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Ipad competitors: Which one is most dangerous?
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i read somewhere that the notion ink Adam's battery could last for up to 170 hours! if so then it is a definite competitor for the ipad!!! running an android OS (which is only going to get better as time goes on, more apps etc) and 170!!!!!! hours of battery life not on standby mode but reading text and playing videos! Anything over 24 hours is amazing. Not to mention it is said to be under $500. It can do everything the ipad can, minus some of the apps, plus some things the ipad can't, which makes it obvious competition. Only time will tell which one is "better" although im banking on the ipad being a better quality, yet I'd still buy the Adam for its lower cost and incredible features. Well see!
I do not think it is true. We saw several netbooks advertised long battery life but they usually not as the companies said. Current technologies are not able to do 170 hours I bet.
That pretty much says it all. Can't find a release date on their website, although wikipedia says rumored to be June. Sure, if you wait long enough, future technology will probably produce something better. Although Notion Ink Adam looks interesting, let me know when it's not vaporware.
The courier is Vaporware at the moment and will continue as vaporware for at least a year.
Right now the market is iPad vs. everyone else. The kindle is probably going to be it competition in the short run, even more so if Kindle has both eInk and color LCD's.
The thing is everyone knows what a kindle is. Especially older people know what it is. In fact lots of older reader love the kindle because it is easy to use, they like to read and books are extremely cheap as eBooks from Amazon.
When/if the Kindle gets beat down that I think Dell is the only other maker that seems to have the right attitude toward tablets (Android + multiple form factors). Windows tablets are dead and dying as they have been for the last 5+ years. There will still be a core market for pen + touch Windows 7 computers, but this market will probably not grow very much due to expense and the continual kludge of Windows on Tablet form factors.
Any tablet from a "no-name" manufacturer is dead in the water unless they get bought by a bigger company. This means Archos, JooJoo etc. will never gain traction unless they get bought out, or a major investor comes in to give them marketing assistance. Asus may have a spitting chance since Asus is becoming a household name, but they have decided to hold their cards for the moment
Thanks.
I'm a fanboy, obviously, but even having said that, I don't see how anyone thinks the ipad won't be a huge success.
Actually they say 16 hours of HD video playback and 140 hours of audio playback.
you can see more info here:
http://www.notionink.in/adamfeature.php
and a very early prototype demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxgRBC47SAo
folks compare the ipad launch to the iphone launch, what they're forgetting is that the iphone was a new device never seen before. No other company was even close to anything similar. In order to compete with ipad, all they need is to revise the Android, it's a different world.
you can see more info here:
http://www.notionink.in/adamfeature.php
and a very early prototype demo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxgRBC47SAo
folks compare the ipad launch to the iphone launch, what they're forgetting is that the iphone was a new device never seen before. No other company was even close to anything similar. In order to compete with ipad, all they need is to revise the Android, it's a different world.
Imo... two differnt answers.
1) The iPad will be it's own biggest enemy. If it fails to deliver on it's promise and the developers simply become lazy and let the 2x button "convert" their apps.
2) The tablet we have yet to see being built. The MS Courier could be "it" but unfortunatly for MS, Balmer will likley @%&# up it's chance to succeed.
I think the iPad will "pass or fail" on it's own based on people's own experience with it, not comparing it to the other devices. The current crop of netbook tablets and Android based devices will fragment that market making them competitors of themselves. I think anyone shopping for a "tablet" and doesn't want to buy a iPad will be looking at many options. If someone likes what iPad has to offer, or Apple in general, their is only one choice... the iPad. No other tablet can offer the "Apple" experience from iTMS, app store, etc... It's the Apple experience (love it or hate it) or chose from a laundry list of "check list" tablets. Apple is one of very few, (MS being another) that controls everything about the product which if done right (iPT/iPhone) makes a great product that people love. The opposite will clearly happen if they fail to make a great user device.
