Tablet PC fails to live up to the hype (with numbers!)

[simX]

While finishing my daily read over at As the Apple Turns, I noticed an interesting statistic in the third scene of today's episode: less than 100,000 tablet PCs have shipped since the launch in November.

Humorists as the writers are, the AtAT staff pointed out that Apple outsold that number in PowerMacs shipped in one quarter alone; and those are PMG4s, not PMG5s.

It's not clear from the linked article over at MacUser (FRRYYY, maybe) whether the "less than 100,000" figure refers to European shipments or worldwide shipments, but I believe it's the latter, since later on in the article it quotes another statistic: shipments to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have totaled only 26,920 units.

I think this is the first pretty good evidence that the Tablet PC is pretty much just hype. I never did understand it, anyway.

 

[Eniregnat]

They are pretty neat and fairly useful thought.
The cost and the "quirky" little problems that some users find are not particularly desirable. I have one friend who owns one and loves it. He just wishes that he had purchased some sort of screen protector first.

Also, for those not used to using a graphics tablet or doing extensive text editing, the tablet feature is fairly hard to get used to and use as well as the screen and mouse/trackpad/stick/etc...

I like them though, and have used Apple's only tablet PC well. My eMate 300 is still kicking and it's pen based interface coupled with the keyboard is very useful, even when folded flat or rotated 90 to 180 degrees in ether direction.

I do hope Apple brings one in with a simplified hinge mechanism and with their InkWell technology.

 

[BillHarrison]

Too expensive. Plain and simple.

Neat idea, but way too pricey at the moment.

They are a cut down notebook for 3x the price.

Not gonna fly!

 

[pseudobrit]

Jobs nailed this one, I guess.

He's also put an end to speculation on a voice-recognition OS ("always 5 years away").

It's amazing how his feel for the future is so accurate.

Of course that's with the exception the G4 Cube, which had the same problem the tablet PC does: a gimmicky design with less features, more cost = market failure.

 

[idea_hamster]

I agree that the Cube was a market failure in the short run -- but I remember when it came out. That's not something I can say for any particular PC, even this tablet.

The Cube hit when Apple needed a shot in the arm to get it back on people's radar and it did it with a striking design that looked equally good on a billboard and a desktop.

The Cube did not sell well, but it was a calling card that said "The innovation is back at Apple: striking things to come!"

(Oh, but really you're right that Jobs nailed this one -- in his customarily uncanny manner!)

 

[simX]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
Jobs nailed this one, I guess.

He's also put an end to speculation on a voice-recognition OS ("always 5 years away").

It's amazing how his feel for the future is so accurate.

Of course that's with the exception the G4 Cube, which had the same problem the tablet PC does: a gimmicky design with less features, more cost = market failure.

I think the cube was actually a failed attempt at a target market; while it's design was revolutionary, it failed because it also required the purchase of a separate monitor, despite the fact that it lacked expansion.

I think the design of the cube led up to the G4 iMac; the G4 iMac is targeted at the EXACT SAME market that the cube was: the prosumer, who needed a powerful computer and not such a high price. While undoubtedly the eMac is currently giving the iMac some competition (but now the iMac has some headroom given the new PMG5), the iMac does what the cube didn't: it provided an attractive product that isn't quite as powerful or expensive as the PowerMac, but provides more features and more price than the bargain-basement Mac. That's because it integrates the monitor and all the other features into a really compact design (including the power brick, which was the most annoying thing about the cube, IMHO, since I bought one).

I think the cube was just a precursor to a much better product that was aimed at the same target market.

Can you tell I bought a G4 iMac after my cube?

 

[jefhatfield]

Re: Tablet PC fails to live up to the hype (with numbers!)

Originally posted by simX
While finishing my daily read over at As the Apple Turns, I noticed an interesting statistic in the third scene of today's episode: less than 100,000 tablet PCs have shipped since the launch in November.

Humorists as the writers are, the AtAT staff pointed out that Apple outsold that number in PowerMacs shipped in one quarter alone; and those are PMG4s, not PMG5s.

It's not clear from the linked article over at MacUser (FRRYYY, maybe) whether the "less than 100,000" figure refers to European shipments or worldwide shipments, but I believe it's the latter, since later on in the article it quotes another statistic: shipments to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa have totaled only 26,920 units.

I think this is the first pretty good evidence that the Tablet PC is pretty much just hype. I never did understand it, anyway.

being a gearhead, i love the tablet idea...are you listening, apple?

but the price was too high initially

wait until the price comes down

ditto with centrino stuff