Why I didn't wait for the iPad killers

Ok....from the "why not xyz alternative" perspective. If I decided it would be nice to have a slate device that's neither a smartphone nor a laptop -- why not....

Wait for the HP Slate? The Slate looks to be a nice device. We'll have to wait and see how it well it performs once it's released or they give press access to samples (as Apple did). Flash support is surely a competitive advantage. But, I did not wait because:

• I do not believe windows is a great touch OS
• I do not desire to run my windows apps on a slate
• I do not desire to run my windows apps on a netbook processor
• If I wanted to run windows in a "smaller than a laptop" form factor, I'd pick one of the convertible netbooks with a screen that folds over to become a tablet.

Dell Mini 5. It looks nice. It runs Android. I think that Android is going to be the best competitor to the iPhone OS. I like Google, I like the openness of the Linux platform. I like java as a development language. I like Dell as a company. But I am not waiting for this device because:

• I already have an iPhone/iPod Touch.
• I do not think 5" is all that different than what I have
• I can make calls on my iphone and it fits in my pocket.
• One of my main uses is for sharing photos -- and a 10" screen is much more desirable.

JooJoo. Are you kidding me? I have doubts that this device will ever see the light of day. It's another "few Indian engineers start a company and get press attention" vaporware device. Vaporware is more than just "does the product exist" but also "do they have a chance in hell of marketing and distributing the device". Also, they are going to lose to Micael Arrington's lawsuits over IP. If this product did see the light of day -- I have no interest in a device that only surfs the web and is almost as heavy as a laptop.

Notion Ink's Adam. A very interesting "we have a spec" device from yet another "group of guys with an idea and a website" in India. The Pixel Q screen looks very interesting. I like the screen size (vs. the Dell Mini) and that it runs Android. It's not nearly as slick/polished looking as the iPad but should be sufficient. But I'm not waiting for them because:

• I do not think Android has the entertainment/games ecosystem anywhere near the level of the iPhone OS.
• Android is a great option for phones -- where being "a phone" with email, web surfing, facebook and texting covers 90% of the use cases. It has enough apps to supplement this with more coming. But JUST going by it's entertainment features -- I don't think it will hold a candle to the iPhone ecosystem.
• Not only do I not think the current "designed for phones" Android apps are worth having such a device for, I do not think there is any kind of incentive for folks to be developing Android apps to take advantage of the large screen. Google has not even created 10" versions of the basic google apps for the Android. I have a lot more confidence in Apple's ability to get support for it's device such that I have no worries being an early adopter. Even if I did want one of these devices, believed that Android was "already there" in terms of entertainment, I'd wait and see what kind of apps came out to support the 10" screen.

50-100 Chinese made "me too" android slates. See all the above reasons for not waiting for them and add:

• I think there is far more to creating a great user experience on a slate device than merely slapping together commodity items and putting Android on it.
• Put this in the "I'll let others be the early adopters" for these devices.

Netbooks. I think people love their netbooks and, if they have the right expectations for them, are getting a lot out of them. Netbooks have been available for awhile now and I just have not wanted one. When speaking of netbooks a year ago, and about Apple's needing a netbook I said "I don't want a netbook, what I want is a large iPod Touch". I do not think the iPad and the netbook have all that much overlap (some, but not all that much). I fully understand why more folks will continue to choose nebooks than iPads.

Laptop. I already have a laptop. My kids have a laptop. We like them. If I could only have one device, it would be a laptop. I'm actually wanting MORE power for my laptop not less. I have a 17" screen on my laptop and do not wish for a smaller one. My laptop is plugged in 99% of the time and I'm fine with that. I'm writing this from my laptop. I know I could get a laptop for my kids for cheaper than an iPad. The laptop they now have cost $340. For me the iPad is in ADDITION TO, not INSTEAD OF, a laptop.

Leebase

There's never going to be an "iPad killer", in the same way we have yet to see an "iPhone killer" or "iPod killer".

Android, in it's current state, is crap. Yes HTC can put a flashy UI over it, but it is just crap. The Android Market isn't doing well at all, and the developers are already having problems with all the different resolutions and specs. A tightly controlled develoment platform such as the App Store is a lot better than an open one that just dosen't work effectively.

As for Android tablets, they are literally taking a phone OS and stretching it onto a big screen. At least the iPad has optimised apps made specifically for that screen, and have provided developers with a way to do the same. But the Android ones are just massive versions of standard Android apps, and there's no doubt they'll run into trouble with the resolution when the Android Market is concerned, too.

I'm not waiting for the iPad Killer as thee won't be one. There will be competitive products but just as with the concept of the "next killer application", nonsense. There will be some new "killer/cool" products and apps. But non will kill the iPad. Evolution of technology may at some point obsolete the tablet/slate computer but that is undoubtedly some years to come.
I will however wait to purchase an iPad. I'll wait for implementation of some open standards to complete the browsing experience, perhaps more memory (at lower/same price), and the ability to control how and what I put on the unit in terms of apps and content (without having to jailbreak the unit).
Love my iPod Touch 32 but often am forced back to my laptop to do more intense browsing and study on the internet due to a lack of open or alternate (to Apple's) content support.