Apple Should Be in 'No Rush' on iPad 3 as RIM's PlayBook Falters

[vvswarup]

Apple cant get complacent. They done that with the iphone and let Android take over.

Apple was never even the top player to be "taken over." They had no market share in the beginning. Also, where did you come up with the thing about Android "taking over." While Android is certainly a good platform, the fact that it is freely distributed to multiple manufacturers as well as the fact that the devices are available with tons of carriers have been significant factors in its rapid rise.

I don't look at those two facts as bad for Apple. It only speaks to the tremendous potential that Apple has. Let's not forget that it's Apple's one iPhone competing against dozens of Android devices. Also, in the US, the iPhone has been on more than one carrier for only seven months. Before this, AT&T was the only carrier. While Apple will never license iOS to other manufacturers, Apple has yet to open the iPhone up to other carriers like Sprint and other carriers overseas.

And it's not like Apple is hemorrhaging market share. Also, Apple makes more than 60% of the total profits of the smartphone industry.

It's not over. Android has not taken over by any means.

 

[Yumunum]

Wait, someone actually thought the Playbook would be a competitor for the iPad?

 

[smoking monkey]

Microsoft will provide more stiff competition with windows 8 because of the large windows user base.

Don't underestimate them....they're hungrier than Apple at the moment and there's a humility about the development team that is lacking at Apple currently.

Really? Hungrier and with more humility in the development team? How so? It sounds like you are talking out your arrse.

 

[foiden]

Microsoft's dev team seems more humble due to Steve Ballmer being the exact opposite of humble. Seriously, he talks like he thinks he's a divine gift to the computer industry. I've never seen a guy eat so many of his words, without ever eating his words. Reminds me of that dog from an old cartoon "Clue Club" where he goes, "I knew it all the time!" only after so many self-contradictions to what he already said.

Put most people next to him, and they'll seem like the most humble folks on the planet. Gary Busey would seem like the most self-less person out there, next to him. Sheen on a rant beats Ballmer, but Ballmer wouldn't disappear behind the Sheen rant. He'd do his typical "brush off pfft" action and tell Sheen 3 words. "Windows Marketshare buddy!" Gotta love a guy who is high on the success of something nigh-irreversibly established a decade before he even got the position. He's like the classic "Son of a godfather" kind of character who inherited something long built, and acts like a hotshot as if whatever he touches turns to gold, but at every turn talks as if he knows nothing about the business he got.

 

[MacinDoc]

Good thing Moscowitz doesn't work for Apple. The company can ill afford to have that sort of attitude, if it wants to continue to be a major player in the tablet market.

 

[DrJohnnyN]

Take a random ugly fat ginger kid at high school, put an iPad in his hands and he will have girls wanting to date him, Apple is a fashion statement to the young, they might turn into hardcore Apple geeks or they might jump off the bandwagon if something cooler comes along but Apple is brilliant at marketing its products as fashion statements/babe pullers

So that's how you met your girlfriend?

 

[CWT1965]

So that's how you met your girlfriend?

Nah we met when we were inmates of the same mental institution and when it got closed down due to government cuts and we were turfed out into the street we stayed close /sarcasm

We met through my work, I recruited her as one of our sales team and things developed from there, due to company policy banning workers from being in relationships together she left for another job after we got together, she likes Apple but is not obsessed with it like I am, she couldn't understand why I queued up outside an Apple store all night to get an iPad for instance.

 

[ranReloaded]

Microsoft attempts to vaporware itself out of irrelevance (as usual), and suddenly everyone turns hysterical. People, calm down...

 

[Gomff]

Really? Hungrier and with more humility in the development team? How so? It sounds like you are talking out your arrse.

Oh, the Apple attack dogs are out again.

Yes really, there's a much greater sense that Microsoft are listening to their customers compared to Apple. Whilst Cupertino are working on new toys to sell and concentrating on lifestyle twitter / Facebook users, professionals are waking up to the fact that Apple don't care about them anymore. The iPad may be the only game in town right now, but Microsoft haven't spoken yet. There's a good chance that I'll be able to do actual work on a win 8 tablet because it will have a file system I can use and real applications that I won't have to buy tablet versions of.

Frankly, blinded Apple devotees such as yourself can't or won't see that because your head is too far up your own arrse. If I can do more with a windows 8 tablet than my iPad, then I'll get one. I have no issue with using the best tool for the job because I'm not an Apple apologist.

But feel free to keep drinking the kool aid.

 

[tigres]

I don't think apple needs to rush new hardware out, I do believe that iOS needs a revamp- or new look.

