Raft of cheaper tablets cheapening the iPad experience?

[ipad987]

Do you think all those tablets that can now be bought for 1/4 of the ipad price but pretty effectively mimicking iPad's functions is cheapening the iPad? When iPad first came out 2 years ago it was a luxurious product, but since then a plethora of tablets at very affordable prices have hit the market. Owning an iPad no longer feels anything special. How is the iPad going to add value and aim at product differentiation?

 

[SweetPoison]

Nope I don't. I don't know anyone that "no longer feels anything special" owning an iPad ~ as you can see cruising this forum ~ simply isn't true. Ipads are all over TV, news rooms, movies, series, college campuses. You name it.

 

[Gayle]

IMHO, the iPad is in a class of its own--none of the other devices I have seen even come close!!

 

[Kaykaykay]

It's true that tablets are more common now, but that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. I buy gadgets for utility, not to feel special. The more common they become, the less likely they'll attract unwanted attention from thieves and such.

 

[guthrien]

Do you mean it's no longer a status symbol?

 

[sjleworthy]

IMHO, the iPad is in a class of its own--none of the other devices I have seen even come close!!

Absolutey, Apple fan or not.


Don't worry about other tablets flooding the market, this is natural progress. Just be concerned with your own affairs and enjoy them.

 

[s2mikey]

Do you mean it's no longer a status symbol?

Thats actually a good point. Its like having the Rolex watch or the High -end jeans. You are "better" with an iPad

Seriously - there arent any shortcuts when it comes to quality. Ive found over the years that when it comes to electronics you get what you pat for and you do NOT get what you do NOT pay for. A $200 Wally World branded tablet will act and behave just like you'd expect it to. It will never confuse itself with a $600 dollar iPad.

If anything, all the crap out there just solidiefies my feeling that I made a great choice with my iPad 2.

 

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

I don´t think so neither, cheap tablet=cheap experience, any gadget will brake or malfunction some day, but the possibility is bigger with something made with less investment and based on a copy of the original product.

 

[EvilMonkey]

I don't think so....it's like saying cars from Toyota cheapens the Ferrari experience.

Personally, if the company wouldn't have bought me an iPad2, I'd have a cheaper tablet. The iPad is great (I have a long list of gripes with it of course), but if it was my own money, I don't think it's $300-400 greater for what I want a tablet for. I am also not into the whole "oooh, I have something with an Apple logo so I am hip" thing.

Also, it's about choices. People love choices. One size/choice does NOT fit all, which is why I personally tend to gravitate away from Apple and iOS in general, which tries to shoehorn everyone into one size, one browser, one keyboard, etc.

I have absolutely no brand loyalty with electronics. If it has an Apple logo or runs Android or Windows or iOS, it doesn't matter to me. I have a list of what I need it to do, a list of what it would be nice to do, and a list of things I couldn't care less about. As long as it meets the first two at a reasonable price, I'm happy. Each person needs to make their own judgement on what they want/need and are willing to pay.

 

[iRuthlessPad]

The thing is that ipads or tablets are a niche market...thats why ipad becomes a unique product..not everybody still buys a tablet...they are a FLOP/Failed product even now...its only ipads that sell..not tablets..so u can say this category has still got a long way to go and ipad is the only saving grace which stands out from the rest of them..thats why its unique!

People buy iPads becoz of APPLE..the company has such a following that even if they sell a stone it will get sold
Tablets in general will be successfull the day they properly replace laptops!

Sent from my iPad 2 white 64 gb (ios 5.0.1) using iPF

 

[Billee]

This reminds me of one of the early posts on this forum. The poster wanted to know where was the best place to show off his iPad. He had gone to Starbuck's but none of the other people there had payed any attention.

If you bought an iPad for what it does, that hasn't changed. If you bought it to enhance your image, start saving for a Ferrari. $600 tech gadgets have an image enhancing life span of about three months.

 

[tlbaker]

It's true that tablets are more common now, but that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. I buy gadgets for utility, not to feel special. The more common they become, the less likely they'll attract unwanted attention from thieves and such.

Good point!! At one time when people would take their iPads out on the subway (I still wont do it as there is no 3G access anyway) strangers would always look over at the person's device. That makes me nervous but I hate that kind stuff anyway. Mind your own beeswax!!

Sent from my Tricked Out Glittery Verizon Black 32GB iPhone 4 using iPF

 

[oberkc]

..the company has such a following that even if they sell a stone it will get sold

That seems true to me at this point, but they have developed a following for a reason

Tablets in general will be successfull the day they properly replace laptops!

I suspect type of view is short sighted. I am, personally, more optimistic about the future of tablets. And not for their potential to replace laptops. I believe their uses are far beyond laptop replacement.

I have been looking at tablets to act as a single interface device to control house, lighting, doors, security, phone, video, etc... In some cases, also, to act as clock and radio and alarm. At my house, I can see a place for several of these tablets. The other day, I purchased the first of such devices. It was a 7" android. I did not even consider an iPad, for several reasons, primarily because I do not believe it was flexible enough to act in this capacity in the ways that I was envisioning.

Perhaps I am in that very small percentage of users that am willing to spend hours tinkering with an android tablet in order to make it a fancy clock radio. Perhaps the market for tablets for "non-standard" use is very small. Equally likely, in my mind, is that there are many uses of tablets that are not able to be predicted. I suspect that enterprising individuals will find uses for tablets that few can predict, and will someday find mainstread acceptance. I would not be surprised if, in the future, the use of tablets as a portable media device becomes something of a minority. It is for this reason that I suspect that these little, cheap, android tablets will, ultimately, prove to be a bigger seller unless apple changes it's closed policy. I don't think even apple can predict and react this well to the future.

IMHO, the iPad is in a class of its own--none of the other devices I have seen even come close

For at least one application, the opposite has proven true for me. But for the purposes of carrying around and doing some web-surfing, I still like my iPad.

 

[Kaykaykay]

If I want a clock radio, I won't buy an iPad, Android tablet or any other kind of tablet. I'll just buy a clock radio, lol.

I don't care which company or operating system "wins." Whoever makes the most useful product for my uses will earn my money. I'd say most consumers don't care, either. Most of us see tinkering with a gadget as a waste of time, which is why iPads have been selling. Most of just want gadgets that work.

 

[guthrien]

I agree with the notion of not having brand loyalty in the tablet space, if it means some sort of emotional connection that makes you make unwarranted purchases or stands in for some emotional lack in a person. However, I do see why Apple has the following it does after getting an iPad. It's not simply a top price offering, it's easily the best offering. There are things I like about my Android gadgets, but for lack of a quicker explanation, they get in the way of me liking them more. There's a difference in craft that may not be, but seems to be, wholly apart from price tag.