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Who will win the Tablet market in 2013?

PracticalMac

PracticalMac

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
2,857
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Houston, TX
No question iPad will dominate in 2012, but now with Microsoft throwing its hat in the ring, lets start placing our bets!

2013 is Apples to loose if they don't start expand their offerings.
About 2/3 of the Android tablet selection is 8" and smaller tablets in the $99 to $299 price range, letting that segment go unchallenged will at least will keep Android alive in tablets.
The market is awash with the <8" tablets people are buying (no matter how crappy the quality) simply becuase they look more attractive with tight budgets, and the Kindle Fire sold millions despite a smaller screen. Size is not a big hindrance.


Microsoft "Surface".
Sure, looks great on the surface, but can it challenge iPad?
Absolutely!
Don't ignore the social network Live Anywhere built up around the XBox, and MS put a 16% stake in Barnes & Noble Nook to secure an eBook line, so they do have some a foundation to work on. On aside, Nokia is still top cell phone maker, and while they in tough times, their WinPhone offerings may (or not) may be a new start.


The way I see it is "Surface" has the potential to crush Android more then challenge iPad. I expect Android users who are less then pleased with those tablets but not wanting to go iPad will jump on Surface becuase, ironically, Microsoft is offering a fully integrated software/hardware system and may offer a better experience, just like iPad and iOS. Microsoft still has some very keep pockets to build up the eco system, not to mention millions of PC's.

There may also be a alliance of sorts between Apple and Microsoft against Google (case in point the joint purchase of Nortel patents).


Google is likely to come out with surprises too, after all, they purchased Motorola Mobility, so now they can make fully integrated products as well. I am pretty sure they are takeing MS threat very seriously.


1st iPad
2ed Android, just
3ed Microsoft in close 3ed

2013 will be an interesting year.
 
iPad. Probably won't be until a couple of years until anyone comes close. If they comes out with a 7" iPad as well...then I don't foresee anyone catching them for YEARS. The iPad will be iconic like the iPod was.
 
Apple for the foreseeable future. I don't think the Slate RT and Pro are specifically going after the iPad. I'm sure MS will welcome iPad users to buy their stuff but I think they are going for a piece of the Windows corporate world and those that want an Ultrabook.

As much as i'll buy a Slate Pro, I think both will have their own identity. ;)
 
You usually want to avoid microsoft version 1.0 software (and hardware).

It usually takes them 3 revisions to get it right. I have a windows phone (Nokia lumia 900). It's really running the second version of windows phone software. Windows 8 for phones will be great.

Windows 8 tablets will be based on windows 8/phone. I will wait till 2014 for windows 8 tablets
 
aneftp said:
You usually want to avoid microsoft version 1.0 software (and hardware).

It usually takes them 3 revisions to get it right. I have a windows phone (Nokia lumia 900). It's really running the second version of windows phone software. Windows 8 for phones will be great.

Windows 8 tablets will be based on windows 8/phone. I will wait till 2014 for windows 8 tablets
Click to expand...

In this case, I think MS will pour on the manpower. They are hemorrhaging market share and market visibility.
They cannot afford the time and bad reviews.
 
I've always had good luck with MS hardware. From the presentation that Slate looks well built. Hell they even mentioned they're incorporating Liquid Metal into the design.
 
Apple has the app store which is huge! Not to mention more people own iPhones than phones running windows software and those people are more likely to by iPads as well. Imo its gonna take MS a few generations of tablets to get going and then be able to compete with iPad.
 
I wish I could get into a time machine, zoom forward 10 years, see what had happened to Tablet computing, then come back and sit her seeing all the arguments with a smile on my face knowing what was going to happen :D

Apple will fail big style sooner or later, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 50 years.
Who know's everything changes, things come and go in and out of fashion.

Nintendo Ruled the Gaming world with high end consoles.
Sony ruled the portable music work with Walkmans.
Atari was the GIANT name also.

It all changes.
 
PracticalMac said:
No question iPad will dominate in 2012, but now with Microsoft throwing its hat in the ring, lets start placing our bets!...
Click to expand...

Or we can all just keep using our iPads and continue not to give a damn about what the "competitors" are doing, especially the ones that people are trying to pit against the iPad which are not really iPad alternatives. The Surface is more of a notebook with tablet tendencies than a true tablet. I think the only company that can really kill the iPad is Apple.
 
