My Thoughts on Technology and Jamaica: Apple iPad and the Competiton - The Rescuers

Monday, October 25, 2010

Apple iPad and the Competiton - The Rescuers

In anguish we uplift
A new hallowed song;
The race is to the swift;
The battle is to the strong

John Davidson, War-Song

Indeed it may be. Clarendon, particularly Milk River, where I live, is safe from the rains, as only Hanover and Westmoreland got the brunt of the Tropical Storm, my condolences to those displaced by the deluge. But as Jamaicans we are swift and strong.

Tablets, also displaying some of this “swift and strong” mantra, are expected to hit the twenty million (20,000,000) units speed bump sold in the Year of the Tablet, 2010 AD and are projected to hit fifty five million (55,000,000) units sold in 2011 AD and two hundred and eight million (208,000,000) units sold by 2014 AD, according to the statistical extrapolations of market analyst Gartner as stated in the article “Tablet computer sales to hit 208 million in 2014”, published Friday October 15 2010, 4:08 pm ET, by AFP, Yahoo! News.

Notice, rather curiously, the year, just before Peak Oil in 2015 AD. If this analyst is to be believed, it would seem that the extinction of the Netbook and Laptop, at least in the Developed World, is under way and will be completed in short order, all thanks to the Apple iPad and its slew of up and coming competition, which another analyst predicted would not materialize until 2012 AD as stated in the article “No iPad killer coming until 2012, says iSuppli”, published Thursday August 26 2010, 1:59 pm ET  by Barbara E. Hernandez, Yahoo! News. So much for analysts!

Their seems to be some truth in THIS particular analysts words, however, as most if not all Laptop and Netbook computer manufacturers have all announced plans to come out with a Tablets device, even HTC, as stated in the article “HTC waiting until next year for Android 3.0 Tablets?”, published Wednesday September 15, 2010 12:53 pm ET by Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo! News.

These statistics, projections that they may be for the lumpen proletariat category of Tablets in general, seem to be showing evidence of bearing fruit, with the recent announcement of the Apple iPad going to Telecom Provider Verizon by way of a bundling of its sale for this Christmas of 2010 with a portable Mi-Fi Hotspot as stated in the article “Verizon Wireless, AT&T to start selling the iPad”, published Thursday October 14 2010, 11:53 am ET By Ben Patterson, Technology Writer, Yahoo! News and confirmed in the article “Verizon to sell iPad Tablets computer”, published Thursday October 14 2010, 3:14 pm ET, AFP, Yahoo! News.

Even more interesting, for the statistical minded among the American buying public, is the curious case of early adopters, many of whom, 32% of purchasers of the device to be exact,  are not only first time purchasers of the Apple iPad, but are yet to download any of the free or paid apps, making developers a tad worried.

Apparently the “coolness” factor of owning an Apple iPad with its touch screen interface and unique form factor may have prompted the initial purchase, one hopefully they will utilize in the future, conclusions one can draw from the Nielsen statistics as stated in the article “One-Third of iPad Owners have never downloaded an App [Study]”, published Thursday October 21 2010, 1:29 pm ET by Lauren Indvik, Yahoo! News.

If this is how people react to a device with a pricing point as high as US$899, which is a Apple iPad with 3G + Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n), it may go a long way to explain the nearly five hundred thousand (500,000) 3G two (2) year contract subscriptions on Telecom Provider AT&T a stated in the article Over 500,000 iPads on AT&T Network: CEO, published Tuesday September 21 2010, 6:34 pm ET, AFP, Yahoo! News.

This thus bodes VERY well for the success of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets, now finally come down to Earth with a price us mere mortals afford sans a contract of US$599 and slated to debut on Telecom Provider Verizon’s network on Thursday November 11th 2010 AD as stated in the article “Samsung Galaxy Tab slated to go on sale next month, for US$599”, published Wednesday October 20 2010, 2:32 pm ET by Ben Patterson, Yahoo! News

This is verified in the article “Samsung Galaxy Tab landing Nov 11 for US$600”, published October 20, 2010 6:41 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News - The Digital Home.

Thus this puts aside fears of an early death based on the EU$1000 rumored price tag for the Samsung Galaxy Tablet as stated in the article “Success of Samsung Galaxy Tab Doomed by Carrier Contracts”, published by Monday September 6, 9:16 am ET by Tony Bradley, Yahoo! News and the video “CNET Buzz Report”, aired Friday September 10 2010 by Molly Wood, Executive Editor, CNET News.