Apple rarely gets on stage to talk all about spec's and geek speak as to the ram timing and all those things the nerds love, they talk about the user experience. That sells Apple's idea's and products to the masses. No other company I can recall has had such a marketing campain to sell computers and never mentions the "check list" that they need to try and sell you a system on. The other dozen or so companies get to shove Windows 7/Andriod OS on their hardware and be a look alike to one another. Then the number of USB ports and tech speak is what attracts buyers. Their brand means less and less as they need to have the the fastest, cheapest pc of hardware to sell against everyone else with the same box running the same OS on it. Apple can sell and market on it's brand and the idea of what they bring to a customer because no one else can bring what they have to market. Clearly in the US, Dell, HP, MS and others have some brand name recognition, but build a better mouse trap with Win 7 on it, at a cheaper price (see Archos, MSI etc..) and their brand won't hold buyers from the competition. They still have to resort to a system spec sheet to sell their wares as every other "PC" maker has the exact same OS running it. The only way to define themselves in the sea of "Windows" is to offer 3 USB vs 2...
Dump flash? For what? What's the alternative that apple has provided? It doesn't exist.
It's called the app store. Youtube app was out 2 years ago, allowing their "flash" video to be viewed on the iPT/iPhone users. Apps are the alternative, just as Hulu is considering/rumored to be creating an app to view its flash based content.
Flash is simply the means to an end. Their are other delivery methods of the content, and if the user base of iPT/iPhone and iPads continue to grow, content providers will make their content available to us. They need us just as bad as we want to see their content. They don't survive without page views and people visiting their content.
So yes, yes it DOES exist, many people just can see it.
It's called the app store. Youtube app was out 2 years ago, allowing their "flash" video to be viewed on the iPT/iPhone users. Apps are the alternative, just as Hulu is considering/rumored to be creating an app to view its flash based content.
Flash is simply the means to an end. Their are other delivery methods of the content, and if the user base of iPT/iPhone and iPads continue to grow, content providers will make their content available to us. They need us just as bad as we want to see their content. They don't survive without page views and people visiting their content.
So yes, yes it DOES exist, many people just can see it.
Way to not answer the question. Fine, where is the app that allows users to view and uses the vast numbers of websites that have flash integrated into their design? I don't care about what Hulu is considering/rumored to be creating, it doesn't exist yet. You said it yourself. Maybe someone will create an app that removes the hundreds of little bluish cubes I see all over the internet, but until then, that's a major issue. Why create a device with such excellent video/photo displaying capability if when you get on the internet, that ability is severely hindered?
It's like creating a car that can only use that E85 ethanol stuff. Great, too bad only about 1% of gas stations the country over use that stuff. Same with this, if you're not gonna offer the main thing, give an alternative, the iphone/ipod touch has been out for how many years again?
Oh, and the App store? One thing I hate is how many apps they mention it contains. What they don't mention is that 99% of them are terrible, or there is a far, far, far superior version of it out there.
HP's Slate is supports flash, but it's UI is kinda messy.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/08/hp-slate-makes-an-appearance-to-show-off-flash-stays-for-a-rock/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/08/hp-slate-makes-an-appearance-to-show-off-flash-stays-for-a-rock/
Regarding the ADAM
it looks like an intriguing device, but why do they have a link to such a horrible video on their site? There is so much glare, it's hard to even look at. The guy is pressing stuff on the screen and it doesn't respond... It's not that hard or expensive to produce a professional video. These guys are totally shooting themselves in the foot - their company comes across as some kind of back-alley, fly-by-night, flim-flam operation. For @#$%'s sake... put together a decent video of your product!
it looks like an intriguing device, but why do they have a link to such a horrible video on their site? There is so much glare, it's hard to even look at. The guy is pressing stuff on the screen and it doesn't respond... It's not that hard or expensive to produce a professional video. These guys are totally shooting themselves in the foot - their company comes across as some kind of back-alley, fly-by-night, flim-flam operation. For @#$%'s sake... put together a decent video of your product!
