An editorial on iPad sales and competition

[Torwan]

Originally Posted by stonetools

THat's an argument that works for geeks. The average consumer finds the Ipad and the Ios ecosystem much more fluid and intuitive than, say, a netbook running Linux and the tablet form factor far superior to the netbook for watching movies, playing games, and otherwise enjoying content.

Actually, its the average guy who has been buying the Ipad, over the techie types who have saying repeatedly, how useless and overpriced the iPad is . You are just one of the many techies the average consumer has been ignoring.

Lots of non-Apple fans have been buying the iPad. Often its the only Apple device they have ever owned.

This is not my experience. I haven't seen any "normal" user that owns one of these devices. The only ones I've seen are the tech-savvy people and when they present the devices to others (which is what they usually do with a lot of enthusiasm), the reaction is usually cool and not very positive.
The devices are "nice to have", but if you already own a good computer/notebook there's just not that much of a benefit that you can get.

Man, you are a poster boy for the "How wrong were they guy" crowd. Let me guess. You also predicted that the iPhone would fail...

I'd appreciate it if we could keep the discussion on a professional and objective level. You don't know me, I don't know you and I don't know why you'd think that I'd qualify as a "poster boy". I'm very sceptical about the tablet-hype and I have some rational arguments for my position. This is nothing that deserves a personal attack.

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

Touchscreen, and all the functionality that comes from that.

OK, you have a point there. Touchscreen is something notebooks usually can't.
However, if you want to get that countered: "Using a CD or DVD" is something that tablets usually can't, not without an external drive (which is a rather unusual configuration and kind of negates the mobility-advantage).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Torwan

This is not my experience. I haven't seen any "normal" user that owns one of these devices. The only ones I've seen are the tech-savvy people and when they present the devices to others (which is what they usually do with a lot of enthusiasm), the reaction is usually cool and not very positive.

As I reported earlier in the thread, the iPad has been extremely successful in the business sector. There are a lot of people who spend time reading (rather than writing) documents, and that's an ideal use case for the iPad. I've been spending about 4 days a week working away from home for the last few months, and every evening in the hotel lobby I see probably half a dozen business people sitting there with iPads. In fact, I'm seeing more iPads than conventional notebooks there.

[Torwan]

Originally Posted by HarryT

As I reported earlier in the thread, the iPad has been extremely successful in the business sector. There are a lot of people who spend time reading (rather than writing) documents, and that's an ideal use case for the iPad. I've been spending about 4 days a week working away from home for the last few months, and every evening in the hotel lobby I see probably half a dozen business people sitting there with iPads. In fact, I'm seeing more iPads than conventional notebooks there.

What kind of business is that? I mean, what branch?

I work in an IT company and our main customer is a big industrial company. I haven't seen iPads there. The dominating technology there for mobile computing are HTC smartphones, although I've heard that they want to introduce iPhones as well. But no tablets.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Torwan

What kind of business is that? I mean, what branch?

I work in an IT company and our main customer is a big industrial company. I haven't seen iPads there. The dominating technology there for mobile computing are HTC smartphones, although I've heard that they want to introduce iPhones as well. But no tablets.

I don't know who these people worked for, although there are a lot of high-tech employers in the surrounding area: Fujitsu, HP, Dell, etc. They just looked like typical business people (suits). This was at a Hilton hotel.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

The clicher would be being able to write with a stylus and have the tablet turn it into text.

Yes, yes, bloody yes.

[caleb72]

I'm holding out for Windows 8 tablets at the moment. I think these might be more to my taste in the long run.

If I were to choose an Android tablet right now it would probably be the Asus Transformer. I'm also interested in what HTC end up producing and I'm curious about the Amazon offering. I don't think an Amazon eco system works that well for Australians though as alot of the digital content seems to be U.S. only.

[Sweetpea]

Where I work, there are a few Ipad floating around. Mostly used for testing and demonstration purposes. There are also a few Tabs, Edges and Sony's...

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I'm holding out for Windows 8 tablets at the moment. I think these might be more to my taste in the long run.

