Who might bring a good fight to the iPad?

LDBoblo · 02-08-2010, 07:45 AM

I suspect this has been done before, but I thought I'd ask anyway.

iPad = interesting even if limited. They've managed decent thin design, good quality screen, good touch interface, good app selection, good battery life, and several other goods, while simultaneously making a lot of "informed" tech people a little disappointed in its limitations.

Were I more patient, I'd not bother. Were I less patient, I'd probably jump for it. As it stands, I'm wondering to myself...is this the best tablet we're going to see this year? I would not be surprised at all if it is, and at the very least it's established itself as the one to beat.

Would a multitouch, Mirasol Kindle fit the bill? What about the grayscale limitations of Mirasol, and Kindle's hardware/software design history? Will they open up their doors more freely to formats, or will they continue to use the device to lock-in customers to their store?

How about Sony? They've expressed interest in playing the game. Will it be a halfassed attempt with no real consideration for usability, as they're known to do from time to time? Will they resolve their apparent incompetence at software design or source out to Google or Microsoft for OS and interfacing? Will they try to attack Apple's product head-on, or will they adopt their "luxury" pricing?

HP's Slate was big news for a few hours, and seems to run a full OS. Will they manage to satisfy on the battery life end? Will touch integration be fully usable? Will the price be competitive?

Notion Ink's Adam has made a splash with many of the people who have seen it, but they have only done vague demonstrations and mockups of Android and Pixel Qi combined. There have been promises, but living up to those promises while posting lofty goals on the blog make me doubtful about their readiness to market. Will people be upset by a 16:9 screen instead of 4:3? Will they manage to use the Pixel Qi display well? Will their software actually cut it, or will it look like a cheap mask on Android? Will they even deliver at all?

Acer? They said they're not playing, and focusing on ultrathin notebooks instead. Could a sufficiently thin and light convertible squeeze into this market space?

Asus? We know they're playing, but the tablet shown at CES wasn't actually used, and seemed a little lackluster. Then there's the reader combo that will be marketed, and has a lot of confusion about it, though the mockups look interesting. Will they manage a good hardware solution? If they can, from what will their OS and user interface spring?

Others seem to be in the game as well, but after seeing Lenovo's rebadged ebook reader offering, it seems clear that there's some trepidation yet in getting involved in this tablet market, from past failures and limitations. As a result, some companies are not going to immerse more than just the tips of their toes.

I'm confident the iPad will be a success, even if not a huge one like the iPhone or iPod. So my question is, who else do YOU think is going to enter this space and actually make a difference?

athlonkmf · 02-08-2010, 08:27 AM

What people seems to forget, the fight against iPad is not to be fought with higher specs.

It has to be fought in the field: user experience.

Apple chose to use an OS which is perfected for mobile, touchusage. And then put it on a machine that is actually OVERPOWERED for that OS.

So when used, the iPad can be extremely snappy, because.. well it has more horsepower than needed for a phone OS.

Unless an OS-maker stands up and co-oporate with hardwaremaker, the hardware might win over iPad, but the iPad would win in userexperience.

CyGuy · 02-08-2010, 08:32 AM

I am personally waiting to see what ASUS brings to the game. I have one of their netbooks and it is fantastic. I would also not discount Samsung, they may have a surprise or two up their sleeves.

LDBoblo · 02-08-2010, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by athlonkmf

What people seems to forget, the fight against iPad is not to be fought with higher specs.

It has to be fought in the field: user experience.

Apple chose to use an OS which is perfected for mobile, touchusage. And then put it on a machine that is actually OVERPOWERED for that OS.

So when used, the iPad can be extremely snappy, because.. well it has more horsepower than needed for a phone OS.

Unless an OS-maker stands up and co-oporate with hardwaremaker, the hardware might win over iPad, but the iPad would win in userexperience.

Don't think anything I mentioned above involved higher specs.
I think the iPad got the fundamental performance specs just about right, excepting their proprietary port and lack of expansion. It's not overpowered at all in my opinion. It needs to be snappy to succeed.

