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Apple iPad stuns mobile computing market, sends overwhelmed competitors back to drawing boards
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 09:32 AM EDT
"The battle between Apple's iPad and other computing devices has been extended. At least one major chip maker says that a number of tablets, netbooks and smartbooks originally designed to compete with the iPad have been pushed back to next year," Elizabeth Woyke reports for Forbes.
"Though consumer electronics manufacturers typically aim to release products in time for the busy holiday season, an executive for chip maker Freescale Semiconductor says several important devices will now likely debut afterward, at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2011," Woyke reports. "The shift could affect the fortunes of gadget makers, as well as components suppliers, contract manufacturers and retailers."
MacDailyNews Take: So, Apple will have Christmas 2010 all to themselves. That should be profitable. Can you say, "insurmountable lead?" We knew you could.
Woyke reports, "The iPad's better-than-expected performance and reception is driving the delay, says Glen Burchers, director of global consumer segment marketing for Austin, Texas-based Freescale. 'The iPad set the bar very high … most products that were going to come out [earlier] would not have fared well against it.' Burchers says rival manufacturers were caught off guard by the gadget's relatively low price ($499-$829), stable performance and long battery life (up to 10 hours). After the iPad's debut, these manufacturers realized they needed to cut their own prices or spiff up their devices to stay competitive, he says."
Woyke reports, "Matching the iPad's smooth performance is even trickier--and is being aggravated by confusion over operating systems, says Burchers... The array of choices has stumped some manufacturers, further stalling plans. 'Software is where all the work needs to go in the next six to nine months,' says Burchers... Some of these adjustments are already public. HP's 'Slate' tablet, first touted in January, is being reworked to accommodate HP's April acquisition of Palm. Microsoft recently decided not to market its 'Courier' tablet. But Burchers says there have been a lot of secret product tweaks and cancellations, as well."
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Our iPads' battery life is shockingly long. And the devices' performance is shockingly fast. Of course, the user interface is stellar. Would-be competitors are stuck with using off the shelf-processors (vs. Apple's home-grown designs) and/or somebody else's OS - they are going to have a hell of a time trying to go from standing there like deer in the headlights to "competing" with Apple - barring blatant patent infringement, of course. (Right, Google?)
For mobile computing device makers not named Apple, our prediction: Pain.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 09:32 AM EDT
"Though consumer electronics manufacturers typically aim to release products in time for the busy holiday season, an executive for chip maker Freescale Semiconductor says several important devices will now likely debut afterward, at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2011," Woyke reports. "The shift could affect the fortunes of gadget makers, as well as components suppliers, contract manufacturers and retailers."
MacDailyNews Take: So, Apple will have Christmas 2010 all to themselves. That should be profitable. Can you say, "insurmountable lead?" We knew you could.
Woyke reports, "The iPad's better-than-expected performance and reception is driving the delay, says Glen Burchers, director of global consumer segment marketing for Austin, Texas-based Freescale. 'The iPad set the bar very high … most products that were going to come out [earlier] would not have fared well against it.' Burchers says rival manufacturers were caught off guard by the gadget's relatively low price ($499-$829), stable performance and long battery life (up to 10 hours). After the iPad's debut, these manufacturers realized they needed to cut their own prices or spiff up their devices to stay competitive, he says."
Woyke reports, "Matching the iPad's smooth performance is even trickier--and is being aggravated by confusion over operating systems, says Burchers... The array of choices has stumped some manufacturers, further stalling plans. 'Software is where all the work needs to go in the next six to nine months,' says Burchers... Some of these adjustments are already public. HP's 'Slate' tablet, first touted in January, is being reworked to accommodate HP's April acquisition of Palm. Microsoft recently decided not to market its 'Courier' tablet. But Burchers says there have been a lot of secret product tweaks and cancellations, as well."
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Our iPads' battery life is shockingly long. And the devices' performance is shockingly fast. Of course, the user interface is stellar. Would-be competitors are stuck with using off the shelf-processors (vs. Apple's home-grown designs) and/or somebody else's OS - they are going to have a hell of a time trying to go from standing there like deer in the headlights to "competing" with Apple - barring blatant patent infringement, of course. (Right, Google?)
For mobile computing device makers not named Apple, our prediction: Pain.
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