Product of its surroundings

iPad: The iPad is rearranging the world to fit its screen. Apple’s new electronic tablet won’t hit the shelves in the United States until April 3. It’s not even clear if consumers will adopt it en masse. Yet venture capitalists, entertainment companies and rivals are scrambling to adapt. This suggests Apple’s already halfway to a hit.

If consumers think the iPad is an overpriced luxury, it will most likely be relegated to niche status. If it is regarded as useful, or better yet a necessity, then Apple may have a blockbuster on its hands.

Looking at its hardware and software, it’s not clear which camp the device falls into. For example, users can’t watch videos in Adobe’s Flash, which is close to a de facto standard. On the other hand, the device is fast and battery life good.

Yet the world is reacting. Venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins has doubled to $200 million the size of its “iFund” to invest in companies producing applications for the iPad and iPhone.

Networks are adapting their television shows to display on the device. And Amazon will raise prices on some best sellers for its Kindle, matching Apple’s more accommodative policy with publishers, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

These measures suggest iPad users will have more applications to choose from, more television shows to watch, and probably won’t pay more for books than competing tablets are already offering. In short, it’s a more valuable device. Apple may have created a winning gadget, but the world is already working to ensure it is a big hit.