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As the overseas launch of the iPad approaches, and the United States prepares for the arrival of the 3G models of the tablet system - which are likely to bring with them a significant surge in demand, if the pre-order figures being bandied about are realistic - many developers will be casting their minds back to statements made during the gadget's much-hyped launch in January. In particular, some will recall the promise of a "second gold rush" - a new wave of success for app and game developers, comparable to the heady early days of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The concept of a gold rush brings to mind the unbridled optimism of realising that there are untapped veins of profit waiting for the right people to come along and exploit them - open pastures as yet untouched by the big corporations who dominate other sectors of the market, ready for small, enthusiastic and innovative people to move in and make their mark.

Students of history, however, will point out that real gold rushes also tended to have much darker consequences. Battles between rival prospectors and a wanton disregard for the environment meant that the human and ecological costs of gold rushes could be immense, leaving behind a barren, scorched landscape and dusty, desperate towns filled with those who couldn't afford to escape to greener pastures. There's a good reason why many of the most bleak Westerns are set in the aftermath of a gold rush.

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