Dell to launch 7-inch tablet in 'next few weeks' to challenge iPad - Page 2

With Dell what gets me is when I see they are going to ship something with Android 1.6. Why not just use Windows 3.1 and call it a day.

You summed up exactly why Apple came out with what they did. I suspect the reason for most going for 7" is to desperately try to match the low cost of an iPad which Apple achieve by owning so much of their own technology. It will be a losing battle for the the 7" wannabes I suspect.

I am curious when Apple will sue all of the copycats that are using multi-touch input that Apple has been granted the patent on last January 2009. I am wondering if Apple is just waiting for all of the manufactures to have a few million devices sold and then Apple unleashes the lawyers. I can't wait to see what the stock does when that happens.

Not all people like an excessive number of choices:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sh..._choosing.html

I have recently found it a little overwhelming when I look at the spaghetti sauces in the grocery store - way too many choices, which actually makes it unpleasant to choose. There is a tricky balance between having enough to satisfy most users and having too many choices.

I agree, too much choice only causes confusion. I like Apple's approach, but I do think a 7" would be a nice size. I haven't had the chance to see anything that size, so it is hard to tell. I just know the current iPad is just a little heavy. But, the screen is fantastic and movies look great on it.

I have to think they intend at some point soon for an HP iOS competitor to rise from WebOS and differentiate them and allow them a tighter integration between hardware and software (an idea they may have gleaned from Apple maybe? Android will become too generic and at the same time inconsistent with every manufacturer throwing something out there running it. Anything HP is making now is I assume a stop gap. Not a good selling point if true!

speaking purely about screen size (not device...) I used an ipad and a 7" samsung tab, and I much prefered the tab. (not device, the size before anyone gets excited). It seemed common sentiment. But it'll come down to some will, some won't. I don't think anyone can say definitely that the 7" form will fail. I doubt it. It'll be something else that will cause that.

as far as Dell, well, he should give his shareholders their money back before they (dell) die.

I have been asking this or similar questions for a while. SJ stated the iPhone was well protected by patents at its launch. At the time a BB was considered high tech! So there was nothing even close back then, not even Google's drawing board version of Android. Since iPhone's release we see so many copy cats ... were the patents useless or what ...is there a plan? We keep seeing threads about one law suit after another dating back to the 1990's yet here we are with the most tech savvy company there is stating it had patented the iPhone very well (SJ even smiled knowingly as he said it) ... I don't get it.

And yet they are more likely to make a profit now from the tablet market than they were a year ago because of Apples emergence into (and recreation of) this market. Just like with the iPhone, even if hate Apple and their products, if you are buying a RiM, HP, Dell anyone elses tablet you should be glad Apple made it possible for these others to have a clear path to play follow the leader.

I don't think choice is a bad thing, not at all. I think too much choice is a bad thing. The scenario you provided with the salesman hinges on that salesman being honest. I think some salesmen would attempt to convince a naive consumer to buy a higher end product that exceeded their needs rather than meet them.

Going to buy an flat screen TV is a good example. If you go into an electrical retailer here in the UK, there are literally hundreds of TVs in the show room. So many differences to consider - resolution, refresh rate, screen size, LCD vs Plasma. This is a consumers worst nightmare. Sure, a salesman could help in this instance. But how many times have you gone in to a store and had a salesman try to talk you in to buying something cheaper? (Not saying it doesn't happen).

HTC have over-saturated the market with Android phones. I would say this is a very bad thing. But, as you said experienced manufacturers know what they're doing. More Android phones on the market, means more Android sales. But I'm arguing it's not consumer friendly, and I stand by that.

Why do you need an app that supports all eleven? If for each "multi-touch" that iOS provides there is at least one app that puts it to good use, then this is a good thing.

Update: Ah, now I see. I thought the point was that there were 11 different multi-touch "gestures" defined for use on iOS. Now I see that you're talking about how many simultaneous touches can be detected by the Pad. Someone mentioned the Piano app, and that clued me in.

