Opinions - iPad is becoming the generic tablet brand

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

This isn't a Microsoft, Android or Apple forum. It's one for all. I just think it's a bit silly getting so emotional over a piece of Metal and plastic, and particularly tearing strips out of people representing the "other team"

To compare someone who is not a fan of the iPhone to a racist is a bit pathetic. Race is something you are born worth and not some choice. Whether you love or hate an electronic item from some nameless company,be it Google or Apple, who only exist to make money is nothing near racism.

I actually mentioned that before your post.

The whole point is that you are focusing on Apple though. Go into some other thread criticising another company or product and see the response.I made the point because there are other companies who get as much criticism on this forum and others though. Trying to go "lalalalala" Apple is the only company that criticised is not how it is. I don't know why you are trying to paint it that way when people who like Apple products do exactly the same thing to other companies products too.

I said "a more Apple orientated forum" forum not an Apple forum,ie,not this one. This forum seems to be orientated more towards PCs and non Apple devices more than say a forum like OcUK for example. OcUK has a diehard Apple user base.

[mrochester]

how can you you backup analogies and thoughts with facts?

you think you play a good game in putting down people and paraphrasing and misunderstanding on purpose and twisting words to try and back up what you say, but ones perception of themselves is usually very different to the truth

the fact is plain that you hate apple products and you take every available opportunity to throw insults at those who purchase them, or even people who disagree with your points of view. you don't own the products so your opinion isn't a knowledgeable one based on experience. so why spend so much time putting it down? can't you provide some interesting and positive input to a discussion?

you aren't a victim. no-one is putting you down, no-one cares what products you own, like or dislike, because of the manner is which you articulate yourself

i disagree with the findings of the report the thread is discussing. but i have no idea what your thoughts are due to the constant off topic posts and put downs. i don't know if you agree and dislike the idea or dislike the idea and thus automatically disagree. i just know that the way you convey yourself online regarding a companys products is comparable to the analogy i used earlier in that it's clear your hatred is extreme. what is lost in conversation is what you do like. your negativity buries those thoughts

I think part of the issue is the lack of objectivity. Some people just lack the ability to see the many shades of grey that lie between black and white. These sorts of people want a solid, concrete answer one way or the other. If something isn't a positive, it is automatically a negative. It's a shame really as I imagine it means they end up writing off and missing out on so many great products.

[mrochester]

My fact is the iPhone was released over a year before the first android phone was released. My analogy reflected that fact, and pointed out the erroneous conclusions you were making by counting total all time sales as an indicator of current sales.

I think the best way to compare would be from the iPhone 3G onwards. The original iPhone sold approximately 6.1million units. As of March 2011, Apple have sold 100million iPhones, so approximately 93.9million at the same time as Android has been available. As of May 2011, just over 100million Android devices have been activated (phones, tablets, whatever else that has Android on) so it's taken the collective might of companies such as Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE 2.5years just to overtake the iPhone. When you look at it that way, it doesn't seem quite as impressive! As of January 2011 there had been 160million iOS devices sold, so it's currently streets ahead of Android in terms of the total number of devices out there.

What is interesting is the absolutely massive scale on which Apple operates. The numbers are just mind-boggling.

[peterb]

Seeing a debate degenerate into the level that would not be out of place in a primary school playground isn't very edifying, so I'm closing the thread while I do a bit of cleansing.

This isn't a Microsoft, Android or Apple forum. It's one for all. I just think it's a bit silly getting so emotional over a piece of Metal and plastic, snip--->

I think part of the issue is the lack of objectivity. Some people just lack the ability to see the many shades of grey that lie between black and white. These sorts of people want a solid, concrete answer one way or the other. If something isn't a positive, it is automatically a negative. It's a shame really as I imagine it means they end up writing off and missing out on so many great products.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

[peterb]

Ok - the more childish posts have been removed - the thread is re-opened. If the debate continues in the same manner, suspensions will follow.

[Zak33]

Seeing a debate degenerate into the level that would not be out of place in a primary school playground isn't very edifying, so I'm closing the thread while I do a bit of cleansing.
.

/\ what he said.. with a grenade on it....

[crossy]

I wonder if there are any Apple neutrals that like technology.
Every time something gets mentioned about Apple, it seems to polarise everyone so much. Anyone want to put their hand up and say "apple make stuff that does what it is supposed to do well. Not perfectly but well" Didn't think so.

Me. I'll be more than happy to give effusive praise where it's due:

• Focussing on ease of use (which sells units to everyone) over functionality (which only sells to tech-nerds)
• Getting widescale perception of a "quality" brand
• Being able to collate work being done elsewhere to deliver an "innovative" product
• Launching a tablet based on an upscaled phone OS, rather than trying to shoehorn a desktop OS downwards
• iPhone4 excluded, they invariably do very "good looking" products. Sorry, iP4 owners, but compared to the 3GS, the 4 is just "plain".

And I could probably go on. Got a 1G iPod Nano and a 5G iPod Video which I really, really like. In fact, for me, these are better than the current versions. Had an iPod Touch too - but that annoyed me so much that I eventually gave it away to a relative. Wouldn't buy an iPhone or iPad because they're either a poor fit for what I want to do, or there's "better" (again, for me) models available elsewhere. That's not to say (iPhone4 excepted possibly) that they're poor products - they aren't.

As of May 2011, just over 100million Android devices have been activated (phones, tablets, whatever else that has Android on) so it's taken the collective might of companies such as Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE 2.5years just to overtake the iPhone. When you look at it that way, it doesn't seem quite as impressive! As of January 2011 there had been 160million iOS devices sold, so it's currently streets ahead of Android in terms of the total number of devices out there.

