A whole bunch of manufacturers are busy trying to create a killer tablet to be able to compete with the iPad. And for many of those manufacturers Google’s Android operating system is the way to go. The hopes are high, since Android already managed to take the leading market share in the smartphone market. A few years ago Apple’s iOS reigned supreme, but was forcefully dethroned by a never-ending series of competitive Android smartphones. But is the tablet business that comparable to the smartphone industry? And shouldn’t we compare it to a much older case, that isn’t that positive for other manufacturers but perhaps fits the bill way better?

The smartphone has existed for a very long time. I’m sure you can remember the first Blackberries, Symbians and Windows Mobile devices? If we look back at those now they seem rather pathetic compared to what we have today but still there was nothing better at that time. The businessmen chose a phone on any of these platforms and the average joe loved his Nokia, Samsung or Motorola dumbphone. And then Apple popped up with once again another smartphone, the iPhone. Initially not a success but it prove to be useful by being easier to work with and after all successful by targeting the right people. Google and other tech companies noticed this and also agreed that the smartphone landscape looked rather dull. So Google conquered many (mainly dumbphone) manufacturers with the open Android operation system and Microsoft completely threw out Windows Mobile and exchanged it for Windows Phone. The manufacturers that produced phones with these systems already proved to be trustworthy by having provided cellphones to the crowd for many years. Together with mainly Android it was a matter of making people dump their old dumbphone for a slightly more expensive smartphone. By creating a plethora of Android devices in all sizes, colors and prices the big manufacturers together with Google managed to launch Android to the top of the smartphone charts.

Since it are once again the same major players which are facing each other, isn’t it logical that the outcome will once again be the same for the tablet market? Not necessarily. Which brings me to that other market, the market of the portable media players.

When the iPod arrived it was revolutionary because it allowed people to store a lot of music on such a small device and take it everywhere with them. There were MP3 players before the iPod, but they were hardly capable of storing twenty tracks and suddenly there’s a device which allows people to take hundreds and later thousands of songs with them. The iPod was there to stay. There was no longer such thing as an MP3 player, there were only iPods. If you didn’t have an iPod you had nothing. This resulted in the competition trying very hard to compete with the iPod with decently working devices, but to no avail. They couldn’t do a thing, everyone wanted an iPod and nothing else. And since the iPod defined the pricing in its field, the steep price of early iPods was not an issue. Before Apple there was no brand which really excelled in this market.

Does this story ring a bell? 2010, Apple launched a wholly “new” device, the iPad. Just as in the Portable Media Player market, there were no real competitors. There were tablets before the iPad, but they were slow, unpractical and didn’t have a dedicated operating system. In addition to the physical flaws, they lacked marketing power to break through. Nowadays nearly everyone wants an iPad, there is no such thing as “a tablet” for the average joe. There are only iPads. Only after a year, the competition decided to wake up and do something about the iPad’s reign. They begin their attempts to launch competitive tablets similar to the iPad, but based on Android or their own OS. Outside the tech world, not a single soul notices. Kids and youngsters still go to the store and either want an iPad or nothing at all. Elder folks get the advice to get an iPad instead of a PC because it’s easier to work with. Where the iPhone was expensive in its segment, the iPad is decisive for the pricing of the entire market and is relatively cheap.
And why would people try a different brand if all of their friends are happy iPad users? Why run the risk of buying something unfamiliar to you and with no guarantee that it will actually work?

The iPad solidifies its position just like the iPod did, as a revolutionary device that succeeded into defining the market. There are no real predecessors and the competition doesn’t seem to get a hold of the market at all, notwithstanding serious marketing- and brand awareness attempts by carriers and manufacturers. The most visible tablet in advertising and promo actions must be the Samsung Galaxy Tab. But the non-tech folks simply don’t care. “What’s that? That’s not an iPad! Who can convince me that it actually works?”. Where the iPhone wasn’t really defining for the smartphone market, the iPad has become one with the tablet market, just like the iPod did when it comes to portable media players.

So is it too little too late for the other manufacturers? Is there still a chance that a killer tablet will beat the iPad? Only time will tell, but if you ask me it’s indeed too late. Just like in the iPod case Apple will maintain the top market share while the competition fruitlessly fights for recognition with highly comparable devices.

