Here comes the competition

[wrecklass]

On and on and on with the android will destroy iPad. Android will not destroy the iPad, for the simple reason that the iPad established the market and will continue to hold the edge for a long time. One year ago, all the pundits we saying the iPad would be too big, too awkward, and there was no market. .

Nobody here has implied Android wil destroy the iPad. We have simply stated that Android is going to displace RIM as the top selling smartphone and iOS will be second place. Just as Apple invented the easy to use computer OS, but was overtaken by Windows because people perceived Windows computers to be cheaper than Macs.

People who prefer ease of use and the out of the box experience of iOS will love Apple products. People who want more flexibility but are willing to give up some ease of use for it will choose Android.

We all win with more choices.

Why does the mere mention of competition send some Apple users into a panic? Apple survived Microsoft, they will survive Google.

And consumers will win. Isn't that a good thing?

 

[Seadog]

I have seen several mentions about how great android is going to be. I have no concerns if it is great. Every maker will have to make a decision about features, costs, design. Most of the tablets out now are 7" because it is the current limit for android. I do not see Apple ever giving in and offering flash, but I foresee less demand for flash. Flash on a handheld device will probably never be a enjoyable combination for the average user. 1080p is a limited virtue for the next few years. I wonder about what features android 3.0 might bring, but I am not going to jump out and spend my money on one. The software may be great, but unlike Apple, the link between the device software and the device is not always the best. Once android 3.0 is release, the question will be which device works well with it.

 

[rogatsby]

Nobody here has implied Android wil destroy the iPad. We have simply stated that Android is going to displace RIM as the top selling smartphone and iOS will be second place. Just as Apple invented the easy to use computer OS, but was overtaken by Windows because people perceived Windows computers to be cheaper than Macs.

People who prefer ease of use and the out of the box experience of iOS will love Apple products. People who want more flexibility but are willing to give up some ease of use for it will choose Android.

We all win with more choices.

Why does the mere mention of competition send some Apple users into a panic? Apple survived Microsoft, they will survive Google.

And consumers will win. Isn't that a good thing?

People keep mentioning that Android has eclipsed iOS, but they fail to mention that the reality is there are dozens of Android models and 1 iPhone. Let's look at the figures for the HTC Desire vs. iPhone, lol

 

[Superbike81]

I have seen several mentions about how great android is going to be. I have no concerns if it is great. Every maker will have to make a decision about features, costs, design. Most of the tablets out now are 7" because it is the current limit for android. I do not see Apple ever giving in and offering flash, but I foresee less demand for flash. Flash on a handheld device will probably never be a enjoyable combination for the average user. 1080p is a limited virtue for the next few years. I wonder about what features android 3.0 might bring, but I am not going to jump out and spend my money on one. The software may be great, but unlike Apple, the link between the device software and the device is not always the best. Once android 3.0 is release, the question will be which device works well with it.

Ummmm, why are you making up facts? There is no 7" limitation, never has been, never will be. There are 10" Android tablets available right now running Android 2.1 and 2.2 (Archos 101, G-Tab, etc).

Please explain why Flash won't be any good on a handheld device. The main problem right now is phones and tablets currently out don't have the processing power to handle it smoothly. The new processors are much more powerful than what's currently available and will make a significant improvement.

People keep mentioning that Android has eclipsed iOS, but they fail to mention that the reality is there are dozens of Android models and 1 iPhone. Let's look at the figures for the HTC Desire vs. iPhone, lol

Android has eclipsed iOS. This isn't a Android phone vs iPhone argument, this is an iOS vs Android OS argument. It's by Apple's own choice that there are only a few devices running iOS. Android OS phones outsold phones running iOS in the most recent statistical study. So yes, Android OS is eclipsing iOS.

 

[donka]

Two big ones will be Flash and the ability to access files and the file system. In addition most have USB/miniUSB ports that allow you to move files from your pc as well as connectivity to printers that aren't network attached.

These two are key for me - if the tablet otherwise compares to the iPad and app support improves then I can see me picking up an Android 3.0 tablet. I love my iPad but if you can have a similar device but also include these 2 features then why not?

 

[wrecklass]

People keep mentioning that Android has eclipsed iOS, but they fail to mention that the reality is there are dozens of Android models and 1 iPhone. Let's look at the figures for the HTC Desire vs. iPhone, lol

We call that the "sticking your head in the sand" argument. It's like saying Macintosh is winning because they sell more computers than, say, HP. Ignoring the actual argument that Windows outsells MacOS 10 to 1.

