Hollywood's new must-carry accessory (NYT)

By Nancy Tartaglione

Forget dogs in purses, the new must-carry accessory in Hollywood is the iPad. When Apple introduced the gadget this year, experts predicted that tablets would transform the habits of groups of people like college students and doctors. According to The New York Times, Hollywood can now be added to the list of the addicted -- and while some are busy playing Angry Birds during down time between set-ups, other converts say the gadget is having a dramatic impact on the business.

"When you're carrying a little TV around, you bring the power of imagery to places that you don't normally have it," Roberto Orci told the NYT.

Orci's iPad has served as a daily call sheet; acted as a map in an unfamiliar location and allowed him to keep tabs shows he helps produce like "Fringe" and "Hawaii Five-0."

Dana Delany, who will star in "Body of Proof," a coming ABC drama, told the NYT she now has revisions sent to her digitally. "I think it's the greatest invention in years," she said.

Not only a behind-the-scenes gadget, the iPad is also getting plenty of onscreen play.

Although an Apple spokesperson told the Times the company does not pay for product placement, Nielsen data shows that Apple products have popped up about 2,438 times on TV programs through September of this year.

Its most prominent appearance in prime time came in April, on ABC's "Modern Family." Eyebrows were raised since Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs, is on the board of ABC parent, Disney. But "Modern Family" exec producer Steve Levitan, an avid iPad user, said the iPad story originated with the show's writers.

Meanwhile, iPad won't be the only game in town for long. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that a slew of smaller competitors plan to launch a counter-attack against the iPad via a seven-inch tablet.

On Nov. 11, Verizon will start selling Samsung's Galaxy Tab -- a 7-inch tablet that runs on Google's Android software. Next year, BlackBerry maker Research In Motion will release its 7-inch PlayBook.

For 2011, Morgan Stanley estimates that Apple will sell 30 million iPads, while non-Apple tablets will skyrocket to 20 million.