2011: The year of the android tablet?

[cheezy321]

It just hit me that we are almost through the 7th month of 2011. It seemed like at the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 there were a ton of android tablets slated to be released. I remember reading articles (and seeing posts on this forum) that 2011 is going to be the year of the android tablet.

So far, the only tablet that has been somewhat comparable to the iPad is the ASUS transformer. It looks like it has been a fairly successful product so far for ASUS. I have heard they dealt with some supply issues thus far, so it has been hard to see how well it would actually sell.

Where are the iPad killers? I honestly find it odd that there hasn't been a real breakthrough android based tablet yet. Are there any on the horizon?

 

[badb0y]

Wrong year.

2012 is probably the year of Android Tablets.

 

[QueBert]

doubtful 2012 will be it either, at best I see Android catching up to the iPad 2 by then. But the only problem there is by then the iPad 3 will be out. Their phones are solid, the tablets? meh, not so much.

 

[OBLAMA2009]

before you can "year of the tab" you need "year of the cheap and generous data plan" which isnt going to happen anytime soon.

 

[zsdersw]

Apple succeeded with the iPad because they're Apple and people buy their stuff because of the name on it... not because tablets offer a terribly compelling consumer value/functionality proposition. That's what's keeping non-Apple tablet sales from being resounding successes. If there was a killer app for which tablets were the ultimate form factor all tablets would be selling as fast as they could be manufactured.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I dunno about claiming victory, I think the next gen of Android tablets will be damn good. And that next gen will be here before Christmas.

I messed around with the current stuff yesterday at Office Depot (using my ThunderBolt to tether to them) and they pretty well all blew chunks compared to the iPad 2.

I even reset them and added my Google accounts to them (restored before I left) and they weren't anything I could stand to use after having an iPad.

If you hate Apple and had to have a tablet, they would work, but they're still not very good.

 

[Doboji]

I think only now are the Android tablets catching up with the iPad in terms of functionality... it'll be another generation before they catch up in OS snappiness and fluidity.

Once we hit Android 4.0/Quad Core processors which should be by this time next year, THEN we'll see Android start to eat into Apple's marketshare.. (Assuming litigation hasn't totally destroyed Android prices)

Looking at myself... I have an iPad 2 right now, because the Android tablets weren't functionally available yet when I wanted one. My only choice was the Xoom. Next year, it's extremely likely that I'll be upgrading to an Android tablet rather than the iPad 3 or whatever is out from Apple then.

 

[Doboji]

I dunno about claiming victory, I think the next gen of Android tablets will be damn good. And that next gen will be here before Christmas.

I messed around with the current stuff yesterday at Office Depot (using my ThunderBolt to tether to them) and they pretty well all blew chunks compared to the iPad 2.

I even reset them and added my Google accounts to them (restored before I left) and they weren't anything I could stand to use after having an iPad.

If you hate Apple and had to have a tablet, they would work, but they're still not very good.

You didn't like the Transformer? I did the same thing yesterday, and I really like the Transformer... the OS definitely drags a bit too much, but other than that I thought it was a pretty nice little tablet. Add in NetFlix functionality... the microSD slot and I don't see why it's not a solid option at $200 bucks less than an iPad..

 

[purbeast0]

i have a samsung galaxy tab 7" (spring) brand new for sale if anyone is interested

/plug

anyways, just say it is 2012, and if that is wrong, say 2013, and keep repeating until you are right.

 

[smartpatrol]

http://www.bgr.com/2011/07/21/andro...arket-windows-tablets-outsold-playbook-in-q2/

Android tablets are now 30% of the market, while iPad is at 61% market share. That's actually pretty impressive IMO.

 

[theeedude]

I got a Nook Color Mostly use it in the bedroom before sleep.
Will probably get a Transformer and give the NC to my bro.
That said, I am not really a big tablet user. I like the keyboard.

 

[jaydee]

You misunderstood. "Next year" is the year of the android tablet irregardless of what year it is. So last year it was 2011, right now we're on 2012, etc.

 

[preslove]

http://www.bgr.com/2011/07/21/andro...arket-windows-tablets-outsold-playbook-in-q2/

Android tablets are now 30% of the market, while iPad is at 61% market share. That's actually pretty impressive IMO.

If this is true (these estimates are always suspect) then that is a significant success, considering how much of a head start apple had.

I think that Android tablets are going to really take off once 10" Honeycomb style models are retailing at ~$350, with regular sales of ~$300. That's enough of a price separation from the iPad & it makes a tablet more of an impulse buy. I got a transformer yesterday 4 hours after I learned I could get it for $300

 

[foghorn67]

If this is true (these estimates are always suspect) then that is a significant success, considering how much of a head start apple had.

I think that Android tablets are going to really take off once 10" Honeycomb style models are retailing at ~$350, with regular sales of ~$300. That's enough of a price separation from the iPad & it makes a tablet more of an impulse buy. I got a transformer yesterday 4 hours after I learned I could get it for $300

I know it's anecdotal, but my friend's just came back from Europe, and there were Galaxy Tabs everywhere.

 

[JS80]

I dunno about claiming victory, I think the next gen of Android tablets will be damn good. And that next gen will be here before Christmas.

