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Tablet Wars: Will iPad remain the leader?

L

LadyHoneyBabe

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 22, 2010
465
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Apple did it again by releasing another wonderful device...the iPad. However, several tablets are launching in the near future and people are waiting for one of them to emerge as the 'iPad Killer'. Personally, I don't see it happening, but maybe I'm biased because I'm enjoying my iPad so much.

Tablet Wars Have Just Begun


:apple:
 
No, Apple won't be a leader as long as they're locking the device down like they are. I really think i love my iPad, but it is limited.
 
jessica. said:
No, Apple won't be a leader as long as they're locking the device down like they are. I really think i love my iPad, but it is limited.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that's true, at least in the case of the iPhone which is a "leading device"

I have no doubt that Apple will be able to keep the iPad as one of the top tablets in the market, largely because there doesn't seem to be any good OSes to fight iPhone OS on tablets(unless Google offers some steps ups for the big screen like Apple did)
 
LadyHoneyBabe said:
Apple did it again by releasing another wonderful device...the iPad. However, several tablets are launching in the near future and people are waiting for one of them to emerge as the 'iPad Killer'. Personally, I don't see it happening, but maybe I'm biased because I'm enjoying my iPad so much.

Tablet Wars Have Just Begun


:apple:
Click to expand...

Same thing happened with the iPhone. As soon as Apple released it, companies were scrambling to put out phones to compete with them. Everytime a new touchscreen phone that wasn't based on WinMo was released, same question "will this be the new iPhone killer?".

Nothing close to "iPhone killing" came close up until this last year when Google's Android platform stopped being ****. The Nexus One was the first phone to defeat the iPhone in CNet's showdown (even then it was only by .1 score, AND the 3GS had outdated hadware compared to the Nexus One, which is what it ended up winning for)

HP Slate? Microsoft Courier? yawn.

I'll be keeping an eye for that Google tablet. All the "customizable!" and "powerful hardware!" guys will flock over to that. That way at least we have strong competition. All these different tablets aren't going to make a dent in that 500,000 (soon to be 1,000,000++ I'm sure) sales run
 
I really don't think that many people are in the market for tablets. Of those that are Apple has an advantage because the iPad has a high profile due to the success of the iPod Touch and iPhone.

Whilst other tablets may prove to be (arguably) "better" than the iPad, they'll struggle to receive the sales of the iPad without broad publicity and hype.
 
Tablets aren't really about hardware. Software will drive them. Nothing will come close to offering what the iPad will in that department regardless if it has better specs on paper.
 
It will be tough to dethrone apple. Like with the iPhone, by the time the competitions any good there will be millions of people with ipads. They'll get used to them, spend a lot on apps, and not want to change due to the sheer simplicity of use.
 
The slate is supposed to run the Atom CPU, that thing will be a slug, just like the rest of the netbooks. So far the only REAL company selling to consumers in large quantities is Apple. Apple has the lead and everyone else has to catch up. Apples tight controls and locked in environment help to control the speed of the OS and can us the base of iPhone users who have invested in programs who will willing stay with Apple. For there to be a Tablet War you need competition and right now everything is vaporware except for the Slate which is not on the market yet. Eventually there will be a war, but you have to catch up in sales first. Right now everything is demos and rumors.
 
Google will probably release a bug-riddled product and never fix it because it's labeled "beta." :)

As someone else mentioned, the hardware really doesn't matter all that much in this game. Nobody aside from uber-geeks care if you have a blah blah gigahertz blah blah blah processor with blah blah RAM. Users want to turn it on and run stuff. Apple got a lead on a bunch of people in the smart phone market and has pretty much put everybody to shame that doesn't sell a BlackBerry. Even then, it's mostly a "I like physical keyboards" crowd coupled with business users who need whatever makes BlackBerry's e-mail better.

In the tablet market, Apple has a head start on EVERYBODY. Google really hasn't innovated crap outside of the search market. Its products get more press because it's Google and not Palm or Microsoft. Google can prove me wrong, but I don't count on it right now, especially as Apple starts taking chunks of Google out of its popular products.
 
Soulcrux said:
Same thing happened with the iPhone. As soon as Apple released it, companies were scrambling to put out phones to compete with them. Everytime a new touchscreen phone that wasn't based on WinMo was released, same question "will this be the new iPhone killer?".

Nothing close to "iPhone killing" came close up until this last year when Google's Android platform stopped being ****. The Nexus One was the first phone to defeat the iPhone in CNet's showdown (even then it was only by .1 score, AND the 3GS had outdated hadware compared to the Nexus One, which is what it ended up winning for)

HP Slate? Microsoft Courier? yawn.

I'll be keeping an eye for that Google tablet. All the "customizable!" and "powerful hardware!" guys will flock over to that. That way at least we have strong competition. All these different tablets aren't going to make a dent in that 500,000 (soon to be 1,000,000++ I'm sure) sales run
Click to expand...

+1 couldn't have said it better myself!
 