0:52 of the Adobe vid, they have it in Portrait mode. 16:9 in portrait really doesn't work for me. It looks unnaturally squeezed/tall. Screen is a bit smallish. Max 9", maybe less.
Otherwise it is a funny vid clearly aimed right at ipad.
I don't consider anything I have seen to be a real competitor as far as sales go. Most of them are from brands that have no mindshare in the US or elsewhere. Many will never make it past design and prototyping even though they make a bunch of noise. The Indian developed ones in particular will never make any sort of mass market presence as they don't have the ecosystem or budget.
If Apple has anything at this point it is the UI and brand recognition. HP has so many products its difficult to tell the difference and I feel the Slate it destined to get lost in the shuffle of all the other windows 7 based tablets sporting an awful touch interface. Android based tablets are the best bet but they all vary so wildly that developing for one will likely mean it won't work quite the same or at all on another. Microsoft's Courier idea seems cool, but I feel it may end up more unwieldy than most, even that 15 inch one.
Only time will tell, of course. But even with my complaints against the iPad (no Flash! But i'll live. And even worse no Java!) will likely not be enough to keep me away from it for long, though my budget likely won't allow me to be a zeroday adopter. Motorcycle track days take precedence.
If Apple has anything at this point it is the UI and brand recognition. HP has so many products its difficult to tell the difference and I feel the Slate it destined to get lost in the shuffle of all the other windows 7 based tablets sporting an awful touch interface. Android based tablets are the best bet but they all vary so wildly that developing for one will likely mean it won't work quite the same or at all on another. Microsoft's Courier idea seems cool, but I feel it may end up more unwieldy than most, even that 15 inch one.
Only time will tell, of course. But even with my complaints against the iPad (no Flash! But i'll live. And even worse no Java!) will likely not be enough to keep me away from it for long, though my budget likely won't allow me to be a zeroday adopter. Motorcycle track days take precedence.
Alternative for what?
Providing crappy web experiences? You can do that with the tools provided.
Marketing
Apple has the best marketing and PR in the business. Was the iPod really the best MP3 player in the beginning of the last decade? It didn't reaally matter because Apple sold it to the public. Now go back to the 80's, MAC OS or Windows? The MAC was clearly a better device but marketing made the PC the winner. In the end the best products don't always win! I am betting on Apple's brand reputation and marketing strategy to have the iPad dominate the marketplace.
Apple has the best marketing and PR in the business. Was the iPod really the best MP3 player in the beginning of the last decade? It didn't reaally matter because Apple sold it to the public. Now go back to the 80's, MAC OS or Windows? The MAC was clearly a better device but marketing made the PC the winner. In the end the best products don't always win! I am betting on Apple's brand reputation and marketing strategy to have the iPad dominate the marketplace.
marketing didn't make the PC win the war. More applications are what fueled the win, along with cheaper prices for the hardware. marketing? no way.
Nokia Booklet 3G
How about the Nokia Booklet 3G? I know it's not a tablet device, but it's still a competitor to the iPad.
Stats
aluminium unibody design
island-style keys
built-in webcam
Flash-compatible
Windows 7 OS
12-hour battery life
USB port
HDMI port (720p max output)
2.6 lbs.
$599 unlocked
$149.99 w/ 2-yr. contract
Sounds highly "dangerous" to me.
How about the Nokia Booklet 3G? I know it's not a tablet device, but it's still a competitor to the iPad.
Stats
aluminium unibody design
island-style keys
built-in webcam
Flash-compatible
Windows 7 OS
12-hour battery life
USB port
HDMI port (720p max output)
2.6 lbs.
$599 unlocked
$149.99 w/ 2-yr. contract
Sounds highly "dangerous" to me.
H.264 doesn't exist? HTML5 doesn't exist? They may not be prevalent right now but it's idiotic to spout they don't exist. There are sites that support these formats, and more coming available all the time. With 60M+ iPhone OS users around sites are starting to "wake up," realizing they are missing this huge, lucrative, market.