Android has eclipsed iPhone in the smart phone market. Argue anything you want about the hardware. The fact that Apple will not license iOS to other manufacturers is their choice, but it doesn't alter the facts.

 

[Thphilli]

Nobody here has implied Android wil destroy the iPad. We have simply stated that Android is going to displace RIM as the top selling smartphone and iOS will be second place. Just as Apple invented the easy to use computer OS, but was overtaken by Windows because people perceived Windows computers to be cheaper than Macs.

People who prefer ease of use and the out of the box experience of iOS will love Apple products. People who want more flexibility but are willing to give up some ease of use for it will choose Android.

We all win with more choices.

Why does the mere mention of competition send some Apple users into a panic? Apple survived Microsoft, they will survive Google.

And consumers will win. Isn't that a good thing?

People keep mentioning that Android has eclipsed iOS, but they fail to mention that the reality is there are dozens of Android models and 1 iPhone. Let's look at the figures for the HTC Desire vs. iPhone, lol

Except that argument is invalid. Apple could license their software if they wanted to. They chose to go the top down route controlling software and hardware. It is absolutely valid to compare Apple's smartphone market-share to Google's smartphone market-share, no matter what their differences in strategy.

 

[rogatsby]

We call that the "sticking your head in the sand" argument. It's like saying Macintosh is winning because they sell more computers than, say, HP. Ignoring the actual argument that Windows outsells MacOS 10 to 1.

Android has eclipsed iPhone in the smart phone market. Argue anything you want about the hardware. The fact that Apple will not license iOS to other manufacturers is their choice, but it doesn't alter the facts.

That analogy doesn't work because the Mac market share is so minuscule, and it always has been. iOS is a different story. The iPhone and the iPad are the best-selling devices in their respective classes, by far. And it'll stay that way.

 

[Superbike81]

Well considering that according to the most recent studies 40% of America is functionally illiterate (meaning they can't fully comprehend material beyond a 6th grade level) it's no doubt that such simple devices are such great sellers.

Oh, and no, that's not a personal attack, it's an attack on the American education system.

 

[Hasty]

Don't knock the education system Super, it's a hell of a hard job.
You are where you are due to it......
........better than digging ditches in Arkansas

Guess that 40% are the ones who want flash as they can't read the words on webpages.
Moving pictures ftw!

 

[eltos_lightfoot]

On and on and on with the android will destroy iPad. Android will not destroy the iPad, for the simple reason that the iPad established the market and will continue to hold the edge for a long time. One year ago, all the pundits we saying the iPad would be too big, too awkward, and there was no market. They compared it to the Newton and made puns about the name. And they said that the competition would have a better product out before the iPad even got started. I have no issues with new and improved concept tablets coming out, but no manufacturer has done so. The reason is that Apple understands that hardware and software have to be integrated. Everyone else buys a software package and adapts it to their hardware. Not the most productive method. Look at the automobile. in the early years, manufacturers would buy engines and transmission, build a chassis, and then send it to a coach builder. In the forties, only a few companies were still using outside coach builders. Packers lost about six months of sales when their coach builder got bought by Plymouth. Now all car makers control all phases of construction. Apple has the future of technology figured out. I think what the next step has to be is for HP, Dell, and Motorola to have a partial merger with Google and establish integrated designs. Eventually, the PC will be down to fewer makers, but better systems. If Apple did not have competition, there would be no improvement. If there were no Apple, there would be no innovation.

Exactly! Well said. Look at the Mac App Store. Now everyone will be trying to create one. Look I have an original Droid phone. If this is what Moto has to offer with the Xoom, then no thanks. If you want a dual core blah blah blah then so be it. Me? With grad school, two kids, full time job, I just need stuff to work. Apples sh!t works, my Droid? I have rooted it, tried different ROMs, etc., it is like Win7. Good, but it needs maintenance. (Which is better than before Win7 and Android--either Apple's way or no way--the alternatives sucked).

 

[eltos_lightfoot]

People keep mentioning that Android has eclipsed iOS, but they fail to mention that the reality is there are dozens of Android models and 1 iPhone. Let's look at the figures for the HTC Desire vs. iPhone, lol

We call that the "sticking your head in the sand" argument. It's like saying Macintosh is winning because they sell more computers than, say, HP. Ignoring the actual argument that Windows outsells MacOS 10 to 1.