The pages and pages of icons have worked wonders; yet I think they need to make it easier now. Tiles with live info feeds is a nice feature; and puts it right there front center.

Notifications is a small lazy step IMO.

 

[CWT1965]

Oh, the Apple attack dogs are out again.

Yes really, there's a much greater sense that Microsoft are listening to their customers compared to Apple. Whilst Cupertino are working on new toys to sell and concentrating on lifestyle twitter / Facebook users, professionals are waking up to the fact that Apple don't care about them anymore. The iPad may be the only game in town right now, but Microsoft haven't spoken yet. There's a good chance that I'll be able to do actual work on a win 8 tablet because it will have a file system I can use and real applications that I won't have to buy tablet versions of.

Frankly, blinded Apple devotees such as yourself can't or won't see that because your head is too far up your own arrse. If I can do more with a windows 8 tablet than my iPad, then I'll get one. I have no issue with using the best tool for the job because I'm not an Apple apologist.

But feel free to keep drinking the kool aid.

Microsoft trying to take on Apple in the tablet market would be a suicide mission I doubt they will even attempt it, licence out their OS maybe to others but not create a Microsoft tablet, Apple would obliterate them if they tried to take the fight to Apple.

Everyone is best off pulling out of the tablet market and leaving it exclusively for Apple and just being software licencers, Office 2010 ported to iPad would be a licence to print money for MS.

Ballmer has an ego the size of mars so he might try take Apple on in the tablet market, I look forward to MS being destroyed and crushed by Apple if they do

 

[Gomff]

Microsoft trying to take on Apple in the tablet market would be a suicide mission I doubt they will even attempt it, licence out their OS maybe to others but not create a Microsoft tablet, Apple would obliterate them if they tried to take the fight to Apple.

Everyone is best off pulling out of the tablet market and leaving it exclusively for Apple and just being software licencers, Office 2010 ported to iPad would be a licence to print money for MS.

Ballmer has an ego the size of mars so he might try take Apple on in the tablet market, I look forward to MS being destroyed and crushed by Apple if they do

I'm not really sure what you mean. I'm referring to tablets that run Windows 8 which is obviously going to happen, since MS have already started demoing early models. I'm not suggesting for a moment that Microsoft will build their own tablet although they seem to be doing OK with the Xbox when nobody gave them a chance at overtaking Sony.

The last thing any of us need, even rabid Apple fans for whom Cupertino can do no wrong, is for Apple to have the tablet market all to themselves. That will stifle innovation and we'll only get what Apple sees fit to give us which will probably mean no file system and every feature being connected to some sort of revenue stream for Apple like the app store currently is, and iCloud soon will be. Why do you think they tried to buy out Dropbox?

Anyway, I don't care who's ahead. If Apple continue to make the best tablet solution then I'll stick with them I suppose. But if I can run real Windows applications on a tablet that I can do real work on then tell me where I sign.

 

[AppleScruff1]

The last thing any of us need, even rabid Apple fans for whom Cupertino can do know wrong, is for Apple to have the tablet market all to themselves. That will stifle innovation and we'll only get what Apple sees fit to give us which will probably mean no file system and every feature being connected to some sort of revenue stream for Apple like the app store currently is, and iCloud soon will be. Why do you think they tried to buy out Dropbox?

Anyway, I don't care who's ahead. If Apple continue to make the best tablet solution then I'll stick with them I suppose. But if I can run real Windows applications on a tablet that I can do real work on then tell me where I sign.

The frightening thing is this is exactly what the rabid Apple fans want. They want to take what Apple gives them, they want the walled garden and they want to buy everything from Apple- apps, movies, tv, storage, music etc etc. They'd prefer to pay Apple wireless for their cell phone service and buy their food at the Apple supermarket.

And then brag about Apples record profits when they don't even own stock. A most unusual bunch.

 

[xraytech]

No big surprise here. This falls into the typical 12 month-ish refresh cycle.

 

[CWT1965]

I'm not really sure what you mean. I'm referring to tablets that run Windows 8 which is obviously going to happen, since MS have already started demoing early models. I'm not suggesting for a moment that Microsoft will build their own tablet although they seem to be doing OK with the Xbox when nobody gave them a chance at overtaking Sony.

The last thing any of us need, even rabid Apple fans for whom Cupertino can do no wrong, is for Apple to have the tablet market all to themselves. That will stifle innovation and we'll only get what Apple sees fit to give us which will probably mean no file system and every feature being connected to some sort of revenue stream for Apple like the app store currently is, and iCloud soon will be. Why do you think they tried to buy out Dropbox?