I do agree though, one of the major challenges for many manufacturers will be software and UI integration. Though I don't like the iPhone OS, it works well for the kind of device it is, and the iPad, for all its limitations, will be pretty good at what it's designed for. A good competitor device will need to be thoughtful about that.

Unfortunately, I worry that some of the big competitors will make a clone device without thought to the software end. They'll consider the feather in their cap, the tick box needed to boast "superior to the iPad" to be more storage for the same price.

Or a webcam.

Bremen Cole · 02-08-2010, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyGuy

I am personally waiting to see what ASUS brings to the game. I have one of their netbooks and it is fantastic. I would also not discount Samsung, they may have a surprise or two up their sleeves.

Agree. Though the iPad seems to be what I will get (I don't want a laptop in a tablet form factor), for those that want a full on computer Asus and Samsung might just deliver the goods. Heck, I think Sony could as well. Sony comes out with a bunch of interesting niche products, but they just don't seem to really catch on.

Penforhire · 02-08-2010, 11:30 AM

It has to be fought with an eco-system, just as Apple has iTunes. So I'd say Amazon has the best shot, maybe Sony, maybe an Android OS effort. It really isn't the hardware that is so special here.

kjk · 02-08-2010, 11:30 AM

In terms of an overall media experience, I'm still waiting for Sony to get their act together. I always thought they were closest in spirit to Apple in understanding the importance of the hardware/software/content triad, along with a feel for what the consumer might lust over, and an understanding of the 3rd party developer field.

I think Asus has the technical ability, I'm still not sure they understand the link to content and the developer community-or rather, I don't think they've exploited that route.

As a lifelong Microsoft watcher, I have to say I have no idea wtf they have been doing in this space-like Sony, they have a lot of the pieces in various places, they just can't seem to get them in one place for a device like the iPad.

Amazon-of all of them, I think Amazon has the potential to make the "single-use" device paradigm succeed on its own level-I could see them continuing with the Kindle with eInk for books, moving the DX to some tech like Mirasol or PixelQ for magazines and browsing, and...down the road, a media-specific device for their Amazon Box video-on-demand service.

Great topic! And I agree-the real winner in this space won't be a) an iPad clone or b) an iPad with just some extra features tacked on.

athlonkmf · 02-08-2010, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyGuy

I am personally waiting to see what ASUS brings to the game. I have one of their netbooks and it is fantastic. I would also not discount Samsung, they may have a surprise or two up their sleeves.

From what I've experienced as the owner of an Asus T91 tablet PC, ASUS has a very long way to go. Their custommade application to give some use on it's touchscreen is.... how should I put it nicely?... a complete and utterly fail.

nekokami · 02-08-2010, 01:25 PM

I would be very interested in an Android product, but only if Android gets a standard Java implementation and more standard Linux implementation (e.g. include GNU libraries).

kjk · 02-08-2010, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nekokami

I would be very interested in an Android product, but only if Android gets a standard Java implementation and more standard Linux implementation (e.g. include GNU libraries).

nekokami, would you be more interested in an Android product, or a ChromeOS product?

dmaul1114 · 02-08-2010, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bremen Cole

Agree. Though the iPad seems to be what I will get (I don't want a laptop in a tablet form factor), for those that want a full on computer Asus and Samsung might just deliver the goods. Heck, I think Sony could as well. Sony comes out with a bunch of interesting niche products, but they just don't seem to really catch on.

Yeah I'm the same, no need for a laptop in tablet form.

I may get an iPad down the road if stylus support is added via apps and gives all the mark up and note taking abilities I need.

But I'll also be keeping an eye on what other tablets come out. The MS Courier has some promise, though I'm not sold on the two screen folding design vs. the iPad form factor.

nekokami · 02-08-2010, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjk

nekokami, would you be more interested in an Android product, or a ChromeOS product?

Honestly? I'd like Ubuntu running on something the size, weight, and battery life of the iPad, with the multi-touch support, plus some kind of upgradable storage (e.g. microSD) and a standard mini-USB connector. That would fit my needs very well.

Edited to add: also, stylus HWR integration with the OS. Actually, that's a lot more important to me than multi-touch.

montsnmags · 02-08-2010, 09:33 PM

Is it an area to also look from makers of the smaller (sized) end, and wonder if Motorola or Nokia (who already have a device in that very general realm) might pop up with a "good fight"? HTC?

