7 ms·

What I find stunning is that Apple is about to launch the iPad 2 and we are still waiting for the first credible Android-based tablet, aside from the Samsung Ga

by mjfern 16y ago

What I find stunning is that Apple is about to launch the iPad 2 and we are still waiting for the first credible Android-based tablet, aside from the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Note that the first iPad launched almost a year ago in April of 2010. Apple’s time-to-market in tablets has generated at least five key advantages for the company: 1. Apple has locked up the market for critical components, including 60% of the global supply of 10” touch capacitive screens. 2. The company is much further along the learning curve in tablets, with refined hardware and software as well as more efficient production through its partnership with Foxconn. 3. Apple has achieved significant economies of scale to drive down per unit costs, having already shipped and sold 15m+ iPads. 4. The company has developed a sizable collection of complements in the form of apps and content (via iTunes) and physical accessories. 5. Apple has generated strong brand awareness around the iPad, given the limited competition for consumer mind share in this market. These aforementioned advantages build upon Apple’s already significant, corporate advantages in the areas of technology, distribution (e.g., retail stores), customer service, and overall brand recognition. Credible Android-based tablets will arrive soon. For instance, the Motorola Xoom is due to hit stores this Thursday. However, it may take some time (measured in years) for competitors to catch up to Apple in this market.

there 16y ago
Credible Android-based tablets (e.g., Xoom) should emerge later this later this... week? http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/21/visualized-motorola-xoom-rolls-into-best-buy/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/21/visualized-motorola-xoom-... http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/motorola-xoom-up-for-in-store-pre-order-at-best-buy-800-for-th/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/motorola-xoom-up-for-in-s...
- mjfern 16y ago
  Thanks! :-) I changed the wording to "Credible Android-based tablets will arrive soon..."
- mberning 16y ago
  If you consider a $600 vs $500 tablet credible.
  - benologist 16y ago
    It's hardly a mortgage either way.
    - mberning 16y ago
      In terms of absolute dollars I agree. As a consumer though, I'm going to be looking very hard at what I am getting for an extra 20% cost over the iPad. Many consumers are still going to consider the iPad a much better value.
      - gloob 16y ago
        Presumably there are at least a few people who don't buy the absolute cheapest iPad out there, right? My understanding is that there are a few different iPads with different amounts of storage and whatnot, with prices that vary by a few hundred dollars. (Correct me if I'm totally off-base here.) Someone looking to buy a $500 iPad might well be put off by a $600 price tag on another tablet. On the other hand, someone looking to buy a $700 iPad (or even a $500 iPad plus a $30 case for it) probably won't be, I wouldn't think.
  - timdorr 16y ago
    I spent $3000 on the laptop I'm using, and these tablets are positioned to replace it. I think it's a good deal at any sub-$1000 price, even if it's not quite as absolutely powerful in the areas I'm used to having power.
    - barredo 16y ago
      No 500-800$ tablet will replace a 3000$ laptop
      - slouch 16y ago
DonnyV 16y ago
Yeah and they had a couple year lead with the iPhone and we saw what happen with that. ;-)
- pohl 16y ago
  ...yet still can't come to universal agreement as to how it should be spun. :-)
- jshen 16y ago
  It's the dominant phone on the market. It worked out well for them.
  - mberning 16y ago
    It never ceases to amaze me the contortions that people will go through in their pursuit of bashing Apple.
    - mcdowall 16y ago
      Totally agree, I love my iPad, yes the first version didn't have a camera and would've been cool with the retina display but come on, there isn't one Android tablet out there that does as good a job for the price. It's fundamentally changed the way I do things too, I no longer buy a daily paper, i just grab my Times subscription every morning, read books on it and stream shows/films via Air Video Server and a host of other fun stuff. Find me an Android tablet that can compare and I'll consider that.
  - cryptoz 16y ago
    But it doesn't run the dominant phone OS on the market. And that fact is actually quite important. It's true that no single Android phone is close to the sales of iPhone, but it's most certainly true that from an OS perspective, Android is leading the way with iOS in second place.
    - jrockway 16y ago
      Android isn't really leading, it is just allowing carriers to release "smart" phones in the free to-$199 price range, which is what most people expect to pay for a phone. If there was an iPhone available for every carrier and it cost $20, then nobody would be using Android except the hard-core Linux hackers (like myself). I am not complaining about this situation at all, as I love Android and hate Apple, but let's be honest as to what is actually going on. Cheap crap = sales.
guelo 16y ago
If you are just counting announcements there are tons of android tablet announcements, iPad 2's release could still be months away.
- Samuel_Michon 16y ago
  The first gen iPad was announced on January 27, 2010. It was available on April 3, 2010. That's 2 months between announcement and launch. Apple could afford to release information that far in advance, because it didn't replace an existing Apple product and there was no competition from other vendors. This year, the situation is different. I'm willing to bet that the second gen iPad will be available within 5 weeks of its announcement. (If I'd have to guess, I'd say Saturday, April 2.)
  - cletus 16y ago
    I heard today that the first iPad required FCC approval so keeping it under wraps was never going to happen. But that doesn't apply to the iPad 2. I expect the iPad 2, if announced on March 2, to ship before the end of March.
    - masklinn 16y ago
      I expect the iPad 2, if announced on March 2, to ship on March 2. Because that's the way Apple usually rolls.
      - smokey_the_bear 16y ago
        I doubt it will ship March 2. They haven't given a new beta OS to developers, and they don't want all apps to be broken on launch day.
        masklinn 16y ago
        What new beta OS? The iPad 2 would ship with iOS 4.3, iOS 5 will be released this summer.
stcredzero 16y ago
However, it may take some time (measured in years) for competitors to catch up to Apple in this market. That means if someone can get their act together and catch up in just 1 year, they can lock up a still enviable #2 spot. I'm talking about having good execution on the device, the software, and a competing set of complements. Not only does Apple engender the love of many, it also garners much dislike. This amounts to a huge resource which can be leveraged for marketing.