Looks like Samsung has been doing their homework and has decided to give a little. Like RIM Playbook, their success is guaranteed, as long as the battery life exceeds ten (10) hours on full 720p or 1080p video playback, the main spec for which Customers are on the look-out.

Albeit the Samsung Galaxy Tablet form factor and specs are not great and largely unknown up until this time, mainly in terms of battery life, its blitzkrieg entry on the Big Four (4) Telecom Providers, in itself, from a purely mathematical point of view, now with this improved pricing point, only perturbed by the vagaries of the difference in the cost of the various Prepaid thirty (30) day Data Plan subscriptions on the various Telecom Providers 3G and 4G Networks, will guarantee success

An alternative to the Apple iPad is sorely needed and will actually ride on the success and hype generated by the Apple iPad much in the same way a surfer rides inland on a big wave generated by incoming wind.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs prediction of “dead on arrival” is a bit generous, as his creation of a new Tablet computing segment via my suggestion, by its mere presence, will generate enough hype to sell other similarly products, much in the same way the introduction of the Blackberry to Jamaica back in 2007 AD by Telecom Provider C&W, now LIME, is sparking interest in the Apple iPhone on sale from Telecom Provider CLARO, also my suggestion as far back as 2003 AD.

In fact, Apple’s intention to have the Apple iPad on Telecom Provider Verizon’s Network is an indication of some amount of fear, as Apple CEO Steve Jobs is not taking any chances that his White Unicorn may be overwhelmed by the blitzkrieg of the Samsung Galaxy Tablet, now with an improved price point to woo undecided Customers looking for comparative choices in the Tablets space other than the Apple iPad.

This is truly, indeed, the Year of the Tablet. Nothing more to say, as the other coming Tablets PC are effectively The Rescuers (1977) of the Christmas Shopper, a parodied take on the Walt Disney classic about mice who are members of the PAS (Prisoners Aid Society) rescuing prisoners [Customers] from their inescapable cells.

Biodiversity, folks, is necessary also in the Tablets space, and choice and comparative shopping experience makes for happy Customers and more Tablets PC and e-Reader purchases this Christmas 2010 AD. Please, though, Customers try and buy the apps and support a Developer this Christmas! Even Angry Birds ???

More good news for us Jamaicans this Christmas 2010, as thanks to the craze over Tabletss gripping the United States of America, Netbooks are expected to be cheaper and thus the device of choice in Third World Countries such as Jamaica this Christmas as per the words of Micron, a Netbook manufacturer predicting lower than expected demand for Netbooks for the Fourth Quarter of 2010 AD in the article “Micron: Apple iPad, Tabletss ding PC, Notebook demand”, published October 8, 2010, 7:42am PDT By Larry Dignan, Between the Lines, ZDNet.

Then there is the gushing of Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn and his declared confirmation of a 50% bite into the sales of Netbooks and Laptops at his chain of retail stores as stated in the article “Best Buy CEO; iPad cannibalizing Laptop Sales by up to 50 percent”, published Friday September 17 2010, 6:10 am ET by Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, Yahoo! News.

Not bad for a device credited with having the fastest adoption rate of any computer thus far, selling nearly four million five hundred thousand (4,500,000) units every three (3) months as stated in the article “Reading, Writing and - iPads?”, published Thursday October 14 2010, 9:42 pm ET, by Dan Hope, TechNewsDaily Staff Writer, LiveScience.com, Yahoo! News, popular to the point that even Carlette Deleon, self confessed Tech “Gadgette” and Destroyer of Food in the Kitchen on Smile Jamaica, the happening morning show on Television Jamaica has one.

The other pretty woman on ye ole tube, former beauty Queen Regina Beavers on the local equivalent of a morning show, CVM at Sunrise on CVM TV, is rumoured to be in possession of this White Unicorn, albeit I am yet to see her using it with her sexy, svelte self on set. The ultimate teller of tales, however, is when the Samsung Galaxy Tablet drops on Thursday November 11th 2010 AD, The Rescuers (1977) of the Christmas Shopper via the provision of viable options on multiple Telecom Providers. Motorola Lightsabre, where are you?

1 comment:

electronic digital signature said...

In my opinion, everything simply works with iPad! My business is truly mobile with the iPad. I can process credit cards and can electronically sign any document using esign applications while sitting in a coffee shop.