Sorry, can't let that lie. According to Gartner (Feb 2011) Apple had approx 16% market to 23% (approx) for Android in smartphones. Not really that many other Android devices, (tablets and MP4 players just starting to hit market), and I'd quietly suggest that your iOS figures include iPod's (or certainly the Touch variety with a reputed 60m sold). Yes, iOS has done well, (as it should - since it's quite capable, and certainly a yardstick in terms of HCI), but to sneer at the progress that Android has inarguably made in a relatively short time does yourself a disservice.

Anyway, this is all off-topic. Sighing wearily and heading back to the subject, here's a thought. If the act of vacuum cleaning is termed "Hoovering", does anyone think that there'll be a similarly snappy description for the act of using a tablet - either for web based activity or media consumption. Will people be saying in 10 years "I'll just iPad that" the same way that some speak today of "Googling" for information? Or will there be another, possibly more generic, term used. (Star Trek TNG fans need not apply - I can't see "padd" catching on anytime soon).

Personally I think this is 50/50 likely - I've already heard folks use the term "iPod" for a music player - even one that's not from Apple. So it's not a stretch of the imagination to forsee a similar pre-eminent position for the tablet. (Yes, I know this was mentioned in the article, but the conversation seems to have veered somewhat off that course).

[mrochester]

Sorry, can't let that lie. According to Gartner (Feb 2011) Apple had approx 16% market to 23% (approx) for Android in smartphones. Not really that many other Android devices, (tablets and MP4 players just starting to hit market), and I'd quietly suggest that your iOS figures include iPod's (or certainly the Touch variety with a reputed 60m sold). Yes, iOS has done well, (as it should - since it's quite capable, and certainly a yardstick in terms of HCI), but to sneer at the progress that Android has inarguably made in a relatively short time does yourself a disservice.

Yes those figures do include the iPod Touch as that is an iOS device. All Android devices currently total just over 100 million as of May 2011 in comparison to all iOS devices totalling 160 million as of January 2011. iOS had a 16 month headstart. Apple have sold, on average, 3.6 million iOS devices per month. Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE, etc, collectively, have sold on average 3.2 million Android devices per month.

There are two ways of looking at these figures. One way is to talk about how great it is that Android has nearly caught up with iOS. The other way is to talk about how pitiful it is that it has taken all of those huge manufacturers all this time to only just about meet what Apple sell on their own.

The glass is either half empty or half full.

This story seems to lend some support to the notion that iPad may end up as a generic term to refer to all tablets http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1175675

[crossy]

There are two ways of looking at these figures. One way is to talk about how great it is that Android has nearly caught up with iOS. The other way is to talk about how pitiful it is that it has taken all of those huge manufacturers (Samsung, HTC, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Huawei and ZTE) all this time to only just about meet what Apple sell on their own. The glass is either half empty or half full.

I'm not going to bother debating the numbers you gave in the post bit I deleted above - statistics are just that. One point though I will make - NONE of those manufacturers (although I'm not 100% sure about Motorola) - are dedicated to Android, they all (?) have models based on other OS's. So it's misleading to scoff that these "huge manufacturers" can't match Apple - who have umpteen respins on one product (I'm joking!) - when in fact it's only a portion of these companies. However, like you I'm content to tip my hat and agree that we'll obviously disagree on this topic.
I stand by my earlier statement - it's too early in the tablet market to judge what lead iPad will maintain (by dint of being "first"). Being an HPer I'm of course eager to see whether the TouchPad can do well, but I suspect a two-horse race between iOS and Android again.

This story seems to lend some support to the notion that iPad may end up as a generic term to refer to all tablets http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1175675

Thanks for that. some interesting comments being made.

This might be an unpopular point of view but I really can't see anyone making serious headway against the iPad. There's certainly not been a compelling alternative to date, and Google's inept handling of their OS respin for tablets hasn't inspired confidence. iPad just has too much "mind share" amongst consumers. I'd also argue that iPhone is a spent force - there's now too many very capable Android-based designs for it to be able to rest on it's laurels, iPhone4's troubles were not helpful in that respect. If this is the case, then surely it's feasible that Apple may start focusing more on the tablets, in which case maybe we can look forward to some real game-changers? That being the case, instead of losing market share surely it's possible that Apple will maintain it, or even gain slightly? Hence (and he finally gets to the point) "iPad" becomes the name for a tablet, a la "Hoover", by dint of market share.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

If this is the case, then surely it's feasible that Apple may start focusing more on the tablets, in which case maybe we can look forward to some real game-changers?

http://forums.hexus.net/2093385-post25.html

TBH,I still think outside the latest Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Asus Eee Transformer the other Android tablets lack a wow factor or try to be unique. I still think that Samsung and Asus are the only companies which will be able to produce a viable alternative to the iPad. At least in the case of Asus they try to be innovative in their own way instead of being reactionary to Apple.

The HP TouchPad looks a very nice device too but TBH even though WebOS is great it lacks sufficient market penetration!

[crossy]

http://forums.hexus.net/2093385-post25.html

Hmm, agree with you - a 3D tablet - why?

At least in the case of Asus they try to be innovative in their own way instead of being reactionary to Apple.

True, there's too many folks content to just produce a black-slab and leave it at that. Props to SonyEricsson for the T2 - okay, the clamshell design does break your screen in half, but at least it's pocketable - and different!

The HP TouchPad looks a very nice device too but TBH even though WebOS is great it lacks sufficient market penetration!

Yep, can't see that changing much - HP fluffed it by pricing at £399. Hopefully it'll come down in price. And of course, there's the usual objection - few apps. But, from what I've seen, there's pretty much all the one's I'd want - a couple of games, web browsers and ebook readers. I'm just easy to please I guess.