On a tablet it's the OS and touch that drive the device. Until a company can beat apple at those two then nothing is going to come close. Apple has a huge head start and will take a year or two before anything comes close. Android is the only thing right now that has a shot but their apps are lacking and I want to see how responsive the OS is.
 
iPad rivals are already behind.

Forgetting about size, weight, cameras, memory, processor speeds, etc...those features are transient as the hardware refreshes every year...

1. Even after 3 years, no one seems to have been able to replicate the iPhone touch UI. The competitions' UIs are sluggish and choppy/laggy. Their screens and/or OSes don't do multitouch well. Some have shown they know how to do it right, but the hardware doesn't seem to want to cooperate.

2. The app store is a monster. It has a 3 year head start in development. 150,000+ apps, vs. 30,000 from the next closest competitor, Android.

3. The Apple data cloud seems to be growing. The more people are tied into MobileMe, via their iPhones, their Macs, and now their iPads, the less reason they have to stray. Any device that Apple makes which works within their cloud has a compelling feature set already built in, made even more so if you already own their other products.

If Apple can continue to add features to the iPad, like they've been doing to the iPhone, it should be on top for the forseeable future.
 
It'll remain the nicest, easiest to use & most complete Eco-system one. Hence, it'll be the best one.

But as far as sheer numbers, no. Google will likely whore-out Android to every half-ass hardware maker out there who'll muck up the OS with all kinds of skins, add ons, etc, just like they do now with phones. Yeah, some will be decent, some will be really nice, but a lot of them won't be.

And yes, their apps are way uglier too & not nearly as full featured & polished.
 
I saw an article where Google is courting Apple app developers to create the same apps for their app store. If this happens, then people might be more persuaded to get Google's tablet instead of the iPad. Especially since it's supposed to be a more open system than iPad.
 
Soulcrux said:
Same thing happened with the iPhone. As soon as Apple released it, companies were scrambling to put out phones to compete with them. Everytime a new touchscreen phone that wasn't based on WinMo was released, same question "will this be the new iPhone killer?".

Nothing close to "iPhone killing" came close up until this last year when Google's Android platform stopped being ****. The Nexus One was the first phone to defeat the iPhone in CNet's showdown (even then it was only by .1 score, AND the 3GS had outdated hadware compared to the Nexus One, which is what it ended up winning for)

HP Slate? Microsoft Courier? yawn.

I'll be keeping an eye for that Google tablet. All the "customizable!" and "powerful hardware!" guys will flock over to that. That way at least we have strong competition. All these different tablets aren't going to make a dent in that 500,000 (soon to be 1,000,000++ I'm sure) sales run
Click to expand...

Exactly. And what did that extra .1 earn the Nexus One? Have they sold 200,000 yet?

Just like the numerous "iPod killers" and "iPhone killers", I'm sure over the next several years we'll be hearing about a new of "iPad killer" every couple months or so, and none of them will amount to much more than a fart in a hurricane.
 
Apple has created leading devices in the iPhone, Touch, and iPad, and will remain leading for the foreseeable future. I am by no means an Apple fanboy (quite the contrary) but you gotta give the Devil its due. ;)

What Apple has done is spur a tremendous amount of innovation in its competitors, lit the proverbial fire under their hineys. Which is a good thing. I recently switched from my iPhone 3GS to a Motorola Droid (and have my eye on the HTC Incredible). I prefer them because of their openness and flexibility, but will they KILL the iPhone. No. They will compete well and will have a place at the table for those who prefer less restrictions, are more tech savvy (and can deal with all the misbehaved applications :D ) and dislike the AppStore policies, Apple policies, AT&T, or Steve Jobs. :cool: They will NOT, however, KILL the iPhone. iPhone is here to stay.

Same with the iPad. The iPad will evolve (camera, more memory, more features, OS 4.0) and will grow and maintain a leading position. But I am ditching it as soon as a worthy Android competitor comes out that gives me a similar experience without the restrictions.

Yes, I want root access, I want disk mode, I want USB connections, I want widgets, I want live wallpapers, I want I want I want.... which is why God created so many colors in the rainbow - so we could have CHOICES.

I suspect that by the time iPad2 comes out, there will be some well established Android tablets out there that will provide a VIABLE ALTERNATIVE. Will they kill the iPad. Absolutely not. The iPad is here to stay.

My humble opinion, of course! :)
 
For disclosure - I have (and like) a Windows desktop PC, a MacBook aluminum 2.4GHz, an iPod touch, a Nexus One, a Kindle, and an HP EliteBook for work, among other stuff. I am willing to shop around and make disinterested comparisons. I am planning to buy an iPad, and when I do, I am likely to sell the Kindle, Apple TV and MacBook.

mcdj said:
iPad rivals are already behind.

Forgetting about size, weight, cameras, memory, processor speeds, etc...those features are transient as the hardware refreshes every year...

1. Even after 3 years, no one seems to have been able to replicate the iPhone touch UI. The competitions' UIs are sluggish and choppy/laggy. Their screens and/or OSes don't do multitouch well. Some have shown they know how to do it right, but the hardware doesn't seem to want to cooperate.
Click to expand...

