No iPad killers this year
I was thinking about this for a while now, and then this article on Tech Crunch kicked my thoughts right into the place.
Do you remember when iPhone first generation came out how all manufactures rushed out to make look-alike copy? It was crazy, in less than 6 months there were touch phones everywhere. Of course, all of them were utter rubbish in comparison with iPhone and I am not talking just hardware. Yes, hardware was way crappier than iPhone’s (dragging screen lagged, click was laggy), but software was horrible as well. Interfaces were ugly, not touch-friendly and above all, it was that App Store with hundreds of sweet Apps that sealed the iPhone as the leader.
Remember that? OK.
So then Apple kicked out iPad.
Where are the knockoffs? Where are the attempts to mimic a successful product? I know there are few “tablet” like computers out there in the world, but none are at the same mental level as iPad (they either can do too much, or can do too little). No one rushed out their device in order to steal part of the cake that Apple generated.
And then there is this Tech Crunch article sealing the whole year off. If you believe them, there will be no iPad competitors out this year. Ain’t that strange? Apple is soon to announce iPad 2, and competition is still working on their first generation devices!
You wanna know why is that, in my super humble opinion?
It is because execs of those other companies believe, deep down, that there is no market for TABLET computers. There is only market for iPad. Dig that? Apple has through clever marketing created new market – but not market for tablet computers, they have created market for iPad. For that EXACT device. It is iPad that people want, not any tablet. I bet that if a better tablet computer saw light of day tomorrow, better in specifications / weight / memory / CPU speed / … that it would not sell at a rate of 1-unit-every-3-seconds as iPad was.
The world (at large) does not want tablet computers. Yes, you geeks reading this might want to see Google’s tablet, or Samsung’s, but you do not form mass of buyers. The world at large wants iPad, and only iPad. Not tablet computer.
And that is why companies are slow to release their attempt at tablets. They just do not believe they will sell their magical device.
And you know what? They are right.
4 thoughts on “No iPad killers this year”
August 27, 2010 at 16:48
Just to point out that the first iPhone “knockoffs” started to appear > 6 mnths after it was introduced. There is still hope :))
The iPad appeal is really strong because it derives from the power of iPhone, but in my opinion that does not mean there is no room for others.
I agree with you when you say that people do not want *any* tablet. Like you said Apple CREATED a new market for themselves and showed everyone what mass market wants in a tablet, do you really think that such markets stay vacant for long. it’s just a matter of time before others collect enough courage to give it a go (and I’m not talking about hardware)
August 28, 2010 at 03:00
Mind me, mr. Daemon.
Yet another newbie article much like most of everything else you publish here and do idiocratic reviews. Same bull*** from you on and on…
“…kicked my thoughts right into the place.”?
Goran, you should definitely stop hitting yourself.
Before writhing an article, refer the manual on the exploratory journalism and do some fact checking.
And yeah, Mr. almighty UX/UI designer…
Thanks for f*** enlightning us.
Better focus your work on pixel aligning those pictograms at what you’re probably the best.
January 13, 2011 at 15:10
Half a year later – still no ipad killers although Samsung Galaxy Tab came pretty close. BTW checkout – http://www.ipadkiller.net/
Ivan Majer: what are you blabbering about? Constructive criticism only plese. You sound like angry Daemons-ex. :)
January 13, 2011 at 15:18
Also, what is interesting is that all these companies are trying to make iPad killer a full year after iPad has been on the market. A year has passed and noone managed to get a product that even come close. Hardware-wise, yes they are close and even better, but the overall user experience, especially the Applications available are horrible.
In few weeks Apple will announce iPad 2. I bet that Galaxy Tab will look like piece of brick at that moment.