The tabletwars, are they over without even starting? is a post from: The Apple Bites

Here, Consumer Reports acknowledge iPad as the best overall best tablet computer on the market sale.

According to Consumer Reports:

“A year since the Apple iPad has been virtually the only game in town in tablet computers,” CR wrote on Tuesday, “some serious competitors are finally hitting the market. Yet in Consumer Reports latest tests of the 10 most-promising tablet computers, the Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi and 3G topped the Ratings.”

Paul Reynolds, Consumer Reports’ electronics editor express that he would like to see more competitive pricing in tablets as the other models begin to hit the market.

[Via]
http://modmyi.com

Reports claims iPad as the best tablet in the market is a post from: The Apple Bites

Very rare we can see such ads where the reseller thrashes the product they are retailing. The same thing happen when BestBuy bullied iPad in an ad.

The above picture shows the Asus Eee Pad Transformer and iPad with a keyboard duct-taped on bearing the line, “Like That.” Next to it is the Asus tablet with the slogan “Only Better.” The “better” Asus is hawking is that its Android Honeycomb tablet has an optional keyboard and touchpad dock that allows the user to convert the tablet into a netbook.

BestBuy and Apple has along history of mutual relationship, where Apple allow BestBuy to be one of the first store to retail iPad and iPad 2.

Very soon Apple will issue a statement, so lets wait and see whether their relationship will be the same.

[Via]
http://www.ipad.net

No way! iPad intimidate by Ad put by BestBuy ( Bullied) is a post from: The Apple Bites

Hewlett-Packard first gave us a peek at their Slate tablet way back at CES 2010. Now the real thing is finally here, but it may not be the iPad alternative some consumers have been waiting for.

The HP Slate has finally arrived, and it holds few surprises. The HP Slate 500 Tablet PC is a 9” tab running Windows 7 and including an SD card slot, front and rear-facing cameras, a docking connector and USB port. On the inside, it’s packing a 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 64GB SSD hard drive, a Broadcom Crystal HD chip for HD video playback and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, but no 3G connectivity.

According to report, in HP device what it lacks is specialized touch interfaces, and the default Windows onscreen keyboard makes it difficult to do much of anything without using the included stylus or an external keyboard. The Slate is aimed at business and industrial customers, who are likely to be using their own custom software, but it’s not likely to attract the users who have become spoiled by iPad’s effortless touchscreen technology and multitude of apps.

To put it simply, the HP Slate is all business but not much fun. The HP Slate 500 is sold only as a bundle, with the tablet, docking stand, carrying case and stylus going for $799 at hp.com.

[Via iPad.net]

Hewlett-Packard is here to stay, they intend business is a post from: The Apple Bites

The iPad is becoming more famous day by day, with people wanting to use it for different purposes because it’s handy, easy to use and also it’s got a great look.

The demand for tablets like the iPad has reached the point where it’s more popular than just about all other categories of device. Forrester discovered in a research conducted recently that 14 percent of shoppers online were planning to get an iPad or a similar tablet within a year where as just eight percent expected to get a netbook. The demand was higher than for desktop computers (four percent), e-readers like the Kindle (11 percent) and even notebooks (13 percent).

With just 1.9 percent of people owning an iPad or an equivalent as of now, the growth in the market for tablet devices is really big. Though there are many tablets in the market, the iPad seems to be the most likely choice for almost all.

Buyers were appropriately about three times more likely to have an iPhone or Mac, but about 73 percent of iPad users were still using Windows systems. Tablet users of all kinds were noticeably more likely to view media online, use social networks and store data online.

 The iPad is almost single-handedly establishing not just the category in sales but also in the public mind.

Via: electronista.com

iPad, tablet demand outdoing netbooks and PC’s is a post from: The Apple Bites

Crunch gear recently reported on the release of the new Axon Haptic, a 10-inch touch screen tablet device priced approximately at $750 to $800 and capable of running not only both Windows and Linux, but also any Darwin-based operating system, including Mac OS X.

We had some rumors back in April regarding an affordable hackintosh tablet called the Axon Haptic, but now we know that it’s real, you’ll be able to pre-order it this week, and yes, it runs OS X. But installing OS X on anything other than Apple hardware is a breach of the license agreement. So Axon Logic (the company that makes the Haptic) strongly urges you not to do it, though of course they are not responsible for how you use the open-source software available, but everybody thinks it’s a great idea and many would go for doing it.