Cheers,
Marc

tyche · 02-08-2010, 10:05 PM

Another tablet computer like have existed for years now is doomed to failure. They already exist, they are such a small insignificant niche because they are kludgy to use. Battery life is terrible, installing and using applications isn't designed well - the OS and apps are a square peg going into a round hole.

The iPad is the best chance Apple at defining a new market segment because they are willing to make radical changes and even some risk. I mean who thought an "App store" design was a bad idea, yet no one tried and now everyone is caught playing catch up.

I just don't see any company bringing a fight to the iPad because people don't want to use Windows 7 (or OSX for that matter) on a tablet. Best case scenario is if the iPad sales skyrocket you might get MS to get WinMo running a tablet so OEM's can build iPad-like clones and tie into MS's "App Store". But as usual, they will be so late to the game the install base won't budge. Content is king and Apple has that covered. If a few killer apps come out on the iPad (ex. big name magazine & newspaper subscriptions, or some new must have program) it will hard to compete.

Penforhire · 02-08-2010, 10:09 PM

Nokia hit the hardware space quite early (e.g. N800, N-Gage) but they utterly failed on marketing why we want one and their ecosystem never fleshed out like we're seeing Android's ecosystem grow. It seems they have a bit o' Microsoft in them, in bringing neat things to market but failing to execute in various ways.

02-08-2010, 07:45 AM	#1
LDBoblo Wizard Posts: 1,385 Karma: 16056 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Asia Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505	Who might bring a good fight to the iPad? I suspect this has been done before, but I thought I'd ask anyway. iPad = interesting even if limited. They've managed decent thin design, good quality screen, good touch interface, good app selection, good battery life, and several other goods, while simultaneously making a lot of "informed" tech people a little disappointed in its limitations. Were I more patient, I'd not bother. Were I less patient, I'd probably jump for it. As it stands, I'm wondering to myself...is this the best tablet we're going to see this year? I would not be surprised at all if it is, and at the very least it's established itself as the one to beat. Would a multitouch, Mirasol Kindle fit the bill? What about the grayscale limitations of Mirasol, and Kindle's hardware/software design history? Will they open up their doors more freely to formats, or will they continue to use the device to lock-in customers to their store? How about Sony? They've expressed interest in playing the game. Will it be a halfassed attempt with no real consideration for usability, as they're known to do from time to time? Will they resolve their apparent incompetence at software design or source out to Google or Microsoft for OS and interfacing? Will they try to attack Apple's product head-on, or will they adopt their "luxury" pricing? HP's Slate was big news for a few hours, and seems to run a full OS. Will they manage to satisfy on the battery life end? Will touch integration be fully usable? Will the price be competitive? Notion Ink's Adam has made a splash with many of the people who have seen it, but they have only done vague demonstrations and mockups of Android and Pixel Qi combined. There have been promises, but living up to those promises while posting lofty goals on the blog make me doubtful about their readiness to market. Will people be upset by a 16:9 screen instead of 4:3? Will they manage to use the Pixel Qi display well? Will their software actually cut it, or will it look like a cheap mask on Android? Will they even deliver at all? Acer? They said they're not playing, and focusing on ultrathin notebooks instead. Could a sufficiently thin and light convertible squeeze into this market space? Asus? We know they're playing, but the tablet shown at CES wasn't actually used, and seemed a little lackluster. Then there's the reader combo that will be marketed, and has a lot of confusion about it, though the mockups look interesting. Will they manage a good hardware solution? If they can, from what will their OS and user interface spring? Others seem to be in the game as well, but after seeing Lenovo's rebadged ebook reader offering, it seems clear that there's some trepidation yet in getting involved in this tablet market, from past failures and limitations. As a result, some companies are not going to immerse more than just the tips of their toes. I'm confident the iPad will be a success, even if not a huge one like the iPhone or iPod. So my question is, who else do YOU think is going to enter this space and actually make a difference? Last edited by LDBoblo; 02-08-2010 at 07:55 AM.