I messed around with the current stuff yesterday at Office Depot (using my ThunderBolt to tether to them) and they pretty well all blew chunks compared to the iPad 2.

I even reset them and added my Google accounts to them (restored before I left) and they weren't anything I could stand to use after having an iPad.

If you hate Apple and had to have a tablet, they would work, but they're still not very good.

This is pretty much how I feel also. I'm holding off getting an android tablet until kal-el (or equiv) + 4.0 comes out. But for now my iPad brings huge value to me.

 

[zsdersw]

This is pretty much how I feel also. I'm holding off getting an android tablet until kal-el (or equiv) + 4.0 comes out. But for now my iPad brings huge value to me.

Huge value? What "killer app" does the iPad or any other tablet have for you? By "killer app" I mean "thing you can't do as well with any other device".

 

[Mopetar]

Huge value? What "killer app" does the iPad or any other tablet have for you? By "killer app" I mean "thing you can't do as well with any other device".

I've basically used mine as a laptop replacement. I can easily carry it around the house and use it anywhere, whether it's lying in bed, sitting on the couch, or at my computer. It's great for web browsing, watching video, and reading books. The convenience and portability make doing those things vastly more enjoyable than if I were to use a notebook.

I've also used it for note taking at meetings and conferences. The fact that it can last for an entire day on a single charge means that I don't need to constantly be searching for an outlet.

There aren't too many things that it does better than some other device, but it does a combination of things really well and the form factor makes it highly portable and usable in a wide variety of situations. It's a little bit like a Swiss army knife.

 

[dguy6789]

Huge value? What "killer app" does the iPad or any other tablet have for you? By "killer app" I mean "thing you can't do as well with any other device".

There is nothing quite like kicking back and relaxing in a recliner with a cup of coffee and web browsing or reading a book on an iPad. Some come close but iPad does it best.

 

[TheStu]

Huge value? What "killer app" does the iPad or any other tablet have for you? By "killer app" I mean "thing you can't do as well with any other device".

Garageband and iMovie are both superior to their desktop counterparts, the fact that it is a little over 1lb in weight and wakes instantly is also useful.

I also disagree with your earlier implication that the majority of iPads have been sold simply because of the name. I won't argue that the Apple name moves product, but so does getting close enough, look at Samsung.

Your argument seems to be 'Apple is popular, ergo people will buy it regardless. I see no utility in tablets, ergo there must be no utility in tablets. If there was utility in tablet, all tablets would be selling equally well'.

I disagree with your points, and if I have misread your implications, let me know, but I think that I got pretty close. The problem I have is that Motorola and Samsung are not exactly unknown brands. And Android has made a name for itself, it is not some up and comer that only the cool kids know about. My mom has an Android phone for crying out loud, and she knows that it is Android. People are going to the store, playing with the Android tablets, one after the other, putting them down and going to stand in line to play with the iPad (at the best buy in my area, there usually seems to be at least a couple people playing with the iPads at all times).

None of the Android tablets have been able to answer the 'why should I get this instead of an iPad' question sufficiently yet. But for many people, the iPad answers the 'why should i get this instead of a laptop' question well enough.

 

[JS80]

Huge value? What "killer app" does the iPad or any other tablet have for you? By "killer app" I mean "thing you can't do as well with any other device".

I keep it on my nightstand and I use it primarily when I wake up to check my email, stocks, and news. And at night when I'm in bed I surf during commercials. No more clunky laptop burning my belly.

Useful too when I travel and I don't want to bust out my laptop. Now that I think about it, my PC usage (at home) has dropped significantly since I received the iPad.

As for apps...I don't really use apps. Logmein app is cool if I need to remote on to my work computer. My 3 year old though loves the stupid talking animals app and could spend hours watching Power Rangers Samurai clips on youtube (he can't operate a PC yet, but he can tap his way around the iPad).

 

[alent1234]

Huge value? What "killer app" does the iPad or any other tablet have for you? By "killer app" I mean "thing you can't do as well with any other device".

how do you read a book standing up with a laptop?

 

[JS80]

I also disagree with your earlier implication that the majority of iPads have been sold simply because of the name. I won't argue that the Apple name moves product, but so does getting close enough, look at Samsung.

Your argument seems to be 'Apple is popular, ergo people will buy it regardless. I see no utility in tablets, ergo there must be no utility in tablets. If there was utility in tablet, all tablets would be selling equally well'.

In my case I would never have thought to buy an iPad. I received it as a gift, and only then with heavy usage did I realize how much comfort and value it brings.

 

[vi edit]

Huge value? What "killer app" does the iPad or any other tablet have for you? By "killer app" I mean "thing you can't do as well with any other device".

Name me one meal that you can cook better in a microwave than with a dedicated stovetop or oven.

Now which appliance do you use more in your house?

 

[poofyhairguy]

I honestly find it odd that there hasn't been a real breakthrough android based tablet yet.

I would argue that is what the Nook Color is. B&N made a bare-bones tablet (even in its stock its a tablet capable of installing apps) and used that advantage to be the leader in the eBook market.

 

[Mopetar]

If sales stay like they do, it will be a long while before there's a "year of the Android tablet", whatever that's supposed to mean. Right now there are fewer 3.0 and 3.1 devices accessing the Android market than there are 1.5 Android devices. I don't think Android tablets have been selling all that well in general.