The year isn’t even a quarter over yet and already it looks like I missed a big, big prediction.
Back in December, I did my annual predictions blog post. I mentioned the iPad 2, but I obviously lacked the clairvoyance to see the Tablet onslaught.
The first anti-iPad of note was the Galaxy Tab. At 7″ diagonal, it’s only about half the size of the iPad. The Tab runs the Android OS, but the phone version of the OS, not the newer Honeycomb tablet version of Android.
My only disappointment with the Galaxy Tab is that the version being sold in the U.S. lacks telephone service. It’s there, but it’s just not activated on the device. In Europe and Asia, the Galaxy Tab works brilliantly as a phone, which makes it a valuable alternative to the iPad. And that probably explains why the Galaxy Tab overseas has outsold the domestic Galaxy Tab by a wide margin.
Coming soon is the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which is a full-size version of the existing Tab. It will run the Honeycomb OS, which shows promise. Still, the 10.1 Tab won’t be available in Europe for a few months, with no debut scheduled here in the U.S. I’m hoping later this year.
Available this coming week is the Motorola XOOM tablet, which is predicted to be available on Thursday.
The XOOM looks like it’s the first major competitor against the iPad. It’s about the same size, it already runs the Honeycomb OS, and the price is just a smidgen higher than the iPad.
My guess is that the XOOM, which I continuously try typing as “ZOOM,” will put more of a dent in the iPad’s sales than the diminutive Galaxy Tab. Still, I don’t see it as the tablet “for the rest of us.”
Face it, Apple has a death grip on the Tablet market. People are trained to think of the entire category as an “iPad.” So when I take my Galaxy Tab out in public, people ask me if it’s “one of those iPads.” That’s pretty significant evidence of Apple’s marketing efforts.
I’m not even going to mention the other, sundry Tablets on the market. I do predict that they’ll be more of them as the iPad market grows and other manufacturers want a slice of that pie.
Will any other Tablet ever seriously compete with the iPad? Sure! It will take about a year, but it will happen. Before then, I predict two things:
1. Microsoft will get into the Tablet market in an awkward, embarrassing, and ultimately unsuccessful way.
2. People will actually figure out why the hell anyone would need a Tablet in the first place.
I think youll be wrong on this one Dan, I think 7″ will turn out to be the optimum size for tablets. Steve Jobs tried to make the tablet compete against the netbook, but lets face it, carrying around a 10″ tablet is not as convenient as a 10″ netbook. The only thing a large tablet might be good for is couch surfing. A 7″ tablet can be carried around by anyone with big pockets, a 10″ tablet requires a bag or breifcase of some type. Plus the exposed screen of a tablet makes it more difficult to carry in a bag due to screen damage by other hard objects.
Comment by BradC — February 21, 2011 @ 11:04 am
You make a good point, BradC. I still have trouble carrying around the Galaxy Tab, though it’s far easier to put into a coat pocket than the iPad.
Comment by admin — February 21, 2011 @ 11:16 am
I still haven’t figured why people have a ‘real’ need for a tablet. They are cool and play games but with a net book you can actually do work on them. Typing a letter or spreadsheet. I have seen pictures of people plugging a Mac keyboard into an ipad. What is the point of that? surly it makes it a net book having a physical keyboard. I am sure many people will say they have a need for them I am interested to find out what that is. I expect most people that have an ipad have a laptop as well. The only other thing I can think of is people are using them to read books and newspapers on, which is what the Amazon Kindle is for.
Comment by chiefnoobie — February 22, 2011 @ 3:58 am
I’m curious about the need for tablets myself. I see a future where most people who have computers today will simply have phones tomorrow. Teenagers who text mostly, and who could get by with Skype for the handful of phone calls they actually make, could get by with a 7″ tablet. Perhaps that will end up being the target market?
Comment by admin — February 22, 2011 @ 8:27 am