Anyway, I don't care who's ahead. If Apple continue to make the best tablet solution then I'll stick with them I suppose. But if I can run real Windows applications on a tablet that I can do real work on then tell me where I sign.

Apple would continue to innovate, they have almost a stranglehold on the MP3 player market but year after year they have refreshed the iPod and the iPod touch, even in some cases with the iPod bringing out a new version within a few months of the previous one so Apple are constantly innovating so I don't believe for one second that Apple would just stand still and not bring out exciting new innovations to the iPad if they had complete domination, they already have 68% of the tablet market and in a few months are bringing us retina display and the following year bringing us the A6 chip, they really don't need to do it but they do because they are a cutting edge of technology company. Even if every competitor to Apple withdrew from the tablet market in 2012 Apple would still introduce the A6 to the iPad 4 and so on.

----------

The frightening thing is this is exactly what the rabid Apple fans want. They want to take what Apple gives them, they want the walled garden and they want to buy everything from Apple- apps, movies, tv, storage, music etc etc. They'd prefer to pay Apple wireless for their cell phone service and buy their food at the Apple supermarket.

And then brag about Apples record profits when they don't even own stock. A most unusual bunch.

I want a walled garden tbh

I love the idea of a device where I am not going to get viruses and spyware and download apps that contain crap that is going to get me hacked or keyword logged, I love the idea of a device that does not have an archaic system like Flash that is full of bugs, prone to viruses and spyware and will drain the **** out of the battery.

I love turning on my iPad2 in the knowledge that my battery is going to last 10 hrs as opposed to 2 if I had Flash enabled, I love downloading an app safe in the knowledge I am not going to get a virus or have my credit card details stolen by a hacker.

Walled garden FTW

 

[Gomff]

The frightening thing is this is exactly what the rabid Apple fans want. They want to take what Apple gives them, they want the walled garden and they want to buy everything from Apple- apps, movies, tv, storage, music etc etc. They'd prefer to pay Apple wireless for their cell phone service and buy their food at the Apple supermarket.

And then brag about Apples record profits when they don't even own stock. A most unusual bunch.

So be it if thats the case, I don't care. I used to be a big fan of Apple but I'm over it since I came to my senses and realised they're not bothered about the professional market anymore. The only justification I could find for buying a new Mac was OS X Snow Leopard but then Lion came out and well, y'know.

The iPad is fine as a device for consumption. But you can't take it away with you as a laptop replacement if you plan on doing some serious work. You can't put apps on it unless Apple gets a cut and as a device it's limited to what Apple say you can do with it, unless you jailbreak. Until a tablet is available that allows you to do more and customers respond by buying them, Apple aren't going to change their ways.

If Windows 8 runs all the apps that Windows 7 runs, and it's the same Windows 8 that's going to be on tablets and desktops, then I already have some applications that I can be productive with on a Windows tablet. I don't need to buy into a third eco system, and I can work more seemlessly between a tablet and a desktop.

 

[CWT1965]

Until a tablet is available that allows you to do more and customers respond by buying them, Apple aren't going to change their ways

There is a tablet that does anything you want, it is called the Galaxy tablet, it has all the features under the sun and has flash enabled

Thing is nobody wants it

So that makes me convinced that people do not want flash, they want a walled garden etc, otherwise people would be queueing round the block for Galaxy's when they are not

 

[CWT1965]

The iPad is fine as a device for consumption. But you can't take it away with you as a laptop replacement if you plan on doing some serious work

Plus the iPad is not meant to be a laptop replacement, remember Steve's keynote from 2010 ? he said the iPad fills a gap between the phone and a notebook, the iPad is not meant as a serious computing device, anyone who buys it as such is deluded and didn't listen to Steve's keynote.

I use my iPad for the following

1) Checking emails on the way to work
2) Keeping up with the latest news
3) Social networking, checking my LinkedIn,Facebook,Twitter
4) Watching a football match on the sofa if my partner wants to watch something
5) Playing Angry Birds
6) Checking eBay
7) Making notes about what I have to do at work the next day
8) Watching a movie if I am on a plane or train long haul
9) Listening to music

The iPad does those things perfectly, it is not meant as a laptop replacement or high end business device, it is like buying a Ferrari Enzo and then complaining it doesn't drive up mountains like a Range Rover does

 

[tinman0]

Ipad 2 is the Tablet done right.

Competition tried bigger 16:9 screens. Fail. Portrait orientation feels akwards.