Thompson

Oops, double submission - removed.

Yep I agree, sorry I didn't mean they had a problem because of 7" so much rather the entire issue of trying to compete with Apple and the 7" is obviously cheaper thus I assume part of the equation to try to compete. The pros and cons of 7" I think are what Apple weighed and they went for a size they felt fit the widest range uses it is intended for best, I agree with them. However if the iPad had been 7" I am sure we would have all loved it all the same.

Coverflow looks cool and all that, but in my opinion it is terribly inefficient.

Thompson

you're correct. dell will push the price of apple's other competitor's products down. the ipad is a huge success for apple. why should they lower their price?

furthermore, dell doesn't offer the whole 'experience'. they built the thing and are perfectly happy to field calls for failing hardware, but the consumer has to go to android support for bugs, and other software problems.

while i don't think it will be a complete failure, it won't push dell much further in the market. besides, apple is already on their 2nd generation ipad (probably more like 3rd or 4th—rest assured, those are already in r&d). everyone else is playing catch up.

Apple's sure did open up a clear path where no one saw one before. I suspect they all (the other manufacturers that is) foresee a massive decline in old fashioned PC designs selling to the masses who only bought them because that was all there was. If 90% of people can do 90% of what they need on a iPad why buy a PC tower? They really have zero choice but to try to get a foot in this door before it closes on them.

People might move back to a 1 PC home again, but this time with multiple satellite computing devices for general use.

I'm going to disagree. If I had the choice between 10" and 7", and even if they cost the same, I'd choose the 7". Another way too look at it... it's not so much that the 10" iPad is too big, it's that the iPod touch is too small (and limited in functionality because of it's size).

10" isn't a bad size, but if the "one-size-fits-all" mentality ruled, Apple would only have one size MBP. There are obviously different people with different needs.

Apple started with the 10" size because it was the logical place to start. They already had the low end covered with the touch and they need to show people the iPad wasn't just a larger touch. Maybe 7" isn't the right spot, I'd even go for something a wee bit smaller still to be more portable. But the touch is too small and too limited to be a truly useful multipurpose device.

I think once more of these competitor 7" devices hit the street, you'll find a lot of people choosing them intead of an iPad, not because the OS or user experience is better. Size will become a primary factor for many people.

I have a feeling the need for the base station (which iPad needs now) will soon be gone and the family can just have a few iPads if that's all they require. I have a suspicion the answer to this riddle of how to remove the base PC will be additional features in iOS and Apple's new secret building in the Carolinas.

Obviously a MacPros and MBPs will be needed by creators for the foreseeable future too.

I posted an update to that comment you may now have seen and I don't necessarily disagree, I was saying the 7" in the competition maybe more about keeping the price down than the issue of user choice. Apple can easily add a 7" down the road if and when they feel there is a need / demand.

Not just half a slew. Nossir. We're taking it to the max, thinking outside the box, and giving 110%!

Hey, I'm convinced.

Is there such a thing as "Android Support"? I'm not being snarky... it's an honest question.

It seems to me that if vendors slap together some hardware and then port a free operating system onto it, then they are going to have to support the whole thing.

Thompson

Actually you are dead wrong. Repeated studies show that people do not like "Lots of choices". When people are offered two or three items they will usually buy, any more choices than that they get overwhelmed and buy less.

I'd agree. It's a rerun of the definition of a Windows PC. That worked last time around, I doubt the scenario will wash twice with such a powerful alternative as Apple have out there this time.

It has nothing to do with being afraid of competition. Dell is not competition, when was the last time they came out with anything amazing?

Totally correct. There was a lesson on this from SJ himself. Remember Apple's line up prior to SJ's return? There were so many darned Apples to choose from it was ludicrous. The master of marketing's first act was to axe the range. His other thing was nomenclature but that's another story.

