The hi-tech industry was overwhelmed by the iPad unveiled by Apple in January. A 9.7-inch Tablet personal computer that looks and feels like an iPhone on steroids, the invention has become the nightmare of Apple’s competitors.
At September’s Berlin IFA, one of the largest world exhibitions of electronics industry, almost every leading company unveiled a Tablet PC of its own. All of these gadgets look very much alike iPad and are made with one purpose – to cut some of the iPad’s constantly growing market share.
Well, none of them will.
Steve Jobs felt that there was a niche somewhere between smart phones and notebooks. And he supposed that netbooks, small notebooks that are more convenient to carry and have longer battery life, aren’t good enough to fill that niche.
The key to success of the iPad, which Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs claims to be the greatest product of his entire life, was a very simple idea. Jobs felt that there was a niche somewhere between smart phones and notebooks. And he supposed that netbooks, small notebooks that are more convenient to carry and have longer battery life, aren’t good enough to fill that niche. Among the reasons: They are not powerful enough, run buggy software and look ugly.
Apple has sold almost 5 million iPads since April, when the gadget hit the market, so even Jobs’ enemies must admit he was right. The sales of netbooks have stalled as people clearly see the advantages of the iPad.
Apple’s product has a gorgeous multi-touch screen. It’s slim and easily fits in small bags. Its battery allows you to watch video non-stop during your flight from Kyiv to New York, and it even gives you extra time to finish watching the last movie while you are waiting for your bags at the baggage claim.
The iPad runs iOS, the same platform the iPhone uses, and that gives you an opportunity to install any of 250,000 applications available in the App Store.
iPad’s screen keyboard is good when it comes to typing long texts. But Twitter only allows you to type 140 characters and, frankly speaking, most of your e-mails, G-talk chats and Facebook messages are even shorter.
So, netbooks must die. Long live Tablet PCs! And Apple’s competitors tend to agree with that.
At Berlin’s IFA, it became clear that miscellaneous tablets are the main trend in the industry this fall. Now let’s see how good they are. We’ll take a look at few most sophisticated devices that theoretically can be a threat to iPad.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab
Samsung unveiled in Berlin its Galaxy Tab. It’s a small tablet with 7-inch display (smaller than iPad’s 9.7-inch). It has the same powerful processor the iPad uses. Also there are WiFi and 3G connectivity. It runs Android, an operating system developed by Google, which is good looking and highly customizable, and supports Flash, a prominent web technology used in many sites (iPad lacks Flash as Jobs claims it drains battery and causes problems with software).
Samsung Galaxy Tab is the most dangerous competitor to Apple iPad
Galaxy Tab has a GSM module, it can make usual phone calls (or video calls in 3G networks). That’s an advantage since you can’t make calls from iPad (it’s obvious that Jobs didn’t want iPad to compete with iPhone).
Galaxy Tab also supports micro SD flash cards. It means you can easily share your files with others. You can’t do that with iPad as files can be transferred to it only with the help of iTunes software on your computer. The Samsung device also has a camera, while iPad is lacking one.
Samsung claims the battery will give Galaxy Tab up to 7 hours of video playback. But iPad easily beats it with its 10+ hours of battery life.
The main problem of Galaxy Tab is its price. Its version with 16 GB of memory will cost 800 euros in Europe (iPad 3G 16 GB costs only 599 euros). U.S. customers will be able to buy Galaxy Tab just for $300, but it comes subsidized by network carriers (you have to buy it with two years contract that demands like a $40-$80 payment per month).
Toshiba’s Folio 100
Toshiba enters the tablet PCs market with its Folio 100, a huge device with 10-inch screen, WiFi and 3G, micro SD cards support and Android inside. It will cost only $400, it’s a good price to compete with iPad. But frankly speaking the device doesn’t look even nearly as good as Apple’s creation. It has a low resolution screen and it’s made of cheap plastics. No threat to iPad at all.
Other also-rans
ViewSonic created a ViewPad 100, 10-inch device without 3G connectivity, but with micro SD cards support. It has only one problem – instead of Android it runs Microsoft Windows 7 which is by no means suited for a mobile device such as tablet PC.
If you’re looking for a decent tablet PC, your choice is still quite obvious. Steve Jobs is waiting for your money and he’ll get it.
Sharp tried to make a step ahead the industry adding a 3D screen to its 10-inch tablet, but that glassless 3D technology is the only interesting thing about this device. Assuming that there are no apps available for 3D screens yet, Sharp’s device evidently has no bright future.
Some of these devices will become available in Ukraine within weeks. But if you’re looking for a decent tablet PC, your choice is still quite obvious. Steve Jobs is waiting for your money and he’ll get it.
Kyiv Post news editor Alexey Bondarev can be reached at [email protected]
