control over the device to share anything with another user. And phones can be cumbersome too.

The iPad, on the other hand, can sit flat on the table. By tipping it, the perspective changes for the user. Both of you have access to the virtual buttons, no one is leaning over your shoulder, and no one has to move.

It's Microsoft Surface, but portable, and it changes the way I and my wife, and friends can interact with a computer. And developers should be determining ways to make social applications that work with this new platform.

I think this will reinvigorate board games. Scrabble for the iPad is one great example. If you have an iPod Touch or iPhone you can download a free tile application so you can manipulate your tiles on your handheld. When its your move you can flick your tiles onto the game board and arrange them there.

I can imagine these mobile devices could hold your cards in Texas Hold'em, manage your resources in Risk or Settlers of Catan, and make board games easier to set up, manage the rules, and remove the normal friction involved to set up and play complex social games.

How cool would it be to see computers bring more people together in real-space and enhance real social connections? The iPad is the first of these social computing platforms, but we'll see more from other manufacturers soon.