The approximate weight of the Axon Haptic is said to be around two-pounds, supporting both stylus and finger input, and is powered by a 1.6 GHz Atom processor with 2 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive. The Haptic also includes a 1.3-megapixel webcam, Wi-Fi, and a series of USB, Ethernet, and VGA ports, as well as a card reader. Upgrades like 3G data SIM card and Bluetooth to support Verizon is also said to be available.

Ultimately, of course, it’s up to the user whether this is something for them. However many believe that the OS X runs best on iDevices, and so go for an iPad if its enough, or a MacBook Pro if you need more power.

Via [Macrumors]

Axon Logic Hackintosh Tablet may outdo the iPad is a post from: The Apple Bites

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We all knew it for months in some way, but now we know for sure. Apple has released a tablet and it’s called the iPad.

Think of the iPad as a big iPhone or iPod Touch on steroids, a hell lot of steroids. It seems to run a more advanced version of iPhone OS and contains most features of the iPhone combined with the useability of Mac OSX. For people who expected a full functioning Mac OSX tablet there will be a slight disappointment. But the availability of many Mac OSX style apps optimized for a multitouch interface take the blow very well. The iPad runs all iPhone apps perfectly but devs can build specific apps which are optimized for the iPad.

There seems to be an addition to iTunes and the App Store as well, iBook! This is a book store in coöperation with Amazon. (the guys who made the kindle eReader)

iBook

Another interesting fact is that Apple succeeded in porting iWork to the iPad with an amazing touch friendly result. This will be put to a great use in educational facilities, I see students taking notes on the iPad and the iPad replacing laptops in college.

There will be 3G available, but unlike the iPhone, this won’t be necessary to make the iPad function. All iPads will be unlocked and deals with international carriers may come in June. The iPad will be available within 60 days worldwide, 90 days for the 3G!

The specifications are :
Thickness : 0.5″
Weight : 1.5 pounds
Display size : 9.6″ IPS
Display type : Full capacitive multitouch
Storage : 16-64Gb
Processor : 1Ghz Apple A4 chip (Apple built their own CPU)
Connection : Bluetooth 2.1, Wifi 802.11n, 3G
Sound : Speakers, Microphone
Battery life : Up to 10 Hours
Extra’s : Accelerometer, compass
Price : 499$ (wifi only 16Gb), 599$ (wifi only 32Gb), 699$ (wifi only 64Gb), 629$ (wifi+3G 16Gb), 729$ (wifi+3G 32Gb), 829$ (wifi+3G 64Gb),

Here are some more images (source: engadget) :

All images are provided by Engadget and remain property of engadget.

It’s official, the Apple iPad has hit planet earth! is a post from: The Apple Bites

Here’s some intelligence(!) data from Apple’s top-secret products, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber suggests that Apple’s tablet will not have any camera, according to his reliable sources.

Gruber’s predictions sometimes have been strong, and this time he’s uttering:

And, for what it’s worth, I’m hearing there is no camera, webcam or otherwise, on The Tablet.

This is disappointing, but let’s wait and watch.

No Camera in Apple’s Tablet is a post from: The Apple Bites

According to Financial Times, Apple has scheduled a special media event for Tuesday, January 26th at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, which is the place that Apple has used for music related events each fall in recent years. Apple will, according to sources, use the venue to make a major product announcement.

Still we are waiting for an official announcement from Apple, and we are afraid that we can’t tell you what is up Apple’s sleeves. Rumors have been flying around in more than a year, that Apple are about to release a tablet device, and of course we are expecting to see a tablet device January 26th.

Apple Media Event Scheduled for Late January? is a post from: The Apple Bites

Tags:

• ashish ajmani apple bites

Bill Keller, The New York Times executive editor, talked to the digital group at The New York Times October 16th with focus on the next couple of months. In his speech he mentioned delivery of content to mobile devices, including the “impending Apple slate.”

The New York Times is rumored to become a huge part in an upcoming Apple tablet device, that maybe will become the next generation of print media. No one knows, and Apple hasn’t announced anything about a tablet device yet, but according to The New York Times, they have been working on a tablet device for at least 6 years, and it is rumored to be released in February 2010.