Android has eclipsed iPhone in the smart phone market. Argue anything you want about the hardware. The fact that Apple will not license iOS to other manufacturers is their choice, but it doesn't alter the facts.

If you say so, Mac doesn't need to be number one. They just need to have a large enough market share so developers can't ignore Apple products. That has clearly happened.

 

[eltos_lightfoot]

Well considering that according to the most recent studies 40% of America is functionally illiterate (meaning they can't fully comprehend material beyond a 6th grade level) it's no doubt that such simple devices are such great sellers.

Oh, and no, that's not a personal attack, it's an attack on the American education system.

WOW! Just WOW! I would like to see this evidence that 40% of America is functionally illiterate before wild claims are made.

Further, perhaps you could enlighten us with the empirical connection of "Simple" device users--I presume this means Apple products--to this study.

 

[xune]

Fact:

-Apple is currently the number three computer manufacturer in the US.

-If the iPad were categorized as a computer, Apple would be the #1 computer manufacturer in the US.

-Nearly 3/4 college students in the US are using macs.

For some interesting iPhone info and how Steve Jobs and the iPhone changed the entire phone industry, you need to read this :

After a year and a half of secret meetings, Jobs had finally negotiated terms with the wireless division of the telecom giant (Cingular at the time) to be the iPhone's carrier. In return for five years of exclusivity, roughly 10 percent of iPhone sales in AT&T stores, and a thin slice of Apple's iTunes revenue, AT&T had granted Jobs unprecedented power. He had cajoled AT&T into spending millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours to create a new feature, so-called visual voicemail, and to reinvent the time-consuming in-store sign-up process. He'd also wrangled a unique revenue-sharing arrangement, garnering roughly $10 a month from every iPhone customer's AT&T bill. On top of all that, Apple retained complete control over the design, manufacturing, and marketing of the iPhone.

But as important as the iPhone has been to the fortunes of Apple and AT&T, its real impact is on the structure of the $11 billion-a-year US mobile phone industry. For decades, wireless carriers have treated manufacturers like serfs, using access to their networks as leverage to dictate what phones will get made, how much they will cost, and what features will be available on them. Handsets were viewed largely as cheap, disposable lures, massively subsidized to snare subscribers and lock them into using the carriers' proprietary services. But the iPhone upsets that balance of power. Carriers are learning that the right phone — even a pricey one — can win customers and bring in revenue. Now, in the pursuit of an Apple-like contract, every manufacturer is racing to create a phone that consumers will love, instead of one that the carriers approve of. "The iPhone is already changing the way carriers and manufacturers behave," says Michael Olson, a securities analyst at Piper Jaffray.

For Cingular, Apple's ambitions were both tantalizing and nerve-racking. A cozy relationship with the maker of the iPod would bring sex appeal to the company's brand. And some other carrier was sure to sign with Jobs if Cingular turned him down ? Jobs made it clear that he would shop his idea to anyone who would listen. But no carrier had ever given anyone the flexibility and control that Jobs wanted, and Sigman knew he'd have trouble persuading his fellow executives and board members to approve a deal like the one Jobs proposed.

Sigman was right. The negotiations would take more than a year, with Sigman and his team repeatedly wondering if they were ceding too much ground. At one point, Jobs met with some executives from Verizon, who promptly turned him down. It was hard to blame them. For years, carriers had charged customers and suppliers for using and selling services over their proprietary networks. By giving so much control to Jobs, Cingular risked turning its vaunted ? and expensive ? network into a "dumb pipe," a mere conduit for content rather than the source of that content. Sigman's team made a simple bet: The iPhone would result in a surge of data traffic that would more than make up for any revenue it lost on content deals.

..

Before they could start designing the iPhone, Jobs and his top executives had to decide how to solve this problem. Engineers looked carefully at Linux, which had already been rewritten for use on mobile phones, but Jobs refused to use someone else's software. They built a prototype of a phone, embedded on an iPod, that used the clickwheel as a dialer, but it could only select and dial numbers ? not surf the Net. So, in early 2006, just as Apple engineers were finishing their yearlong effort to revise OS X to work with Intel chips, Apple began the process of rewriting OS X again for the iPhone.

Full article: (worth the read)
The Untold Story: How the iPhone Blew Up the Wireless Industry

 

[Blackbelt]

Hard drive, flash and USB are old technologies The world is moving towards flash drives and HTML5. Just take a look at Apple Mac Air.