by mjfern 16y ago

there 16y ago

Credible Android-based tablets (e.g., Xoom) should emerge later this later this... week? http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/21/visualized-motorola-xoom-rolls-into-best-buy/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/21/visualized-motorola-xoom-... http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/motorola-xoom-up-for-in-store-pre-order-at-best-buy-800-for-th/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/20/motorola-xoom-up-for-in-s...

mjfern 16y ago
Thanks! :-) I changed the wording to "Credible Android-based tablets will arrive soon..."
mberning 16y ago
If you consider a $600 vs $500 tablet credible.
- benologist 16y ago
  It's hardly a mortgage either way.
  - mberning 16y ago
    In terms of absolute dollars I agree. As a consumer though, I'm going to be looking very hard at what I am getting for an extra 20% cost over the iPad. Many consumers are still going to consider the iPad a much better value.
    - gloob 16y ago
      Presumably there are at least a few people who don't buy the absolute cheapest iPad out there, right? My understanding is that there are a few different iPads with different amounts of storage and whatnot, with prices that vary by a few hundred dollars. (Correct me if I'm totally off-base here.) Someone looking to buy a $500 iPad might well be put off by a $600 price tag on another tablet. On the other hand, someone looking to buy a $700 iPad (or even a $500 iPad plus a $30 case for it) probably won't be, I wouldn't think.
- timdorr 16y ago
  I spent $3000 on the laptop I'm using, and these tablets are positioned to replace it. I think it's a good deal at any sub-$1000 price, even if it's not quite as absolutely powerful in the areas I'm used to having power.
  - barredo 16y ago
    No 500-800$ tablet will replace a 3000$ laptop
    - slouch 16y ago

DonnyV 16y ago

Yeah and they had a couple year lead with the iPhone and we saw what happen with that. ;-)

pohl 16y ago
...yet still can't come to universal agreement as to how it should be spun. :-)
jshen 16y ago
It's the dominant phone on the market. It worked out well for them.
- mberning 16y ago
  It never ceases to amaze me the contortions that people will go through in their pursuit of bashing Apple.
  - mcdowall 16y ago
    Totally agree, I love my iPad, yes the first version didn't have a camera and would've been cool with the retina display but come on, there isn't one Android tablet out there that does as good a job for the price. It's fundamentally changed the way I do things too, I no longer buy a daily paper, i just grab my Times subscription every morning, read books on it and stream shows/films via Air Video Server and a host of other fun stuff. Find me an Android tablet that can compare and I'll consider that.
- cryptoz 16y ago
  But it doesn't run the dominant phone OS on the market. And that fact is actually quite important. It's true that no single Android phone is close to the sales of iPhone, but it's most certainly true that from an OS perspective, Android is leading the way with iOS in second place.
  - jrockway 16y ago
    Android isn't really leading, it is just allowing carriers to release "smart" phones in the free to-$199 price range, which is what most people expect to pay for a phone. If there was an iPhone available for every carrier and it cost $20, then nobody would be using Android except the hard-core Linux hackers (like myself). I am not complaining about this situation at all, as I love Android and hate Apple, but let's be honest as to what is actually going on. Cheap crap = sales.

guelo 16y ago

If you are just counting announcements there are tons of android tablet announcements, iPad 2's release could still be months away.

Samuel_Michon 16y ago
The first gen iPad was announced on January 27, 2010. It was available on April 3, 2010. That's 2 months between announcement and launch. Apple could afford to release information that far in advance, because it didn't replace an existing Apple product and there was no competition from other vendors. This year, the situation is different. I'm willing to bet that the second gen iPad will be available within 5 weeks of its announcement. (If I'd have to guess, I'd say Saturday, April 2.)
- cletus 16y ago
  I heard today that the first iPad required FCC approval so keeping it under wraps was never going to happen. But that doesn't apply to the iPad 2. I expect the iPad 2, if announced on March 2, to ship before the end of March.
  - masklinn 16y ago
    I expect the iPad 2, if announced on March 2, to ship on March 2. Because that's the way Apple usually rolls.
    - smokey_the_bear 16y ago
      I doubt it will ship March 2. They haven't given a new beta OS to developers, and they don't want all apps to be broken on launch day.
      - masklinn 16y ago
        What new beta OS? The iPad 2 would ship with iOS 4.3, iOS 5 will be released this summer.

stcredzero 16y ago

However, it may take some time (measured in years) for competitors to catch up to Apple in this market. That means if someone can get their act together and catch up in just 1 year, they can lock up a still enviable #2 spot. I'm talking about having good execution on the device, the software, and a competing set of complements. Not only does Apple engender the love of many, it also garners much dislike. This amounts to a huge resource which can be leveraged for marketing.