Man oh man. This is going to be like the netbooksplosion that happened after the EeePC hit. Roy Chen, a big man at ARM, said at a press meeting that they expect perhaps 50 tablet computers to be made available worldwide in 2010. Of course, in the US, we’ll only see a fraction of them — maybe 15 or 20. Some of these will be knockoffs, some Android devices, some this or that or the other thing, and of course all of them are going up against the iPad and will likely measure their specs against it and not each other.
You’ll also see a lot of fragmentation at the size level before one size gets established as the “standard.” Five inches? Seven inches? Nine? Ten? How about dual screens?
It’ll be interesting to be sure, but I get the feeling that, like netbooks, the first year is going to be ugly, iPad included.
[via Wired]
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9168418/ARM_sees_over_50_new_iPad_like_devices_out_this_year
Funny how tablets have been around for awhile and sucked. Funny how the iPad was panned before and after its announcement. Funny too, how it is now the defacto tablet device to beat and it isn’t even on the market yet.
By December, everyone will remember and know what the iPad is – even though most wouldn’t be able to quote virtually any specifications on the device. They know it and use it because it is easy and just works.
All these sell on specs because they are using either Windows or Linux DESKTOP OSs (not OSs designed for touch) and SPECS are the only way they can differentiate themselves from each other.
Apple, on the other hand, simply has to get the iPad into people’s hands to use. The interface/OS and simplicity and beauty of the device convert people easily.
While the rest of the world cannibalizes themselves, Apple will simply dominate.
I wish other companies realize soon that specs no longer mean much – and if they do, the people they hold meaning for are likely going to be left behind. It is the whole experience now that matters.
How many people will remember these tablets in 1 year or even know what they are now?:
HP Mini1000
HP Pavillion HDX
Acer Travelmate 250PE
Asus R1F1
AIS Rugged Tablet PC
Archos 9
Axiotron Modbook
COWON Q5W
Electrovaya Scribbler SC4000 series (older: SC2000, SC3000, SC3100)
Fujitsu Stylistic ST5010
Fujitsu Stylistic ST5111
Fujitsu Stylistic ST5112
Fujitsu Stylistic ST6012
Fujitsu Stylistic ST1010
G-NET Rugged Tablet PC
JLT8404 Field Tablet PC
MobileDemand xTablet T8600 Rugged Tablet PC
Motion M1200, M1300, M1400, LE-Series, C5, F5, LS800, LE 1700 and J3400
PaceBlade SlimBook 200
Panasonic Toughbook 08
Quadpad Slate Style Tablet PC
Samsung Q1 (Q1 Ultra)
TabletKiosk Sahara Slate PC i400 series, Sahara NetSlate, eo Ultra-Mobile PC
The missing SDHC card reader and USB ports will make the iPad much less versatile. The new tablets that come out with Windows 7 and SD, USB will simply own the iPad. Nice try on Apples part but they really messed up the easy stuff.
will the windos tablet be able to read HTML5 or will be different than the ipad in that thing? also why only like 15 or 20 out of the 50 will be available in the us? i personally dont like apple cause after a month or so they’re already gonna have the ipad2/ ipadsomething it suxz