I am about to hit the submit button. I can't believe that it's going to take 4-5 weeks to ship. I remember reading from so many posters here that this is not going to be as popular as the iPad 1. They could not have been more wrong.
A lot of people keep likening the iPad to the iPhone. This is not a good comparison. When the iPhone launched, it launched into an arena (mobile phones) where you had many different phone manufacturers. So what Apple did was carve a niche in the mobile phone arena, and made the iPhone a different experience. What Google wisely did, was create an OS similar to iOS and teamed up with the many different phone manufacturers to compete with the iPhone. Like it or not, Android offered those, who weren't willing to drop their plan to get an iPhone, a good alternative. Many different phones, with many different options. Not here to argue Android vs iOS. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Here comes the iPad. It launched successfully. Better than a lot of experts predicted. Everyone is waiting for Google and MS to compete with and offer a similar or better product, like what happened with mobile phones. I don't think they will.
This reminds me of the MP3 player. When the iPod launched, there were some MP3 players around (I had a Dell, and another one I can't remember), however none that was dominant in the market. The iPod took the field by storm and never looked back. Even though the critics loved the Zune, and people I know loved it, it could never compete in the eyes of the masses of consumers. The iPod is so dominant now in that arena that when you think MP3, you automatically think iPod. It's going to be the same with the iPad. The iPad launched into an untested market and has won the minds of the people. This is not some fad.
The competitors may win the spec war, but they won't win the marketing war. What's happening now is every time someone says tablet, they are going to think iPad. Google has to wait for these manufacturers to get their hardware together in order to compete. By that time, IMHO, it will be way too late.
So I am getting ready to order my iPad.
A lot of people keep likening the iPad to the iPhone. This is not a good comparison. When the iPhone launched, it launched into an arena (mobile phones) where you had many different phone manufacturers. So what Apple did was carve a niche in the mobile phone arena, and made the iPhone a different experience. What Google wisely did, was create an OS similar to iOS and teamed up with the many different phone manufacturers to compete with the iPhone. Like it or not, Android offered those, who weren't willing to drop their plan to get an iPhone, a good alternative. Many different phones, with many different options. Not here to argue Android vs iOS. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
Here comes the iPad. It launched successfully. Better than a lot of experts predicted. Everyone is waiting for Google and MS to compete with and offer a similar or better product, like what happened with mobile phones. I don't think they will.
This reminds me of the MP3 player. When the iPod launched, there were some MP3 players around (I had a Dell, and another one I can't remember), however none that was dominant in the market. The iPod took the field by storm and never looked back. Even though the critics loved the Zune, and people I know loved it, it could never compete in the eyes of the masses of consumers. The iPod is so dominant now in that arena that when you think MP3, you automatically think iPod. It's going to be the same with the iPad. The iPad launched into an untested market and has won the minds of the people. This is not some fad.
The competitors may win the spec war, but they won't win the marketing war. What's happening now is every time someone says tablet, they are going to think iPad. Google has to wait for these manufacturers to get their hardware together in order to compete. By that time, IMHO, it will be way too late.
So I am getting ready to order my iPad.
