Here’s another fine example of the iPad being used for far more than just consumption. As Mark Gurman reports at 9to5Mac, AT&T are planning to rollout iPads  to replace computers and sales counters in their retail stores.

iPads will be replacing computers that run point-of-sale system software called OPUS – and a feature-complete version of the software will run on the iPads.

… this iPad-based system will replicate all functionality from the older, desktop-computer OPUS system. These new iPads will function as a point-of-sale system, an upgrade check system, a system to research customer accounts, and will be capable of doing everything the computers are capable of doing.

The iPad rollout to all of AT&T’s retail outlets is expected to be done within a couple years, but 9to5Mac are hearing that the early stages of the rollout program may already be well underway:

…according to sources, AT&T will begin aggressively deploying these new iPads for a larger test phase in a certain amount of markets by early next year. We’ve heard that a handful of markets have begun testing these iPads already within the past couple of weeks.

We have a very new AT&T store just five minutes away from where I live that looks a lot like the Chicago concept store shown above – but I didn’t see any iPads in use by staff when I was in there a couple of weeks ago. Have any of you spotted AT&T staff using iPads in one of their retail stores?