New Tablet Rumors is a post from: The Apple Bites

Since our latest published rumors of the Microsoft booklet of increasingly rising interest, called Courier, we have collected some new images of the product. Sources tell us that the earlier posted images and YouTube video are in fact of a late prototype of Courier. This means that the booklet’s look and shape may be finished and that Microsoft is planning a release, or official announcement, in the nearest future. There are no visual changes to the product in the images, and they seem to be of the same prototype.

The Microsoft booklet, Courier, will serve as electronic alternative to an ordinary notebook. It has multi-touch display, wireless Internet connection, integrated maps, address book, navigation and a neat interface which features several graphical interactive actions, such as clip & paste. It is understood as highly organized competition to Apple’s upcoming tablet, as Courier is said to have been under secret development ever since the first rumors of an Apple tablet went public.

More images of Microsoft booklet – Courier is a post from: The Apple Bites

I’m sure we all held our breath expecting Apple to announce the new i-Touch with camera as well as the new Apple Tablet. Unfortunately it was not to be and instead Microsoft decided to creep under every ones radar and steal the thunder from right under Apples nose.

What am I talking about? Microsoft’s new tablet : The Courier.

The Courier is currently close to completion and according to theses videos.. looks pretty nice too. Although the “tablet” looks more like a “booklet”, the double screens can either be used with a stylus or with your finger.

Gizmodo have the low down on The Courier and will keep their eyes firmly on developments. So check back regularly for updates.

In the meantime check out the video.

-Grathina Furlong

Microsoft Beat Apple on the Tablet is a post from: The Apple Bites

Gizmodo reports on details about the rumored Mac Tablet. The source says that the device will look much like a large iPhone. It has the home button and black plastic back, but with a 10-inch screen.

“The device, which I’ve held mock ups of, is going to have a 10 inch screen, and when I saw it looked just like a giant iPhone, with a black back — although that design could change at any time” they said, “with the same black resin back, and the familiar home button.”

But according to the German site iPhone-Notes.de the new Apple device will not be called Mac Tablet or iTablet, but MacBook Touch. That sure sounds more like an Apple product and it also sounds good.

There will be two models, according to the rumors. One will include a webcam and the other will be designed for ‘educational use’ persumably without a webcam. They say the MacBook Touch will cost somewhere between $700 and $900 and may have the ability to serve as a secondary display and touchscreen input device for existing Macs.

“To make up for that cost and make the device more than just a big iPod there was, this person claimed, there was talk of making the device act as a secondary screen/touchpad for iMacs and MacBooks, much like a few of the USB screens that have come out in recent months from Chinese companies. Very interesting.”

Journal du Geek has some details about the MacBook Touch. They think the price will be between €800 and €1000 and there will be two models as well. Here’s a list of things that will probably be a part of this device:

Name: MacBook Touch
Operating System: Snow Leopard
Casing: white plastic casing
Screen: 9,7 inch LCD-screen with multitouch and glass
Software: access to the App Store
Optical drive: no
USB: 2 USB-ports
Memory slot: SD-cardreader
Audio: headset plugin for audio in and out
Charger: MagSafe-adapter
Batterylife: 4 hours max.
Models: 80 GB for €849 and 120GB for €999
It seems the details could be right, but one source talks about a black casing and the other source talks about a white casing. Maybe Apple’s going to the same as with the iPhone. Launch a white and a black version of the MacBook Touch. For an additional €79 you can get an extra dock to place the MacBook Touch in the table.

We’ll wait and see what is true and what’s not. All these rumors. It must be true that Apple’s going to launch a MacBook Touch of some kind. They also made a commercial about a new mystery product, which could be this much rumored Tablet computer.

Almost: It’s MacBook Touch is a post from: The Apple Bites

AppleInsider claims that the Apple Tablet will be here in 2010—similar to the rumors we’ve already heard—but that it’s coming at a price that’s not too unreasonable.

It is expected to retail for somewhere between the cost of a high-end iPhone and Apple’s most affordable Mac notebook.

This would means – under $999 and over $299. They also said that it’ll be 3G enabled, that it’ll be around 10-inches and be shaped like a large iPod Touch and they said Apple is not going to subsidize this with AT&T, which means rumors of Verizon being the partner this time seems true!

Apple Tablet May Be Coming in 2010, Pricing Details Rumored is a post from: The Apple Bites