Tablets - iPad, Galaxy Tab, Playbook, XOOM & More

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

Asus is shipping 400,000 Transformers a month.

This puts them at roughly 1/10th the iPad's monthly sales over the last three months.

The Transformer is arguably the first legitimate challenger that can go head to head with the iPad, but it still has fewer apps, fewer third party accessories (people like their cases, stands, skins, etc - it's a huge market in its own right), its bigger, heavier, and it's also predominantly plastic. And I can't get a 3G one.

It's death by a thousand little cuts like this that hurts something like the Transformer from grabbing more market share when a consumer sizes up the two tablets side by side. That's why I say it still doesn't hold a candle to the iPad. I didn't say its no good - but all the iPad competitors have a ways to go yet if they want to sell more than 1/10th the market leaders numbers monthly.

That being said, I wonder how the market would look if all of these tablets had hit the market at the same time as the original iPad - that roughly 1 year lead time gave Apple a huge head start in mind and market share.

[QuadCityImages]

I was talking about the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which by all accounts seems like a decent competitor for the iPad, although it doesn't have the price advantage that the Transformer has.

I wasn't trying to start a battle either, I was just asking a serious question. "What does the 10.1 Tab or Transformer not do well enough "to hold a candle" to the iPad?", and I don't feel like that question has been answered.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

I was talking about the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which by all accounts seems like a decent competitor for the iPad, although it doesn't have the price advantage that the Transformer has.

I wasn't trying to start a battle either, I was just asking a serious question. "What does the 10.1 Tab or Transformer not do well enough "to hold a candle" to the iPad?", and I don't feel like that question has been answered.

I don't want to start a battle either. Honestly, if the Transformer and Tab's do everything as well as an iPad for you, you're especially lucky because it means you have more choice. I don't think the market as a general rule though feels that way, for some of the reasons I already outlined.

The tipping point in a consumer's decision is probably getting to be as slight as "well they both do everything I want, but I really like the case I can get for this one", or "they are both great, but this one has 10x as many apps, that sounds good", or even "I love this one, but three of my friends already have that one".

I also think in day to day use the differences between products are probably smaller than any conversation here would have anyone believe. The notable exception being the Playbook, which is like the special needs kid brother that has to carry a phone around with it

[QuadCityImages]

We can all agree that the Playbook is terrible. Releasing a tablet without a native email app, or requiring bridging with a Blackberry handset was clearly not a good idea.

Personally I don't see myself getting any kind of tablet any time soon. I just don't see many use cases for myself that fit between my 4.3" phone and a lightweight laptop.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

We can all agree that the Playbook is terrible. Releasing a tablet without a native email app, or requiring bridging with a Blackberry handset was clearly not a good idea.

And promising to add an emulator to run your competitors apps real soon now is just adding insult to injury.

Which is a real shame because in the five minutes I played with one I thought the hardware seemed decent, and it was a nice size.

[Slava]

As a guy trying to trade my iPad for a playbook I feel like I should step in here. You guys are more technical than me, and I'm just basing my thoughts on what I use the tablet for (general disclaimer).

Maybe I'm the only guy in the free world who seems to end up needing flash to view things? In the past few days I can think of a few sites I wanted to view and couldn't because of the flash issue. Will the Internet move past flash? I have no idea, and kind of don't care. What is irritating though is that because the CEO of a company has a petty squabble with another guy you can't view everything online.

The playbook has no email, calendar, etc. I have a blackberry anyway, and the lack of these things was a non-issue. Frankly unless you're using the tablet for business I doubt many people really care about those things anyway? Gmail, google calendar etc. all fill this void easily if it's even the slightest care.

The big difference between the iPad and playbook are the apps. I can't deny that even for a second! Then again, take a spin through the app store again...most of the top apps are games that are time wasters. That's great if you can't find enough to kill some time, but hardly a legitimate reason to choose one tablet over the other?

I know it's basically blasphemy to not adore Apple in some parts and surely someone more technical than me will put me in my place. But the reality is that the iPad is most dominant because they were first. Kudos to them on that, but otherwise I'm not sure what the iPad does so much better than it's competitors?

[QuadCityImages]

From everything you say you want, why not get an Android tablet? It can do everything the Playbook can do (including Flash) but also has hundreds of thousands of (phone) apps in its store.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

From everything you say you want, why not get an Android tablet? It can do everything the Playbook can do (including Flash) but also has hundreds of thousands of (phone) apps in its store.

That could be the best fix I guess. I just wonder about it as everything I read seems to imply they're pretty buggy though?

In all honesty I just never should've tried a tablet. Until then I was set because I didn't know what I was missing!

[OilKiller]

I doubt the Playbook is bug free. I would get an Android tablet personally.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by Slava

That could be the best fix I guess. I just wonder about it as everything I read seems to imply they're pretty buggy though?

In all honesty I just never should've tried a tablet. Until then I was set because I didn't know what I was missing!

You need to be looking at a Transformer or one of the new (Honeycomb) Galaxy Tabs, IMO.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Slava

That could be the best fix I guess. I just wonder about it as everything I read seems to imply they're pretty buggy though?

In all honesty I just never should've tried a tablet. Until then I was set because I didn't know what I was missing!

They probably are, but historically my impression is there are a lot moreupdates for Android. Plus the option to root the device is there if it becomes needed.

Really that is your best option.

Just make sure whatever you get, you bring it to my next appointment so I can check it out! (check your PM's)

[chid]

The Asus EEEPad Transformer is an amazing tablet. My bf just got one and he's turned it also into an N64 and SNES emulator, he's been playing Zelda on his tablet all weekend. I've gotta say out of all the tablets I've seen this one takes the cake.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Slava

The big difference between the iPad and playbook are the apps. I can't deny that even for a second! Then again, take a spin through the app store again...most of the top apps are games that are time wasters. That's great if you can't find enough to kill some time, but hardly a legitimate reason to choose one tablet over the other?