My Nexus One's touch UI is very nice. And it does multitouch, but not as well/universally (it was held out for a long time over fear of lawsuits). But I don't really miss it ... maybe just what I'm used to. The Nexus One is also much thinner than an iPhone, closer to the thickness of a touch, and the better specs are noticeable in use. Of course, the 4g iPhone will seesaw back ahead technologically.

2. The app store is a monster. It has a 3 year head start in development. 150,000+ apps, vs. 30,000 from the next closest competitor, Android.
Click to expand...

At some point, who cares? 30,000 is a lot. 150,000 is a lot more, but how many of the additional apps are things you'd care about, and how many duplicate functionality or are basically RSS feeds or other low-value items? I work for a company that develops software for consumers, and we rolled out iPhone apps last year; this year, we're looking at iPhone, iPad and Android with roughly equal focus. We are about to pay a third party $90k or so to port a successful iPhone app to Android. In terms of quality apps, the gap is not that huge and is going to shrink as many companies support both equally to hedge their bets.

3. The Apple data cloud seems to be growing. The more people are tied into MobileMe, via their iPhones, their Macs, and now their iPads, the less reason they have to stray. Any device that Apple makes which works within their cloud has a compelling feature set already built in, made even more so if you already own their other products.
Click to expand...

The Apple data cloud may be growing, but the google data cloud is enormous.

There is no real competitor for the iPad now, and until a real competitor actually exists and can be purchased, it's pointless to sit around waiting for it, or comparing the iPad against imaginary rivals. There is nothing like the iPad on the market today, not to say it's for everybody, but you either want one or you don't. You can't directly weigh it against anything else.

That said, I think there is a big opening for an HTC/Google rival to emerge relatively quickly and for a wide range of Android-powered rivals to emerge in the next year, and I hope they do - competition is always better than no competition.
 
wombat888 said:
That said, I think there is a big opening for an HTC/Google rival to emerge relatively quickly and for a wide range of Android-powered rivals to emerge in the next year, and I hope they do - competition is always better than no competition.
Click to expand...

Your make some valid points about the app store(s). Quantity is obviously not preferable to quality.

Having been a PC user for years however, I feel fairly qualified to say that I can spot desktop software that was ported from a PC to a Mac a mile away, and vice versa. Mac developers on the whole are just a different breed; not always better, some times worse, but always different.

Heck, I still miss a couple of programs from my PC days, but I do not miss a single thing about any aspect of the Windows UI, or the UIs of its 3rd party applications.

I can say the same thing about the iPhone. The app store is what it is not just by sheer volume, though that is a factor. A big part of what makes the iPhone OS special is the Apple developers who write for it. They bring a certain flavor to the table, in everything from their outside the box approach to their icons. Sure, there will be successful ports of apps to Android, but so far, the cream of the crop apps, cross platform, seem to start off being made on a Mac, by a Mac user, for an Apple device.
 
Our most successful iPhone app (critical acclaim and tons of downloads) was "Designed in Virginia, made in China." The product manager is a Windows guy, the designer is a Mac guy, the Chinese developers, who knows. There's a sausage-making aspect to this stuff that probably differs from the idea of a bunch of Macheads happily making apps. The Android version would be product managed by a third party based in Virginia, using Chinese or Vietnamese developers.
 
Apple will have a long lead. I would like a more open tablet with HW/SW quality and integration comparable to iPad, but I don't see anything remotely close shipping or shown so far.

What I see:

  • Poorly suited desktop OS's resulting in sluggish reaction on more power draining hardware.
  • A field of cheap TN screens with poor viewing angles.
  • Short battery life.
  • Clunky Linux Variations(JooJoo).
  • Unresponsive resistive screens.
  • Open app environment that will be pirated like mad and be hard to monetize for developers.

Google will probably put together a credible leading second place contender if this really is a priority for them, but everything else so far looks quite mediocre.

Apple has pretty much captured the mind share on this one, I don't see that changing, from here on, tablets will be seen as iPad wannabes.
 
Just like the iPod Touch is the leader in touch screen MP3/media players, and the iPhone is leader in phones, the iPad will remain the leader in tablets.

You don't sell 500,000 units in the first few days if it isn't going to be a powerhouse.

Not to mention the fact that it's not even available internationally yet, and only 1 of the 2 types of iPad are out. Many waited for 3G, and many more are in other countries and unable to buy an iPad yet.
 
It seems as though many people here only see Google as a reel competitor. I don't know much about their phones, but if they model their tablet after their phones, like Apple did, isn't there a good chance they would pull out in front of the iPad? As it was mentioned above, their phone beat the iPhone by .1. I know it's an extremely small number ahead of the iPhone, but iPhone lost out because of hardware...not software, ease of use or anything else...hardware. So it seems like they could easily parlay that into a well made tablet which could end up outselling the iPad. Also, with many developers making apps for both Apple and Google, what will influence people to buy an iPad over the Google tablet (especially if the Google tablet costs less)?
 
Apple really has no viable competition in this area, so yes they will continue to dominate.

The only reason anyone buys a Google based phone is because they want to use a different carrier than AT&T; this will be much less of an issue with the iPad, if at all.
 
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