subject: Apple's attempt to win the tablet war in 2011 [print this page] Apple's attempt to win the tablet war in 2011
When the curtain came off the iPad 2 millions of customers reached for their credit cards and waited until they could pre-order the device. If early indications are a real sign of things to come, Apple could sell significantly more iPad's than they did with last years iPad launch. It seems that the year between has warmed up general consumer consensus in favor of tablet computing, as many users are replacing their laptops with a new high end tablet.
Google hasn't been resting on their laurels however. Jealous of the market share that Apple commanded in 2010, Google has quickly created Android 3.0, code named Honeycomb. It's a version of Android specifically designed for tablet computers and is more optimized than the current iOS code. Since Google doesn't make hardware it has been urging on third party vendor's to make their own tablets this year. Motorola, Samsung, HTC, and others are all racing to get in on the action.
Choosing between an iPad device and a Android device is a harder decision than most people originally wonder. If you wanted to compare tech specs, it might be difficult as Apple does its best to not divulge all the specifics. Apple believes that it is about the experience, the sum of the parts rather than the official breakdown that will determine the winner in the end.
Apple's current market share caps out at about 90%. A commanding lead over the competition. The most prominent competition is Motorola's Xoom tablet. This tablet device does indeed have better specs than even the iPad 2. However, the Xoom comes with a much steeper price tag and a contract is required for internet access when you purchase the device.
Many users are still leery of Apple for it's lock down mechanics but it still seems like the best bet is to stick with the iPad line. Most of the app creators are focused on the device as it commands the most users. By a huge margin. Whether 2011 will be the year that changes everything remains to be seen. Most speculation puts Apple to lose some market share, but nothing in the neighborhood of losing their commanding lead on the whol platform.
Android makes a strong case for itself, but 2011 will probably still prove that Android is an underdog when compared to the shiny products coming out of Cupertino. Check out more news about Apple and iPad tablet device.
