Google just announced that its new tablet computers are going to run off of the Android OS (operating system). The tablets will work the same way that iPads do in the sense that you have to download apps to a computer and then upload them to the tablet, no 3g yet. The new software will supposedly sync the tablets to the computers by themselves wirelessly, downloading the new apps you purchase almost instantaneously. Microsoft's cloud is the main contributor to this new way of downloading apps because it takes all of your data and stores it online that way you can access it anywhere which makes it possible for these tablets to download things without wires or syncing.
This opens up a whole new door for application creators using the Android Market, because now there is a device that has a larger screen which could accommodate better for things like books and movies. There is also a better processor in the tablet than in the phones running Android which makes it possible for games with higher graphics to get good fps (frames per second), opening up the device to more gamers. The fact that this tablet will run off of Android will also draw people in simply because it isn't using Apple's OS. The main thing that worries me is that no price point has been set and the first tablet to come out with this new OS will hit store shelves this month. I'm hoping that the tablet will be priced less than, but no higher than, the iPad less it risk being seen as being overpriced, which would kill its chances. Even with my uncertainty I think with the Android Market backing this product it will do very well against the already established iPad.
6 comments:
I agree with your analysis that the Android tablets will be able to offer Apple some competition in the tablet market as evidenced by the phone market.
"Google greatly benefitted from its 615.1 percent growth rate, pushing it ahead of Nokia's Symbian platform in overall shipments. That made Google's market share for the last quarter of 2010 32.9 percent, while Nokia sat at 30.6 percent. Apple came in third with a market share number of 16 percent (and a growth rate of 85.9 percent over Q4 2009), and RIM came in fourth place with a market share of 14.4 percent (growth rate of 36 percent over Q4 2009). Microsoft's share dropped from 7.2 percent to 3.1 percent year-on-year."
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2011/01/android-beats-nokia-apple-rim-in-2010-but-firm-warns-about-2011.ars
Is it better for the consumer to have many companies competing in a market with similar market shares? Would it be better is Apple or Android dominated the market?
Why do you think they have not set a price point yet? Is this a marketing strategy?
From an economic standpoint, I guess it's good because now people will buy this tablet instead of the iPad because of their hatred of the OS from Apple or the price of said iPad. They probably haven't set a price on the tablet yet because they're trying to make it as cost effective as possible but still have it beat out the iPad. The 2nd generation iPad should be rolling around the corner soon so their plan is probably to make the android tablet cheap enough in price to give the 2nd generation iPad but at the same time not make it so cheap in quality that it gets a bad reputation.
With a product like the iPad having already become one of the hottest selling items from Apple I don't think that another tablet can be successful. When Apple launched the first iPod it took over the market for portable mp3 players. Microsoft tried to get in on the success of the iPod by releasing the Zune. Everyone knows how that went. I think that when Apple establishes themselves in a market its just to hard for their competitors to overcome them. The fact is the name Apple alone helps sell their products based on their long history of popular devices, other companies cant compete with that.
To Easton: I agree that the iPod has had huge success, but there is also still something called Napster. Napster has been huge and is often forgotten since it is believed that most people no longer use mp3, but iTunes music instead. I think that the Android Market will do better than iTunes because it isn't tied to one brand. IPod's, iPhones, and iPads are all made by Apple and are the sole providers of iTunes while Android spans every other brand i.e. Motorola, Samsung, etc. I think with the combined force of all the other brands, Apple will get run over by this new competition.
To Kern: I think in this circumstance, as well as most other times, it's best to have competition in this field of the market. Without the competition you may end up paying five dollars per song on iTunes or fifteen dollars per app on the Android Market. If either of the companies were allowed to dominate the market it would soon turn into a monopoly and that wouldn't be very good for the consumers.
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