Is the iPad really the device that changes everything? Well one thing is for sure, it changed the home control industry forever. To get a WiFi enabled touch screen controller before the iPad you could spend $5,000 or more plus programming time.
The coolest part of the iPad is you can set up Apple Home Sharing with an iPad, Apple TV and any computer running iTunes, and you can do this right out of the box without a $100 per hour programmer.
Even if you do have a really cool control system like a Crestron, AMX, Lutron or Vantage, the iPad offers a solution that is truly unique. There are apps for both the iPad and iPhone to run most major brand home control and lighting control systems. My last home had a Crestron System and the iPad is cooler than any Crestron touch panel I ever had.
While the Apple products will never be able to do all of the things a true home control or lighting control system can do, it can provide a great interface that is lightweight and easy to use. All of the big players in the control markets have seen the iPad as the link between entry level systems and the high end control systems. Never before has there been a product that could link all of the systems with a common user interface device.
A couple of remote control companies attempted to do this, now they just write an app for their products and have a WiFi connector box.
Where this really changes the industry of home control and automation is that a homeowner can now write a list of what he wants his home to do, and the dealers can compete with the best prices for the boxes that are hidden in the back doing the work. No more choosing a brand because they have a better touch screen or cheaper programming. Now it is about the customer experience.
The iPad has changed everything in Home Control.