Also a bit hyperbolic to say "dump flash," since Apple isn't "dumping" anything. Flash has always been absent from iPhone OS, and always been available on OS X. However, I personally keep flash off when surfing b/c it's insecure (like tracking cookies that are hidden from normal cookie deletion process) among other issues.
Oh I forgot to mention...
120GB HD
digital compass
GPS
swappable sim card tray
I compared the cost of a Nokia Booklet 3G w/ a 2-yr. contract ($59.99 a month) to an Apple iPad 3G w/ no contract ($29.99 a month for unlimited use) and here's what I came up with. By the way, unlimited has a 5GB a month cap, if both devices are signed with AT&T.
Nokia Booklet 3G (2-yr. cost)
$149.99 + $59.99 X 24 = $1,589.75
Apple iPad 3G (2-yr. cost)
$629 + $29.99 X 24 = $1,348.76
As you can see the Nokia Booklet 3G is $240.99 more than the Apple iPad 3G over 2 years, but you also get a built-in camera, full OS (sort of), Flash compatibility, an HDMI port, a USB port, a built-in keyboard, more storage, and longer battery life (supposedly). What you don't get is the App Store with its 150,000 apps and growing, or an OS that's simplified and built around cutting-edge touch screen technology.
The question is do you want to be an early adopter of said technologies (despite the fact that they've been around for 10 years), or do you fear change and want to stick with tried and true form factors to get the job done. I'm all for pushing the envelop, but not everyone is. Leaving a camera off of the iPad was stupid though and has caused me to wait 6 months for an updated version of the iPad and an updated version of the iPhone this summer.
120GB HD
digital compass
GPS
swappable sim card tray
I compared the cost of a Nokia Booklet 3G w/ a 2-yr. contract ($59.99 a month) to an Apple iPad 3G w/ no contract ($29.99 a month for unlimited use) and here's what I came up with. By the way, unlimited has a 5GB a month cap, if both devices are signed with AT&T.
Nokia Booklet 3G (2-yr. cost)
$149.99 + $59.99 X 24 = $1,589.75
Apple iPad 3G (2-yr. cost)
$629 + $29.99 X 24 = $1,348.76
As you can see the Nokia Booklet 3G is $240.99 more than the Apple iPad 3G over 2 years, but you also get a built-in camera, full OS (sort of), Flash compatibility, an HDMI port, a USB port, a built-in keyboard, more storage, and longer battery life (supposedly). What you don't get is the App Store with its 150,000 apps and growing, or an OS that's simplified and built around cutting-edge touch screen technology.
The question is do you want to be an early adopter of said technologies (despite the fact that they've been around for 10 years), or do you fear change and want to stick with tried and true form factors to get the job done. I'm all for pushing the envelop, but not everyone is. Leaving a camera off of the iPad was stupid though and has caused me to wait 6 months for an updated version of the iPad and an updated version of the iPhone this summer.
How about the Nokia Booklet 3G? I know it's not a tablet device, but it's still a competitor to the iPad.
Sounds highly "dangerous" to me.
Ummm. It is a fairly bog standard netbook... there probably are 50 similar netbooks already.
It is actually sluggish and slow compared to other netbooks:
"Performance is the Achilles heel of the Nokia Booklet 3G. You think that it is as fast as other Netbooks? Think again: in the PCMark 05 benchmark, the Nokia Booklet 3G gets a score of 1114, versus 2074 for the HP Mini 311. "
http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/12/nokia-booklet-3g-review.html
This is just the same old netbook vs iPad argument. They are really aimed at different markets.
for anyone thinking of going with the nokia, it might make more sense for them to use a Mifi (if they don't mind carrying it around in their pocket or purse), because the Mifi would have far more utility, because one can connect multiple devices to it. the cost of the mifi service is identical to the price u quoted for service for the nokia.