MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - An editorial on iPad sales and competition

molman · 08-23-2011, 07:07 PM

I love reading these threads with their often unsubstantiated statements, articles from the popular tech press that have a distinct US centric echo, and the emotional attachment people seem to get for what are money making amoral companies. It's great stuff.

A few thoughts;

The current consumer tablet market is small. Looking at the units sold compared to the phone, PC or other tech markets shows the fledgling market that this is, so just as Amiga, Tandy, Commodore and a horde of others have come and gone in the PC arena, so too will this market evolve.

People tend to try and tease out Apples success in various ways, but the truth is that it is a little of all the elements people tend to mention. Strong brand and marketing, a well-designed and executed product, with a robust ecosystem to back it up, and a list that goes on.

The truth is that they (Apple) control the press so well. Add a feature, say iOS to include earthquake early warning system, that local handsets in Japan have had for years and they are being reported in nearly every publication across the web. The seeding of products to influencers, with preferential treatment to some publications, and a lockout policy for those who engage in unfavourable practises/reports all adds to the behind the scenes antics. They really own their brand and image in a way many other companies would love to. The lifestyle, premium, elite, emotional attachment they maintain whilst still being able to sell across many market segments is so interesting to watch, as are all the rabib forum posts out there.

Bringing it back to tablets, why is the iPad successfully where other tablets currently are not. I think as I alluded it is a combination of many things, but as others I find it unlikely that Apple will continue to dominate this product space (what I'd call a consumer tablet) with the same share in the future. Android tablets will continue to get better (with the Motorola/Google combo providing a new variable), Amazon is due to enter the market and has the services and brand to make a go of it, and Microsoft will potentially provide an interesting alternative in Win8 (and really has all the pieces if they can get their ducks in a row).

In the meantime we will have all the rhetoric that surrounds such things, with the pundits and their wobbly (or absent) data points, and oft US-centric market equals the world view of things.

08-23-2011, 07:07 PM	#241
molman Evangelist Posts: 436 Karma: 538958 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	I love reading these threads with their often unsubstantiated statements, articles from the popular tech press that have a distinct US centric echo, and the emotional attachment people seem to get for what are money making amoral companies. It's great stuff. A few thoughts; The current consumer tablet market is small. Looking at the units sold compared to the phone, PC or other tech markets shows the fledgling market that this is, so just as Amiga, Tandy, Commodore and a horde of others have come and gone in the PC arena, so too will this market evolve. People tend to try and tease out Apples success in various ways, but the truth is that it is a little of all the elements people tend to mention. Strong brand and marketing, a well-designed and executed product, with a robust ecosystem to back it up, and a list that goes on. The truth is that they (Apple) control the press so well. Add a feature, say iOS to include earthquake early warning system, that local handsets in Japan have had for years and they are being reported in nearly every publication across the web. The seeding of products to influencers, with preferential treatment to some publications, and a lockout policy for those who engage in unfavourable practises/reports all adds to the behind the scenes antics. They really own their brand and image in a way many other companies would love to. The lifestyle, premium, elite, emotional attachment they maintain whilst still being able to sell across many market segments is so interesting to watch, as are all the rabib forum posts out there. Bringing it back to tablets, why is the iPad successfully where other tablets currently are not. I think as I alluded it is a combination of many things, but as others I find it unlikely that Apple will continue to dominate this product space (what I'd call a consumer tablet) with the same share in the future. Android tablets will continue to get better (with the Motorola/Google combo providing a new variable), Amazon is due to enter the market and has the services and brand to make a go of it, and Microsoft will potentially provide an interesting alternative in Win8 (and really has all the pieces if they can get their ducks in a row). In the meantime we will have all the rhetoric that surrounds such things, with the pundits and their wobbly (or absent) data points, and oft US-centric market equals the world view of things. Last edited by molman; 08-23-2011 at 07:12 PM.