Competion added Adobe Flash. Fail. It too slow on mobile platforms and is full of security holes

Competiton tried smaller 7" screens to improve portability. Fail. The device is still too big to fit your pocket and too small for web browsing experience expected from a tablet.

Competition tried lowering their price. Fail. While the fire sale of HP Touch Pads provided life support into a failed product. It still will not save the day for Apple can make lines that snake for blocks and people camp for nights for devices that cost 500 to 700 dollars.

The competition kept (keep) listening to techies. FAIL.

The guy from RIM a few months ago summed it up perfectly when he pointed out that customers don't care about multitasking or dual core processors, or flash, etc.

So whilst the competition listen to Apple haters, they fail to understand that the iPad is the product of several success stories (not one).

For instance, the App store, and the iTunes store. Apple are simply building on an ecosystem (sic) that already existed.

Comparing Android to iPhone (not that you did) is also fairly dumb as well. People buy into the iPhone, but they don't buy into Android (unless you are a techie). With Android, people just buy into a cheap phone.

The phone market is also very different to the tablet market as devices are not subsidised.

 

[Yamcha]

Apple was never even the top player to be "taken over." They had no market share in the beginning. Also, where did you come up with the thing about Android "taking over." While Android is certainly a good platform, the fact that it is freely distributed to multiple manufacturers as well as the fact that the devices are available with tons of carriers have been significant factors in its rapid rise.

I don't look at those two facts as bad for Apple. It only speaks to the tremendous potential that Apple has. Let's not forget that it's Apple's one iPhone competing against dozens of Android devices. Also, in the US, the iPhone has been on more than one carrier for only seven months. Before this, AT&T was the only carrier. While Apple will never license iOS to other manufacturers, Apple has yet to open the iPhone up to other carriers like Sprint and other carriers overseas.

And it's not like Apple is hemorrhaging market share. Also, Apple makes more than 60% of the total profits of the smartphone industry.

It's not over. Android has not taken over by any means.

Android has taken over when we talk about market share, In the end it doesn't really matter wether Apple has had the opportunity or not. Fact is at the moment Android does have the larger marketshare, but you are right in saying that it's not over, Apple is still very relevant, and I'm sure they will grow as long as they continue to innovate..

Anyway apart from that I think when it comes to Tablets Apple is doing extremely well, but I'm still hoping they will continue to provide refreshes regardless of the little or no competition.

 

[jglavin]

Part of the reason they have the best product is because they don't rush it to market. By all means, take your time, Apple. But make sure what you bring to the table is a killer widget.

 

[Gomff]

Plus the iPad is not meant to be a laptop replacement, remember Steve's keynote from 2010 ? he said the iPad fills a gap between the phone and a notebook, the iPad is not meant as a serious computing device, anyone who buys it as such is deluded and didn't listen to Steve's keynote.

I use my iPad for the following

1) Checking emails on the way to work
2) Keeping up with the latest news
3) Social networking, checking my LinkedIn,Facebook,Twitter
4) Watching a football match on the sofa if my partner wants to watch something
5) Playing Angry Birds
6) Checking eBay
7) Making notes about what I have to do at work the next day
8) Watching a movie if I am on a plane or train long haul
9) Listening to music

The iPad does those things perfectly, it is not meant as a laptop replacement or high end business device, it is like buying a Ferrari Enzo and then complaining it doesn't drive up mountains like a Range Rover does

Ahh, why did you have to roll out a car analogy? Why do these discussions always descend into completely inappropriate comparisons to cars?

The point is, some people want a tablet that is a laptop replacement but Apple won't ever make one of those unless they have to and even then it won't be at tablet prices. Some people want something that performs the tasks you described above but which can also be used as a fully fledged computer. If a Windows a tablet can turn into a portable desktop system with the addition of a wireless mouse and keyboard then all of a sudden you have more options, and you can treat it like a laptop replacement when you want to.

But I wonder about the wisdom of continuing a discussion with someone who can't see the real reason why Apple don't want to push the ipad in that direction, despite it being easily capable of doing so. The simple answer is that they don't want to cannibalize sales of their laptop line, particularly the macbook air. Microsoft have no such constraints and in that sense, have a competitive advantage.

The galaxy tab will never be as effective at competing this way because:

1) Samsung don't have the established user base that MS do with Windows
2) Apple are doing their utmost to stifle competition with Samsung which they can't do with MS because of MS's established broad Windows IP.
3) Samsung make hardware, MS make software. MS don't care whether a windows 8 license is bought for a tablet or a netbook or a PC. The just care about selling a license.

