Lenovo announces new 5", 7" and 10" tablets.

[afa]

*WARNING* Unnecessarily long post coming up!

Originally Posted by kartu

They have different screen.
They have different battery.
They have different weight.
They have slightly different design.

All those differences are largely very minor. For example, Samsung might indeed have the best screen, but it's not like the others are crap. Most good tablets will have a good screen. Weight is negligible since mostly we're talking about a few ounces (within the same size, of course). And so on...

Strange question. Do you mean manufacturers? They benefit from jumping on the android bandwagon, not having to pay for an OS that sells damn well.

Don't they have to pay some sort of patent fees to Microsoft or something? Or is that just Google?

In any case, it's great to have a free OS, and one that is quite popular, but individually they have no chance of competing with the Apple juggernaut. Google loves to mention that Android is the most popular mobile OS; true enough, but it's worth mentioning that iOS runs on a single phone made by a single manufacturer.

Android gained marketshare by bombarding the market with hundreds of devices from dozens of manufacturers. How many of those phones actually sell significantly? Does anything even approach the iPhone (or iPad for tablets)?

Let me illustrate my meaning with an example using completely made up numbers:

Let's say the total market for tablets is 200 million. Apple already has 40 million of them, leaving 160 million. Since the iPad is so damn popular, it's probably safe to assume that it will remain the dominant device and finish with, oh, 120m. So now we have 80m potential customers left; if we have 4 Android devices, they're all sitting happy with 20m each.

But that 80m is instead being split into 100 devices, leaving an average of 800,000 per. Is that really enough for them? Would Lenovo consider their tablets a success if they only sold 800k each? I don't know. If they do, then great for them. But I find it hard to believe these 100 devices will be individually successful. Because not only are they competing with the incumbent iPad, they're also competing with other Android devices, most of which (and this is the issue) offer virtually the exact same experience.

And, cough, consumers, cough? Let me see: more choices, lower prices?

Which is great, for sure (specially the price). Unfortunately, when I look at all these Android tablets I am not seeing much of a choice. The tablet itself is just a piece of hardware; ultimately it doesn't matter. The real meat of these devices is the experience. And the experience will remain largely the same regardless of which device you use since they're all running the same system. The biggest differentiator so far seems to be merely the size.

Look, I'm just speaking my mind here. I just don't get it. I don't get what the big deal is with "The 27th tablet running Android is out!" since that tablet hardly brings anything new that wasn't there in the first 26 (except maybe it's 3 ounces lighter).

Then again, I admit I'm not the best judge in this matter. I don't own a tablet and -- between my iMac, Dell laptop and BlackBerry -- see absolutely no reason to get one.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by afa

*WARNING* Unnecessarily long post coming up!

--------( some content deleted )-----------

Then again, I admit I'm not the best judge in this matter. I don't own a tablet and -- between my iMac, Dell laptop and BlackBerry -- see absolutely no reason to get one.

afa, did you know when a person is beginning to reluctantly change his mind he really starts to use a lot of words and run on sentences?

I see a tablet in your future.

[kartu]

Originally Posted by afa

All those differences are largely very minor. For example, Samsung might indeed have the best screen, but it's not like the others are crap. Most good tablets will have a good screen. Weight is negligible since mostly we're talking about a few ounces (within the same size, of course). And so on...

If that were the case, I would have bought Sony's tablet, not Samsung's, or first Asus Transformer.

Don't they have to pay some sort of patent fees to Microsoft or something?

Only if Microsoft "approaches" them, mafia style, with patent portfolio that looks like this.

In any case, it's great to have a free OS, and one that is quite popular, but individually they have no chance of competing with the Apple juggernaut. Google loves to mention that Android is the most popular mobile OS; true enough, but it's worth mentioning that iOS runs on a single phone made by a single manufacturer.

iOS runs on a number of phones made by the same manufacturer, but I get your point. Note that Apple is not a dominant player on smartphone market anymore. Samsung's smartphone market share is nearly twice that of Apple's. (well, 14% vs 24%)

Android gained marketshare by bombarding the market with hundreds of devices from dozens of manufacturers. How many of those phones actually sell significantly? Does anything even approach the iPhone (or iPad for tablets)?

Galaxy SII alone sold over 10 millions this year, starting from mid summer.
Android phones aren't exactly cheap. And google isn't exactly bombarding anything, manufacturers choose to create or not create a phone with Android. (Nokia chose not to and to stick it with Microsoft, co-incidentally its CEO is former microsoft manager)
iPad market share is down to about 70%, from about 94% last year. Obviously in several years it will end up as with iphones, niche market with about 15% of the market share.