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02-08-2010, 08:27 AM	#2
athlonkmf Guru Posts: 714 Karma: 1014039 Join Date: May 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500, Sony PRS-505, Kindle 3, Sony PRS350, iPad 64GB	What people seems to forget, the fight against iPad is not to be fought with higher specs. It has to be fought in the field: user experience. Apple chose to use an OS which is perfected for mobile, touchusage. And then put it on a machine that is actually OVERPOWERED for that OS. So when used, the iPad can be extremely snappy, because.. well it has more horsepower than needed for a phone OS. Unless an OS-maker stands up and co-oporate with hardwaremaker, the hardware might win over iPad, but the iPad would win in userexperience.

02-08-2010, 08:32 AM	#3
CyGuy Avid Reader Posts: 769 Karma: 7777778 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: PocketBook 902, Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, ASUS TF700, and Cybook Gen III	I am personally waiting to see what ASUS brings to the game. I have one of their netbooks and it is fantastic. I would also not discount Samsung, they may have a surprise or two up their sleeves.

02-08-2010, 11:30 AM	#6
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	It has to be fought with an eco-system, just as Apple has iTunes. So I'd say Amazon has the best shot, maybe Sony, maybe an Android OS effort. It really isn't the hardware that is so special here.

02-08-2010, 11:30 AM	#7
kjk . Posts: 3,408 Karma: 5647231 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: never enough	In terms of an overall media experience, I'm still waiting for Sony to get their act together. I always thought they were closest in spirit to Apple in understanding the importance of the hardware/software/content triad, along with a feel for what the consumer might lust over, and an understanding of the 3rd party developer field. I think Asus has the technical ability, I'm still not sure they understand the link to content and the developer community-or rather, I don't think they've exploited that route. As a lifelong Microsoft watcher, I have to say I have no idea wtf they have been doing in this space-like Sony, they have a lot of the pieces in various places, they just can't seem to get them in one place for a device like the iPad. Amazon-of all of them, I think Amazon has the potential to make the "single-use" device paradigm succeed on its own level-I could see them continuing with the Kindle with eInk for books, moving the DX to some tech like Mirasol or PixelQ for magazines and browsing, and...down the road, a media-specific device for their Amazon Box video-on-demand service. Great topic! And I agree-the real winner in this space won't be a) an iPad clone or b) an iPad with just some extra features tacked on.

02-08-2010, 01:25 PM	#9
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I would be very interested in an Android product, but only if Android gets a standard Java implementation and more standard Linux implementation (e.g. include GNU libraries).

02-08-2010, 09:33 PM	#13
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	Is it an area to also look from makers of the smaller (sized) end, and wonder if Motorola or Nokia (who already have a device in that very general realm) might pop up with a "good fight"? HTC? Cheers, Marc

02-08-2010, 10:05 PM	#14
tyche Addict Posts: 227 Karma: 2530 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, iPad	Another tablet computer like have existed for years now is doomed to failure. They already exist, they are such a small insignificant niche because they are kludgy to use. Battery life is terrible, installing and using applications isn't designed well - the OS and apps are a square peg going into a round hole. The iPad is the best chance Apple at defining a new market segment because they are willing to make radical changes and even some risk. I mean who thought an "App store" design was a bad idea, yet no one tried and now everyone is caught playing catch up. I just don't see any company bringing a fight to the iPad because people don't want to use Windows 7 (or OSX for that matter) on a tablet. Best case scenario is if the iPad sales skyrocket you might get MS to get WinMo running a tablet so OEM's can build iPad-like clones and tie into MS's "App Store". But as usual, they will be so late to the game the install base won't budge. Content is king and Apple has that covered. If a few killer apps come out on the iPad (ex. big name magazine & newspaper subscriptions, or some new must have program) it will hard to compete.

02-08-2010, 10:09 PM	#15
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Nokia hit the hardware space quite early (e.g. N800, N-Gage) but they utterly failed on marketing why we want one and their ecosystem never fleshed out like we're seeing Android's ecosystem grow. It seems they have a bit o' Microsoft in them, in bringing neat things to market but failing to execute in various ways.