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Android vendors concede tablet market to Apple

Posted by Julie188 on · 3 comments
Network World's Open Source Subnet; By Joe Brockmeier
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"I'm about ready to throw in the towel on Android tablets out of sheer frustration. As a Linux user and Android fan, I've been patiently waiting for a decent iPad competitor to hit U.S. shores. The Galaxy Tab looked promising, until Verizon and Samsung stuck a $600 price tag on the tablet," Brockmeier writes. If you want to buy an Android tablet, and buy it this holiday season, you are stuck with choices that are always hobbled, disappointing or way too expensive like the Tab. Why aren't the Android vendors taking this more seriously?

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Comments (3)

First Joe Brockmeier was trying to convince us that Linux really does have no desktop market share, or at least none worth discussing. Now he's ready to dismiss tablets with Android.

First, he compares an iPad without 3G to a Galaxy Tab with 3G and finds the iPad is cheaper. If he did an Apples to apples comparison and compared an iPad with 3G to a Galaxy Tab with 3G then he'd find the Samsung offering is cheaper. Paul Miller wrote an editorial for Engadget titled "Why the Galaxy Tab's price makes sense" which is certainly worth a read: http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/20/editorial-why-the-galaxy-...

Second, he refers to users who buy a "cut rate offering" as "taking a chance". Well... here in the U.S. you can go down to K-Mart (a big box retailer) and buy an Augen Gentouch for $179. See: http://www.augengentouch.com/ and [url=http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_020W023705190001P?vName=Computers & Electronics&cName=Laptops&sName=View All&sbf=Brand&sbv=Augen]http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_020W023705190001P?v...[/url] We've already seen these on sale for $150 and I expect we will again during the holiday season.

How much of a chance are you taking when you spend less than a quarter of the price? Whatever functionality isn't quite as good as an iPad will almost certainly be good enough for the price. Joe says the tablets have to be widely distributed. You can't get much more widely distributed than being on the shelves at big box retailers for Christmas.

Joe says consumers won't find 10" unwieldy and don't want 7" devices. Hey, Joe, what consumer research did you do to reach that conclusion? I do think 7" is a better size for a tablet. Heck, the only thing I miss about my original Sylvania g netbook was the small size and light weight. Small, light, even small enough to fit in a pocket book does sell.

I really don't know why Joe sees Linux failing everywhere lately. I'm getting more than a little tired of his gloom and doom articles. Yes, the iPad will undoubtedly be a success. So will the Android tablets, even the "cut rate" offerings which appeal to those who don't have $630 to spend on the latest Apple high end gadget. The only failure I see here is in the article. To me Paul Miller makes a whole lot more sense.
I didn't know these tablets gets so cheap now.

I just had a lightbulb moment. Instead of buying a GPS, if people have a data plan, they can use these cheap $200 tablets that has GPS functionality with Google Maps. Not the most advance navigating app, but not a bad idea with the 10" screen and for the price + others things the tablet can do.

It would be better if there is an offline navigating software like the Nokia Maps which use GPS, but doesn't require internet. Guess I'll wait for Meego tablets.
There are offline map apps for android, wish granted.

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