The tablet wars are definitely heating up. With Amazon announcing the introduction of the new Kindle Fire priced at only $199, it appears they're going for the iPad jugular. Now JP Morgan is reporting that Apple has cut supply-side iPad orders by 25% for the 4th quarter. Apple still expects to sell as many as 12 million iPads this year, but the tablet space is starting to get crowded. I still haven't bought a tablet, but I'm thinking about shelling out $200 for the discontinued 32gb HP Touchpad. Then again, I'm such an Amazon fanboi that I'll probably have a new Fire before Christmas. Or I could just pick up the Woot! deal of the day: a refurbished Motorola Xoom 32gb for $349 I wonder what all this means long term for Apple?
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AAPL may not even be allowed to sell iPad. Samsung is suing them in France, UK, Netherlands, Australia and all over Asia. Verizon's already backing Samsung and now T-mobile is lining up against AAPL. LG is planning on some legal action too. AAPL seem so determined to piss these other corps off.
Long term for AAPL the market will certainly get more competitive...short term they are selling everything they can make and that is unlikely to change. Tablet making a huge push in enterprise, building strength/awareness as a holiday gift (way more "giftable" than a $1000 mac). AAPL provides a fully integrated user experience and has such huge brand trust that nobody has been able to dent their progress. New Fire doesn't have cellular and a 7" display screen...not in same league as the Ipad to be honest, plus AMZN as a brand synonymous with fulfillment channel and cheap, not quality/trusted which you need for consumer electronics. JPM order cut is supply driven not demand driven...supply chainw as building 35m Ipads for Q3/Q4 now gonna build more like 28 (keep in mind street is still assuming about 11 and 14m ipads so 25 total for Q3/Q4).
As for IP...AAPL got the Galaxy Tab banned in Europe and Australia so Samsung is suing to block them too. IP is gettin ugly...AAPL opened the floodgates on it but to be fair they had a ex-Samsung guy basically talking about how he stole the AAPL design for use in the GT.
Don't hold your breath expecting AAPL to miss Ipad sales estimates this holiday season.
Yet another reason could be the reasoning of a late Q1 iPad3. The iPad2 wasn't an enormous leap in technology, and now that the space is very crowded, it isn't unlike AAPL to put out yet another version which literally slits the neck of the (somewhat) competition. May be far-fetched, but there is almost certainly another version coming out within 6 months or so. Cut supply slightly, keep a tighter inventory and then blast out #3.
And people will buy it.
I just bought that Xoom on Woot. I'll let you guys know what I think when it gets here. From everything I've read, it's basically the closest Android tablet to an iPad.
I bought the Xoom for my wife and I'll probably buy a Kindle Fire for myself to see how they compare.
Seriously what do people use these tablets for besides Angry Birds? If you want to read a book get a Kindle for $79. If you want a mini computer, get a netbook.
I'm long AAPL cause I think they will keep selling iPads, iPhones, and iDildos eventually to the masses but I really don't understand it.
I actually bought the Xoom to replace my wife's netbook. I think it will be a better user experience and the cost was less than a replacement netbook. She ain't exactly splitting atoms on her computer.
I had an iPad and sold it. There really is no practical application. I mean I have a macbook and Kindle. Outside of those 2 I found it nothing more than a novelty.
I have both an iPad and a Touchpad. Between the 2, iPad is definitely a sleeker piece of hardware, and works as advertised. Touchpad is abit slower and buggy, and definitely feels less sleek (but very solidly constructed).
As to why use iPad, it's a surprisingly good laptop replacement for light application users, e.g. if you aren't a PPT or excel monkey, the iPad is ideal replacement for your laptop. All of the senior managers and partners I know use it: - check email - browse web - read documents (PDFs, PPTs, excels on occasion)
On rare occasions people may use it to edit docs, but seriously, outside of professional services firms like consulting, banking, who the hell creates docs and presentations on regular basis?
Personally, at home the devices are used for web browsing (touchpad being a bit superior to ipad with tabbed browsing capabilities), facebook app, netflix, and email.
Plus the whole typing on touchscreen has become non-issue given the plethora of bluetooth wireless keyboards.
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