This is why I'm saying you should underestimate Microsoft's entry into the tablet market at your peril.

 

[CWT1965]

Ahh, why did you have to roll out a car analogy? Why do these discussions always descend into completely inappropriate comparisons to cars?

The point is, some people want a tablet that is a laptop replacement but Apple won't ever make one of those unless they have to and even then it won't be at tablet prices. Some people want something that performs the tasks you described above but which can also be used as a fully fledged computer. If a Windows a tablet can turn into a portable desktop system with the addition of a wireless mouse and keyboard then all of a sudden you have more options, and you can treat it like a laptop replacement when you want to.

But I wonder about the wisdom of continuing a discussion with someone who can't see the real reason why Apple don't want to push the ipad in that direction, despite it being easily capable of doing so. The simple answer is that they don't want to cannibalize sales of their laptop line, particularly the macbook air. Microsoft have no such constraints and in that sense, have a competitive advantage.

The galaxy tab will never be as effective at competing this way because:

1) Samsung don't have the established user base that MS do with Windows
2) Apple are doing their utmost to stifle competition with Samsung which they can't do with MS because of MS's established broad Windows IP.
3) Samsung make hardware, MS make software. MS don't care whether a windows 8 license is bought for a tablet or a netbook or a PC. The just care about selling a license.

This is why I'm saying you should underestimate Microsoft's entry into the tablet market at your peril.

What is Apple's core market though with the iPad ?

It is not business people and professionals it is school and college kids, university students and so on, the professionals and business people would go and buy a Mac Book or whatever, the iPad is a consumption device marketed at trendy youngsters, such people rarely own businesses, such people rarely are involved in important decisions in a business so there is no point in Apple creating iPad's outside of their core market.

When I was queueing outside Apple Store in Regent St for the iPad 1 almost everyone in the queue was under 25, why would Apple need to make a high end business device tablet for such people ? they bought it to play games on and listen to music and update their Facebook etc

----------

I am not under 25 but I do fly a lot and I bought the iPad for the top priority being that I was sick of the crap movies that were broadcast in flight, usually heavily cut so I wanted a device where I could watch movies in flight of my choosing and uncensored, iPad is perfect for that.

 

[MacinDoc]

Ahh, why did you have to roll out a car analogy? Why do these discussions always descend into completely inappropriate comparisons to cars?

It wouldn't be a MacRumors thread if it didn't have at least one inappropriate car reference. Actually, come to think of it, a few of the most recent threads don't have one yet, so I'd best get to work adding one...

This is why I'm saying you should underestimate Microsoft's entry into the tablet market at your peril.

I certainly hope Apple gets this, even if some of us on MR don't.

 

[AppleScruff1]

I want a walled garden tbh

I love the idea of a device where I am not going to get viruses and spyware and download apps that contain crap that is going to get me hacked or keyword logged, I love the idea of a device that does not have an archaic system like Flash that is full of bugs, prone to viruses and spyware and will drain the **** out of the battery.

I love turning on my iPad2 in the knowledge that my battery is going to last 10 hrs as opposed to 2 if I had Flash enabled, I love downloading an app safe in the knowledge I am not going to get a virus or have my credit card details stolen by a hacker.

Walled garden FTW

You are exactly the type of customer Apple wants.

So be it if thats the case, I don't care. I used to be a big fan of Apple but I'm over it since I came to my senses and realised they're not bothered about the professional market anymore. The only justification I could find for buying a new Mac was OS X Snow Leopard but then Lion came out and well, y'know.

The iPad is fine as a device for consumption. But you can't take it away with you as a laptop replacement if you plan on doing some serious work. You can't put apps on it unless Apple gets a cut and as a device it's limited to what Apple say you can do with it, unless you jailbreak. Until a tablet is available that allows you to do more and customers respond by buying them, Apple aren't going to change their ways.

If Windows 8 runs all the apps that Windows 7 runs, and it's the same Windows 8 that's going to be on tablets and desktops, then I already have some applications that I can be productive with on a Windows tablet. I don't need to buy into a third eco system, and I can work more seemlessly between a tablet and a desktop.

Apple doesn't care too much about the pro market because that's not where the money's at. The big bucks for them are in the iPhone and iPad. They sell hundreds of thousands of the iDevice for every Mac Pro they sell. Apple is about profits. They're products don't cost much more to produce than their competitors, but they make a much bigger margin. Why? I think they make a good product but it's more hype and marketing than anything else. It's more like a religious cult.