Rodster said:
I've always had good luck with MS hardware. From the presentation that Slate looks well built. Hell they even mentioned they're incorporating Liquid Metal into the design.
Click to expand...
"Vapor Magnesium" ;)
TheWheelMan said:
Or we can all just keep using our iPads and continue not to give a damn about what the "competitors" are doing, especially the ones that people are trying to pit against the iPad which are not really iPad alternatives. The Surface is more of a notebook with tablet tendencies than a true tablet. I think the only company that can really kill the iPad is Apple.
Click to expand...
The Pro I would say is actually an everything/anything.

Why isnt the Pro a Tablet? Why isnt the regular RT a Tablet?

They dont need keyboards or mice or trackpads.

What you can do is not blindly follow Apple and check out what else is offered and decide on whats best for you. Macbreak Weekly spent more time covering the Surface than anything Apple today.
 
My predictions for 2013 tablet marketshare:

1. Apple - iPad
2. Google - Android tablet (inc. Kindle Fire)
3. Microsoft - Windows 8 RT tablet

It's a shame while I see promise in Microsoft's Surface I've just lost faith in the companies abilities to execute on it's plans. Just look at how they've handled Windows Phone 7 or even the recent Surface announcement: no release date, no pricing and no battery life times...

Adam
 
in the whole scheme of things...does it really matter unless you own stock in any of the aforementioned companies

personally i hope MS wins out overall as i own more stock from them than i do apple...:D
 
W8 vaporware is cool. Windows vaporware surface is cool. Asus's vaporware high resolution tablet is cool.

I predict we will see lots more cool ads. But, I wil have the iPad 4 in my hands at this time next year, and I will be impressed, yet again.
 
Even if new tablets come to market which are technically superior to the iPad is irrelevant to the end consumer. Apple presently have the momentum and I suspect it will be a good while until anything challenges that and whoever does I cannot imagine it being Microsoft. It's all about the Apps, and it will be a fair while before anyone catches up with Apple on that front and whilst iOS has it's limitations this doesn't matter to the average/majority consumer who just enjoys the ease of use of iOS.
 
In 2013 it'll be:

1. Apple
2. Android
3. Microsoft

In 2014:

1. Apple
2. Microsoft
3. Android

After that it's anyones guess if Apple can stay on top. However, I think Android's days are limited. Too many problems.
 
Apple has a huge leap in the 3rd party development market, Android has mostly phone optimized apps, and I think Microsoft is too late to the game (just like the Zune was).

Unless Microsoft finds a way to challenge Apple on the 3rd party apps department its probably not going to do much damage to Apple.

Apple is way ahead of the competition so they'd really have to screw things up in order for them to lose their lead.
 
Aspasia said:
Anyone can guess, but it won't be an educated guess absent any specifics on battery life and pricing.
Click to expand...

This is most certainly true. I'm surprised at how many tech journalists are raving about the new Microsoft surface, but had very little time to actually use it. Most focused on how the keyboard was going to revolutionize the market, but so far I've read that no one actually had a chance to test it out. A writer at Gizmodo actually admitted to this.

I'll admit the build quality looks superb and I appreciate the magnesium case -- I hate plastic tablets -- but there is just too much unknown at this point. However, I do think this effort on the part of Microsoft is far better and more thought out than Android.

The pro version of the surface will cost as much as an ultrabook -- so why not just get an ultrabook?
 
Meanee said:
Current trending already shows that Android will overtake iPad in 2015 for 100%. With Microsoft in a mix, nobody knows. But unless Apple does something drastic, I believe 2015 or even 2014 will be a decline for iPad. Same way as Android slowly but surely overtook iPhone marketshare.

Source: http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS23371312
Click to expand...

It's still an expanding market, so while Android will eventually dominate (primarily at the low end) Apple will continue to exhibit growth.
 
Apple with the iPad.

However I can envision MSFT knocking android out of the Tablet game except for the very low end where Apple doesn't want to be anyway.
 
No question Apple continues to dominate the personal tablet market. However, things could look different for the business model now that Windows 8 will be running the same OS across Tablets & PCs.
 
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