Then again, I admit I'm not the best judge in this matter. I don't own a tablet and -- between my iMac, Dell laptop and BlackBerry -- see absolutely no reason to get one.

Probably that's the main reason why you don't get "what's the deal". There is no deal. New manufactuer tries to advertise its product. That's it. It looks the same as the others to you, since you don't really consider buying it.

PS
A couple more points:
1) Regardless how good android is (and it is damn good and way ahead competitors if you ask me) it's not good if we end up with android alone
2) On the other hand, I don't want every single hardware manufacturer to spend money on developing their own platform. They are HARDWARE manufacturers, they better focus on hardware.

[SeaKing]

I am interested in the Lenovo S2007, a 7 inch tablet.

The pricing was supposed to be out this week for S2005, S2007 and S2010.

Nothing yet.

Over on Price-India I found some information on the S2005 but no pricing yet.

http://www.epriceindia.com/tablet-pc...005-price.html

Also I am disappointed to say that the specs seem to indicate that the GPS on the S2005 is not stand alone. It is a-GPS. (assisted by a carrier). But that might be because the S2005 is also supposed to be a phone.

I hope the S2007 does have standalone GPS like the Lenovo A1, and of course I need a price. Still nothing from Amazon on what they were advertising as a $199 Lenovo A1 (MU) with 16GB.

[twobits]

Originally Posted by soondai

I'm more just befuddled why Google insists people pay for 2 cameras and GPS in order to buy Angry Birds from them. Seems like it unnecessarily drives up the price of tablets and constricts their market.

Sincerely do not understand their rationale.

You find this and many other actions of google make a lot more sense when you remember what they are really a front for.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by twobits

You find this and many other actions of google make a lot more sense when you remember what they are really a front for.

Google is my shepherd and walketh beside me always

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by soondai

great specs. Only drawbacks are an average screen and shortish battery life. Almost pulled the trigger on it myself.

I figure there will be a no-compromise machine at the 200 price point before too long.

I really don't understand why Google requires cameras and GPS to access the app market. Really seems like they're stifling the viability of inexpensive tablets that would in turn buy apps from them.

Jesus, I have no idea why anyone would want a camera on a 7 inch tablet, much less the 2 they require. (Okay, I guess I get video calls, but seems more like a perk than a necessity)

Read the Android Compatability Device Document. It simply says that devices SHOULD have a rear-facing camera, and GPS, but NOT that they must have them. You can have a device with full market access and not have either. The biggest thing is, most companies if they're going to cheap out on including that stuff, they're also going to cheap out and not want to pay the license fee that gives them the ability to preinstall with Google Apps (which includes the Market).

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Read the Android Compatability Device Document. It simply says that devices SHOULD have a rear-facing camera, and GPS, but NOT that they must have them. You can have a device with full market access and not have either. The biggest thing is, most companies if they're going to cheap out on including that stuff, they're also going to cheap out and not want to pay the license fee that gives them the ability to preinstall with Google Apps (which includes the Market).

There are requirements for the Google apps above and beyond the compatibility document.

[vbkun]

Originally Posted by afa

Android gained marketshare by bombarding the market with hundreds of devices from dozens of manufacturers. How many of those phones actually sell significantly? Does anything even approach the iPhone (or iPad for tablets)?.

I thought this was a post about the new tablet models, not a ios vs android post >.>

Prior to that you were handling with a lot of sucess your attempts to try to diminish android without "giving it right away".

[afa]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

afa, did you know when a person is beginning to reluctantly change his mind he really starts to use a lot of words and run on sentences?

I see a tablet in your future.

Wait, are you making a prediction or insulting my written English?

Never say never and all that, so I suppose I won't say it, either. All I can say is I have no plans on getting one in the foreseeable future.

Originally Posted by kartu

Galaxy SII alone sold over 10 millions this year, starting from mid summer.

I didn't know that, but I guess I can't say I'm surprised. It looks like a pretty awesome smartphone. I remember reading the Engadget review and they said it was arguably the best smartphone on the market (overall, not just Android-based).

1) Regardless how good android is (and it is damn good and way ahead competitors if you ask me) it's not good if we end up with android alone

I thought the Dead Man Walking meeGO that is running on the Nokia N9 looks pretty sweet. And Windows Phone is getting up there. I think if I were to buy a full-featured smartphone now it would be a WP7. Everyone seems to have an iPhone or an Android device.

Originally Posted by vbkun

I thought this was a post about the new tablet models, not a ios vs android post >.>

Well, my problem was more with the ever-increasing number of Android tablets, so rather than iOS vs. Android, it's more like Android vs. Android.

Prior to that you were handling with a lot of sucess your attempts to try to diminish android without "giving it right away".

Oh, gee. I guess I gave the game away. Whatever.