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Android Tablets vs. iPad

2 points by blizzy ↗ HN
Will Android Tablets make a dent in iPad's massive headstart/lead in the market. If not, why not? If so, what would need to happen for it to be so? If we can only push our concept to one in the near term, iPad seems like the best bet...but is it???

9 comments

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bgnm2000
Of course. Its like android phones vs. ios. Initially, the competition was pretty non-existent, but over time android phones have become a much greater competitor - of course the same will happen to tablet market.
_0ffh
Gonna be hard, because it's hard for Android Tablets to stand out.

Take the Archos 101 WiFi tablet: 10.1" screen, amazingly light with 480g (the 9.7" WiFi iPad weights 40% more, even the 9.7" Kindle is over 10% heavier), very good battery life, USB client & host ports, actively supported and updated (since the update to Froyo all earlier software glitches are finally gone), optional Android/Angstrom dual-boot feature for embedded Linux hackers, and all that at a really low price.

And guess, does anybody care? Zilch! There are just to freaking many Android tablets, and there is just one Apple iPad (okay, two: WiFi and 3G). I despair...

Edit: To clarify, the iPad alone gets about as much media coverage as all the Android tablets combined, and that's the crux right there!

mikecane
>>>If we can only push our concept to one in the near term, iPad seems like the best bet...but is it???

I would suggest webOS. The field is less crowded, you will stand out, and make iPad and Android people say, "Why don't you do that for us too?"

AngeloAnolin
I think there is a possibility, considering that a lot of tablets being manufactured would be aimed at consumers who doesn't have the means to purchase an expensive gadget like the iPad.

Far away in the Asian region, I am pretty sure they are already concocting a tablet running Android that would only cost less than $100.

allwein
It depends on what your time-to-market looks like. Right now there are no real competitive Android Tablets in the market. So if you're launching soon, definitely aim for the iPad and it's huge current install base.

If you think being first-to-market is important in your niche and your time-to-market will coincide with some competitive tablet launches, then go for Android.

_0ffh
"Right now there are no real competitive Android Tablets"?

I contest that! Do you know the market? Have you tried a few competitors? Maybe you have, and maybe you don't like them, but they're there!

allwein
I currently make my living in mobile and tablet software development, so I try to keep pretty well abreast of the market. My comment was not based upon my evaluation of competing products, but rather on market acceptance and sales of competing products. By some estimates, the best-selling Android Tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab) has only had a sell-through to customers of 250k units, compared to 7.33 million iPads that were sold the last quarter. That's not really competitive at all.
_0ffh
I thought we were talking competitive based on specs and price. I know I was.
ZeroGravitas
What about the Playbook, Meego and HP/Palm tablets and whatever Microsoft comes up with?