Ipad competitors: Which one is most dangerous?

[4DThinker]

The only competition for the iPad is another touchscreen tablet running the iPad OS. Guess what? There aren't any of those.

The bevy of tablets running Android will all be competing against each other.

The pod of tablets running XP/Win7Starter will all be competing against each other the same way netbooks with an MS OS do now.

Of course there might be some who thought they wanted an iPad, and then realize they need a Win tablet for compatibility with their work PC. There might a rare soul that finds a store where iPads are displayed next to two or three android tablets, and who buy an android tablet because it is cheaper or perhaps a better fit in their purse.

All tablets purchases will be first-time investments into an unproven device category. Many will get set aside (or returned to the store) after a week or two and forgotten, because they didn't really fit into the buyer's lifestyle. Some will change the buyer's life in a profound way. It doesn't matter which brand of tablet it is. This is the year of the tablet, and we'll all be (already are) affected by them. That's a good thing, for it doesn't look like there is any other tech category worth discussing this year.

 

[gwynne]

The only competitor that would be 'dangerous' in terms of my money would be something that doesn't seem like it would ever exist: an iPad that also has a Wacom-like ability to receive precise stylus input in art apps. I've never seen anyone address this in any convincing way, but I assume that the problem is that it's technologically apples and oranges (multi-touch screen technology vs high-rez Wacom-like digitizer screen technology intended for a stylus).

I've already been through the dance with a Windows Tablet PC with Wacom digitizer/stylus, and yeah, the results underwhelmed. Trying the Windows OS with a tablet form factor again has no appeal. If I ever have the spare cash (for something that would be strictly hobby--I am not an art/design professional) I'll just get a Cintiq.

 

[kdarling]

But yet it hasnt bothered people with iPhones and iPod touch users......actual usage by actual people say so.

Actually, on the Apple support forums you'll see posts from regular users every single day asking how to download Flash... and puzzled that they cannot.

It's one of the more common questions there.

 

[Fraaaa]

Do you remember the get-a-mac ad "virus"?

iPad. 140,000 apps from day 1.

HP Slate. 140,000 viruses from day 1.

 

[Alchematron]

iPad. 140,000 apps from day 1.

HP Slate. 140,000 viruses from day 1.

Ouchy!

 

[4DThinker]

iPad. 140,000 apps from day 1.
HP Slate. 140,000 viruses from day 1.

Of course neither will have time to download 140,000 of anything in one day. As for viruses and other pesky software, it's one of the side effects of Windows being the most popular OS out there. Your 140,000 is also a gross understimate.

 

[Bytor65]

I am reminded one thing you miss on the iPad vs windows tablets.

OS installs.

I am upgrading this weekend from XP to Win7 (setup, tracking down all my programs in Win7 versions or equivalents..).

The actual install took maybe an hour. Trying to get my system as functional as it was will likely take weeks.

The iPad will likely never face nothing like this.

 

[Fast Shadow]

If the HP Slate works as advertised it will be dangerous. Facts are facts: Flash matters.

Also, I fully expect Google to release a Chrome or Android based tablet within a couple of years.

I am reminded one thing you miss on the iPad vs windows tablets.

OS installs.

I am upgrading this weekend from XP to Win7 (setup, tracking down all my programs in Win7 versions or equivalents..).

The actual install took maybe an hour. Trying to get my system as functional as it was will likely take weeks.

The iPad will likely never face nothing like this.

Do you have an iPhone? People having to do full restores/reinstalls is fairly common. And I'm not talking about jailbroken phones, either.

 

[rtabdo]

If the HP Slate works as advertised it will be dangerous. Facts are facts: Flash matters.

The problem with the Slate is the same problem that all windows tablets have and its that your finger is moving a pointer around to click on something. It still feels "old". Apple has figured out that you need to create specific OS's for devices that are less powered, which is why most netbook arent all that great. Microsoft is getting it and is doing so with their Windows 7 Series phone...its not Windows 7 on a phone, its totally different.

As far as flash is concerned, I think its a blown out of proportion issue. Sure it would be nice, but is it worth the sacrifice of battery life? Would i trade 10 hours of battery for 5 to have flash? Personally for me, no. Companies like Google, Apple, Firefox are all saying the same thing. Flash is a resource hog and eats battery quickly. Youtube on Android does not use Flash to play. I read a stat recently that said something like 80% of videos watched on the web are from youtube.

It'll be interesting to see what happens, but honestly, I dont see the Slate taking over the iPad because the iPad isnt not so much about hardware, but its about all the amazing software that is coming to it.

 

[Bytor65]

Do you have an iPhone? People having to do full restores/reinstalls is fairly common. And I'm not talking about jailbroken phones, either.

Nope don't have Apple anything. Can anyone who has done this indicate what the effort is like? I am betting less than 10% of the grief of a windows reinstall.

 

[diabolic]

Nope don't have Apple anything. Can anyone who has done this indicate what the effort is like? I am betting less than 10% of the grief of a windows reinstall.

You plug your iPhone in, click a few times in iTunes, and wait several minutes. Not hard to do, but also not that common. Only time I ever needed to do it was when I was jailbreaking a few years ago. Since I stopped doing that I haven't had to restore and I've had an original iPhone, 3G, and 3GS.

 

[Spudracer]

Nope don't have Apple anything. Can anyone who has done this indicate what the effort is like? I am betting less than 10% of the grief of a windows reinstall.

You win the bet.

 

[AndrewS]

As far as flash is concerned, I think its a blown out of proportion issue. Sure it would be nice, but is it worth the sacrifice of battery life? Would i trade 10 hours of battery for 5 to have flash? Personally for me, no.

Agreed - although the test I saw recently was more like trading 10 hours of battery life for 15-30 minutes to have flash.

 

[lotusindigo]

MS Courier is vaporware, but that aside, I was considering waiting for it instead of getting the iPad. It has two things I want: a stylus and a rear-facing camera. But then I realized that for art and design purposes, it wouldn't be useful as a sketchbook for the mere fact that its screen is split in half. So it was iPad and Pogo Sketch for me.

 

[JediZenMaster]

Agreed - although the test I saw recently was more like trading 10 hours of battery life for 15-30 minutes to have flash.

I agree too flash is not worth it. But the problem is that you have gadget geeks who say it should be their decsion as far as battery life. But they don't realize that they make up a small percent of the market.

The average mom and pop consumer who would get this device would be blaming apple for the bad battery life. So in this case they have to cater to what the majority wants. But i swear even if the ipad had flash and lightpeak and 2 Hdmi ports people would still say it was missing something

 

[ciaran00]

Does it bother any of you guys that not a single competitor has a worthy demo? Nothing that steps through all of their features in an easily viewable video or demo.

I'm not gonna accept HP Slate or any other ******** devices as anything but vaporware, or rehash of existing tablet products that no one buys, until I see what the things can do.

HP, especially, seems ridiculous that they can't post a single worthwhile demo to look at - that Adobe Flash one is so busy spewing vitriol back at Apple ("full web" this and "full web" that... great we got Flash ads) that it's not really a demo. They announced the product already. Let's see what it can do.

My contention is that we don't see these demos because they will show off the shortcomings of the product. At least Apple shows you lack of flash right in Jobs' own keynote.

Edit: Also ridiculous what a ghost town the HP slate website is.