Please add him to your ignore list then we don't have to see his trolling

Too many choices can often be problematic. However, it is also true that if you ask people if they'd rather have more or less choice, typically, they will respond in favor of more. It's kind of an interesting example of what people say they want not being what actually always works well for them.

Of course, it's not like we really have free will, anyway.

I have respect for history! I remember CPM. I wrote the drivers for my first computer, an IMSAI.

Piano and Midi Controller apps. I needs them 10 multi-touches.

The most telling thing from Dell is they never (at least that I know of) reported good sales of the Streak or anything related to it? Someone (eg. Blackintosh) please advise if you know how the Streak is doing...??? I don't see much info on it's progress/success???

Beware of confusing gestures with touch points.

Got it. I agree the manufacturers are going with 7" because they can't compete with Apple on price for the 10". I originally thought you meant users were going for it because they wanted something cheap.

VAPORWARE.

This is pure nonsense until it is actually released and is out in the open. And then it will be crap anyway.

Valid point. Hell a lot of folks did that with the ipad. calling it a toy, a 'giant ipod touch', a waste during the weeks before the actual release. the lack of Flash support took a huge beating, particularly before companies started making HTML5 versions of sites and producing apps.

And then folks saw it, played with it, bought it.


If these folks are too stupid to properly license it from Apple, yes and they deserve it. But most of them probably are not and have the paperwork giving them permission.


I disagree. Size will not be the primary factor for many people at all. Price and battery life sure with some "It has Flash" being a bonus. But not the physical size of the device.

Availability will also be a major factor. The ipad is out now. These others, well we don't have a date yet.

Ah, BASIC on an Apple II e is as far back as I go. When I wasn't playing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_Raiders

Just as in life, Dell would be better off releasing vapor instead of leaving a Streak.

Just to f*** with competitors' minds, Apple should sell iPads at cost for a year. What would that be, $47? They have enough cash on hand to subsidize the loss in income. Stock price might take a brief hit, but increased user base when everyone in the world buys an iPad would more than make up for it in the long run.

Spare me any lectures realists. I'm just having some speculative fun.

yep in fact I'm hoping apple does have a 7" in the next release in ipad2, I'll pre order that in a hurry.



But I thought apple isn't interested in marketshare.

I posted this elsewhere, but it bears repeating - Since Apple has already been planning out the way this platform will develop - they have been buying up the screens and the other components that make up the platform - items that have been remarked upon previously as impacting the market in some cases. This produces shortages in components, driving up component cost and delaying manufacture of competing devices. So it makes no sense for competitors to try and go toe-to-toe with the form factor - they can't get enough parts to do it (setting aside all other arguments for the moment). Going after the next most logical form factor - already established by the Kindle and Nook technologies - the 7 inch, where there are plenty of screens and components.

They are still subject to the other above set-aside issues as well - no/miniscule ecosystem, an almost ready for primetime ChromeOS, an Android 3 with a cautionary note from Google on it, Win7, QNIX/BB6, or Maemo. None of these are ready tocompete with the iOS platform. All of which have some less robust touch hardware system, and all the other issues around hardware build, etc. These are out there because iPad reportedly directly impacted netbook sales. We need to see the "real" numbers to know if that was the case, but early numbers support the idea. So they are scrambling to climb on the next "netbook" race to the bottom effort. These are even cheaper than netbooks to produce, but have an even lower profit margin, thanks to Apple's agressive pricing on the iPad.

What will be the result? Many people have been around an iPad already, so they will bring that experience to the testing of these new devices. If they are anything like the early iterations of Android (for example), the UI will be questionable, and performance nothing like the iPad, either in apps, battery life or useability. And let's remember also that Apple is a moving target - what has been delivered to the masses is already old news to Apple. They are always moving forward with their development plans. The current iPad was merely a stake in the ground for the form-factor. All these other companies are doing is chasing Apple's wake.