Games and porn sell most new technology

But there are some killer business and creative apps on the iPad, like Omnifocus and Omnigraffle. Being able to create diagrams that are easily imported/exported to Visio is a killer feature. On another front, Garageband and the guitar amp sim tools like Amplitube that are out on iPad are also legit tools for doing guitar practise, recording ideas, etc on the fly.

I heard that Amplitube should be coming to Android in a few months - they are working out issues with audio latency. Apparently low-latency audio is being added to the Android OS, making this doable where previously it wasn't.

[FanIn80]

I've said it a few times, but the only other tablet I'd get is an Asus EEE Slate with Windows. Only, I'd wipe Windows off it and replace it with the new Ubuntu that has a tablet overlay.

Mmmm... Full Linux tablet...

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by QuadCityImages

I was talking about the Galaxy Tab 10.1, which by all accounts seems like a decent competitor for the iPad, although it doesn't have the price advantage that the Transformer has.

I wasn't trying to start a battle either, I was just asking a serious question. "What does the 10.1 Tab or Transformer not do well enough "to hold a candle" to the iPad?", and I don't feel like that question has been answered.

Sorry for over reacting then. Anytime you say, I like this Apple product, you open yourself up for flame war. I was just afraid this was going to turn in to the dreaded CNET/Engagenet comment board.

As sclitheroe pointed out, it really is death by a thousand cuts (good IT term). As a consumer, I can get a Transformer, and love the experience. I could also get a Samsung and hate it. They are both Android at the core. However, its open nature allows each device to have different experiences.

For example, I had a Galaxy S phone last year, I didn't like that Android experience. I really wanted to, but I found it buggy as well. So I bit the bullet and bought an iPhone, and no problems so far. When I found out how easy it is to jailbreak, that was the end of the Android advantage to me.

On my Galaxy S, I hated how there was 2 icons for email, music, etc. One for Samsung Keys and one for Android built in. The kicker is I could not remove one or the other, so an email would come in, and my phone would beep twice and show two notifications. Drove me nuts.

However, if I would have bought the Nexus, I think I would have loved it. A really clean experience with quick software upgrades when they launch.

So there you go, Android is very much like Windows, but worse due to large customization on each device. Apple is streamlined, with all devices, like iPhone and iPad working almost the exact same. To me this was the candle Android could not hold.

[Boblobla]

I still like my playbook. It does everything I need it to and being able to tether it to my cell means I didn't need to get a 3G model.

Out of the box I could open a .pdf, .doc, .xls. It suits my purpose, which is more business than pleasure. Now that there are lots of apps that support a file structure it meets my needs. I hope we will get Android apps as promised, but I am not too concerned.

If I want angry birds I will use my the iPad 2 I bought for my wife.

[sclitheroe]

Details have leaked about a pair of Sony tablets (new to me, maybe everyone's already heard of these):

http://www.electronista.com/articles....details.leak/

The clamshell seems like an odd design choice, although it would be interesting if it treated the screen as a single pane of glass, and scrolling in a browser moved the content across both screens - nice way to fit a tablet in a pocket or something, at least until we get rollup screens one day

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Details have leaked about a pair of Sony tablets (new to me, maybe everyone's already heard of these):

http://www.electronista.com/articles....details.leak/

The clamshell seems like an odd design choice, although it would be interesting if it treated the screen as a single pane of glass, and scrolling in a browser moved the content across both screens - nice way to fit a tablet in a pocket or something, at least until we get rollup screens one day

I saw these designs before, and I am interested as well. Sony is always very good at hardware design. I put them second only to Apple at mainstream electronic design.

However, as my VAIO will attest to, it is the proprietary bloatware they throw on their hardware that kills them. I hope they stick with a vanilla install, but knowing Sony, I wouldn't hold my breath.

None the less, I am quite interested in seeing how this design turns out.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by OldDutch

I saw these designs before, and I am interested as well. Sony is always very good at hardware design. I put them second only to Apple at mainstream electronic design.

However, as my VAIO will attest to, it is the proprietary bloatware they throw on their hardware that kills them. I hope they stick with a vanilla install, but knowing Sony, I wouldn't hold my breath.

None the less, I am quite interested in seeing how this design turns out.

Your assessment of Sony hardware vs software implementations is 100% spot on..hopefully they don't mess it up too badly.

[McG]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Your assessment of Sony hardware vs software implementations is 100% spot on..hopefully they don't mess it up too badly.

imo, the assessment of software is bang on. the fact that you can order a sony vaio computer and pay an extra $50 so that they don't put the bloatware on it, and to ensure that the back up disks are devoid of it as well...i'll just leave that out there.

hardware? highly overrated in consumer electronics (although i will certainly attest to bravia and playstation being good) and not materially better than direct competitors in tvs, radios, receivers, speakers, portable electronics, car stereos, phones, computers, projectors or anything else i can think of. i remember when paying the "sony premium" actually meant something...so yah i am disappointed to write this paragraph.

since the last walkman, sony has moved from being a market maker to being a market taker in almost every market they compete in (PS3 excepted); and we will see how badly the security fiasco affects the playstation brand in coming months. sony needs to find its groove again.

I say this sadly, because my parents had a sony receiver and speakers that ran beautifully for years; it still plays actually, and i think the world could use sony back where it was.

On thread, it will be interesting to see if this tablet device can help sony find that lucrative space where innovation and consumer friendliness carve out a profitable, competitive niche.