If I were to choose an Android tablet right now it would probably be the Asus Transformer. I'm also interested in what HTC end up producing and I'm curious about the Amazon offering. I don't think an Amazon eco system works that well for Australians though as alot of the digital content seems to be U.S. only.

I'm still waiting for a decently priced Win tablet... But I'll also buy an android in the near future, simply because I want a new 7" LCD-based reader...

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Torwan

This is not my experience. I haven't seen any "normal" user that owns one of these devices. The only ones I've seen are the tech-savvy people

Apple sold over 9 million iPads last quarter. How many tech-savvy people are there? Perhaps the situation in Germany does not mirror that in the US and UK.

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I'm holding out for Windows 8 tablets at the moment. I think these might be more to my taste in the long run.

If I were to choose an Android tablet right now it would probably be the Asus Transformer. I'm also interested in what HTC end up producing and I'm curious about the Amazon offering. I don't think an Amazon eco system works that well for Australians though as alot of the digital content seems to be U.S. only.

I'm beginning to think we won't see a tablet with good handwriting capabilities until we get Windows 8. I thought with the Flyer and such we'd see more...but nope.

I can tell you, that's one thing my HP TX2 tablet PC is good for - win7's handwriting recognition is great.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by stonetools

You CAN use your iPhone for reading and watching TV, in the same way you CAN use your laptop for making phone calls. The question is, Would you want to?
I agree with you about using the Ipad as a camera, though. Of course, he may just not hava an Iphone.

Less weight to carry around.

Originally Posted by GlennD

I could probably use my phone, although some of the cards are small enough that it would be hard to read. Then again, I could also use a pencil and paper. I carry the ipad when I plan to use it because it's convenient. Also, I have an iphone 3G that I made the mistake of keeping current on the OS - it's slower than molasses in winter. We've been holding out on renewing our AT&T contracts and getting new phones - waiting for the iphone 5 release.

Or a notes app. But the thing with speed would be a frustrating when you have a faster alternative.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by hidari

RockdaMan, KJK, and Sil_liS: How much did your Apple Tattoo Cost?

I've accused of being an Apple hater before, but this is new for me.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by Torwan

OK, you have a point there. Touchscreen is something notebooks usually can't.
However, if you want to get that countered: "Using a CD or DVD" is something that tablets usually can't, not without an external drive (which is a rather unusual configuration and kind of negates the mobility-advantage).

The one that I bought is marketed as an internet tablet, and this is what it does. I wouldn't like a smaller screen, and it can't be bigger or I wouldn't be able to use the touchscreen comfortably. I don't miss an optical drive. It's excellent for web browsing.

[Torwan]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

Apple sold over 9 million iPads last quarter. How many tech-savvy people are there? Perhaps the situation in Germany does not mirror that in the US and UK.

Good point.
I know that iMacs are a lot more common in the US than in Germany. A lot more people use Linux on their machines than Macs. The iPhone does a lot better, however other smartphone-manufacturers like HTC are more widespread.

I work in IT, so I am around a lot of tech-savvy people, but I know exactly two who own an iPad. Smartphones are very widespread in comparison (usually HTC) and - funny fact on the side - the iPhone-owners have Linux-computers at home, not Macs.

It's very possible that Germany is not a good iPad-market.
...
Actually, I just tried to find any sales numbers for the iPad in Germany, without success. The only number I found was this:
http://tabletcommunity.de/6671/ipad-...er-konkurrenz/
According to that, Apple sold 160.000 iPads during the first month of its release in all of Europe (!). That's not that much considering that Europe is a market with about 500 million people. Apple probably has a lot more market standing in the US.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by RockdaMan

Easy, says this mobile technology writer:







http://www.zdnet.com/blog/mobile-new...yre-ipads/3782

Didn't read the whole thing, but I'm one of those non-techies, rarely buying anything new. I am in the market for a tablet, but am not interested in the iPad due to price. So I don't really believe this article. It's all a matter of price and timing for me.