Will Apple's iPad fail?

[AirThis]

Windows phone has more potential than any other phone OS right now. Microsoft is marketing it terribly, but that is changing as Nokia is ramping up.

Try out a Windows phone and you'll see what I mean. It's refreshingly different from the usual iOS and Android fare. And it's not just different for the sake of being different; it actually makes sense.

I played with a Nokia Luma 800 yesterday and I must admit I was a bit puzzled. What's with the sliding cubes? To me it felt like a step backwards. The phone's specs were nice, for sure (great pictures and a snappy response time). But the OS ecosystem left me with the impression of being spatially disoriented. The tiles are neat, but it's not really what I want. Anyway, we'll see what the general public thinks when they become more widespread.

So, as you said, back to the "failing" iPads...

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Maybe so, but now that the industry has arguably "caught up", Apple will have a real fight on it's hands to maintain it's market share. The Android-based Asus Transformer Pad Infinity 700 is one example of how close the competition has moved up on the MBA.

I suspect some of the quality issues with the iPad can be linked to the increased competition for the ultra-books and Kindle Fire. If Apple loses the quality edge, and it's products are not that much different than their competitors, it will have to compete more on price.

However, the real battle is not the hardware/software; it's all about the on-line content. Let the "computer wars" begin......

I'm not sure of what "quality issues" you speak regarding the iPad. Build and component quality is on-par with recent Apple products. If you are referring to screens, it's common knowledge -- well, not to some, obviously, that every manufacturer is going to have a certain percentage of defective product. But the vocal minority that receives these makes it sound worse that it really is.

As for the "computer wars," they are over and done. Microsoft won that hands down. We are now entering the "Post PC" world and here Microsoft was caught sleeping. The reality is ultrabooks and Windows 8 are meant to keep Enterprise on Windows products. But many Fortune 100 and 500 are already migrating to iOS because it's less expensive to maintain, train staff to use, and easier and quicker to develop custom apps for. Also they want to get away from the annual site license that iOS does not have.

We've already seen a downward sales trend for PCs. Macs seem to be steady for some reason, but the future is tablets and iOS is quickly becoming the "Windows" of the tablet world.

 

[dukeblue91]

Apple's main hardware appeal has been the use of aluminum, thin, light, and long battery life. The software's appeal has been stability and ease of use.

The competition has essentially caught up on the hardware side (e.g., the Asus Zenbook is made with an aluminum frame, is thinner and lighter than the MBA and uses the same manufacturing factory as Apple and the MS 8 ultra-books use the same Intel cpu).

I would not take MS 8 lightly. MS is a big company with lots of skilled people. If they come up with a solid, easy to use, OS; they will cut into Apple's software dominance.

Yes the competition is coming close to the hardware but we are also yet to see what Apple is coming out with with it's next generation, it's not like they are going to stop innovating.
It took the competition a couple of years to react to Apple and their margins are very low compared to Apples just so that they can play in the same sand box.
If Apple can add a retina display to the air and keep the price the same the completion will be in trouble again and without profit margin.
As faras win 8 and MS I do not under estimate them but it will be a very steep uphill batle for them.
Just take a look at how poorly the uptake for WP7 has been plus they are having to fight two fronts mass produced Android and highly popular IOS on the phone and tablet side and OSX on the laptop side.
MS took the bait from Apple about merging Mobil and desktop os's and is running with it full force instead of going slow and I have a feeling that it will back fire on them.
We will see though.

 

[jeremyshaw]

On a related note: Read this amusing thread with a host of reactions to the original iPod from 2001 from our fellow members.

This says it all.

 

[xak]

Been using my (first ever) iPad 3 for a while and still yet to become fully accustomed to it - I've been using the typical Windows GUI since I was in 5th grade. That being said, I do enjoy it a lot, but mainly got it because I read on the internet a lot and constantly found myself focusing intently at my iPhone's small 3.5" screen late at night which was more convenient that bringing my bulky (though relatively lightweight) and easily overheated laptop to bed, but still not very great since the text was so small.

But if they come out with a new iPhone that has an adequately larger screen, such that reading on it will be less of an eye-strain, it may just make my iPad obsolete and open for selling.

It's a great device, it is fun as hell, but the less devices I need the better. If all I have to have with me is one device that can make/take calls AND be used for relatively well for reading, I prefer that.

 

[andiwm2003]

The problem is not that these posters point out weaknesses of the iPod/iPad and are wrong in their prediction.

The problem is the aggressive way they spout their opinion as absolute truth without having anything beyond their opinion. This people have no decency to allow other opinions and they have no understanding that there is a difference between stating things as opinion or as fact. They think they have no responsibility to the truth and they think the internet is a place where everybody can just throw out whatever they want regardless of truth....oh wait...the internet is actually exactly the place for that.....never mind......