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Showing posts with label Tablets. Show all posts

International Business Times asks "Are Tablets a Fad?"

The International Business Times asks "Are Tablets a Fad?" They write:

I'm not the first to ask that question, but there's good reason to pose it again. Media tablet shipments plummeted 28 percent sequentially during first quarter, says IDC. Even iPad missed earlier expectations.

The analyst firm released the data today, expressing some surprise for the sudden slowdown and offering little explanation. Merely 7.2 million tablets shipped in Q1.

The 7.2 million tablets is less than the 12 million projected for sale in the first quarter of 2011.

The answer is clearly no, but neither is the tablet the end of the personal computer. Basically, all these new gadgets replace tools which have been in use for a century. The personal computer or laptop replaces the typewriter, the smartphone replaces the planner and diary, while the tablet replaces a notebook and pen. They all provide additional functionality which did not exist before like the ability to browse the web and play digital media, but ultimately they replace tools which we could not live without before.

Long before the computer age, a planner, notepad and typewriter were essential tools of my trade. So today, I use a smarthphone and laptop. One day a tablet with a keyboard might replace my laptop (wait, that is a touchscreen laptop). For those who never really needed a typewriter (those who do not prepare long formal documents) on a regular basis, the tablet would be a better choice than a laptop. No point lugging around a keyboard to type in 140 characters or to type a short ~~letter~~ email. If you plan to use your tablet to type your thesis, I recommend you get a external keyboard.

Tablets will eat into PC sales, since some people will realize they really do not need a PC. But the tablet won't replace the PC. It wont even replace the netbook (which will disappear on their own as they morph into cheap ultraportables) In the end though I cannot imagine someone living without a PC or a tablet, many will own both. The smartphone though is supreme, whether you prefer a PC or a tablet, you need a phone, and sooner or later, every phone will be a smartphone.

Are tablets a fad? No. They are here to stay, they are not the end-all and be-all of computing, whether mobile or otherwise.

We need the "Cheap" tablet

The Smartphone is a hand held device, the laptop despite its name is best use on a table. In between these two, you have the tablet, which actually is best suited for use on a lap or a table. Phone Arena citing a survey conducted by Retrevo (presumably of non-tablet owners) where 79% said they would buy a tablet if it cost just US$250. At US$300, the number who said they would buy a tablet dropped to 48%. At US$400, the number dropped to just 31%. The Apple iPad 2 starts at US$499. Modern dual core Android tablets start at over US$400, however the Asus Eee Pad Transformer does start at US$399.

This got me thinking about Google's tablet strategy. It Android phones range from low end devices that compete with pretty much any smartphone in the market to devices intended to compete with Apple's iPhone. When Google did not support Android 2.x for the tablet (like Samsung's Galaxy Tab) and came out with Android 3.x Honeycomb for tablets, it made tablets that would compete with the Apple's iPad.

The Phone Arena survey seems to indicate there is a fairly large market for lower end tablets. Devices with a 1GHz processor of 512MB of RAM (basically cutting edge 2009) technology could be used to build cheap tablets, but without Google support, there will be no developer support either.

While Phone Arena cautions that it only has 1,000 respondents, I do agree with their findings. A tablet will not replace my smartphone nor my personal computer, well at least not until I retire from lawyering, blogging and posting thing like this in Google+. I would not need it to do everything my smarthpone does, and I do not expect it to be as high powered as my personal computer. I am not a hardcore gamer, and 720p is sufficient for me, I don't really need 1080p.

Looking down the road, in a few months time, Tegra 2 tablets will be fairly inexpensive, and while Android device manufacturers and Apple's iPad will probably move into the quad core arena, the Android tablet may finally take off with what will be by than cheap Honeycomb's.

This was originally posted in Google+.

Smart is offering the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 plus phone on postpaid plans

Smart Communications is offering the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 bundled with a phone for postpaid subscribers.

Plan 2500 (Consumable plan) - Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 plus Samsung Corby 2
Plan 3000 (Data, call and text plan) - Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 plus Samsung Galaxy Mini
Plan 4000 (Data, call and text plan) - Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 plus Samsung Galaxy Ace

We do not have the details of the whether the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 being offered is a WiFi only model, or WiFi and 3G model. We also have no idea on the lock-in period, but it will be at least 24 months.

You can reserve your Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 combo at this link. Promo period is from June 27 to August 12, 2011.

Smart Communications is offering the BlackBerry PlayBook

Smart Communications is offering the BlackBerry PlayBook (16GB), bundled with a 3G BlackBerry smartphone on pre-order. Smart is offering these two options:

Free at Plan 3000 with BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105
Free at Plan 4000 with BlackBerry Torch 9800

Globe Telecom also is offering the BlackBerry PlayBook. You can find Globe Telecom's offers at this link.

Is the tablet a fad? Is the PC dead? In a word "no".

Despite growing sales, there is a sentiment that tablets are just a passing fad. Tablets are not for everyone, and a tablet is still not good replacement for your desktop or laptop PC. But the demand for a device larger than a smartphone but smaller than an laptop has been around for a some time.

In the spring of 2006, Microsoft and Intel created the specifications for the An ultra-mobile personal computer, or UMPC. The UMPC are small hand held computers, which have a TFT display measuring (diagonally) about 5 to 7 inches, and operated like tablet PCs using a touchscreen or a stylus. The target price for these devices was $500, but the target was not met an UMPC hit the market with a price of about US$1,000

Gigabyte U60 UMPC from 2007

The following year, Intel launched the specifications for a Mobile Internet device (MID), which was a multimedia-capable mobile device providing wireless Internet access.

Nokia N800 from 2007

Eventually, the lower price point was met by going with a more conventional form factor, Asus Eee PC 700. The 7-inch device followed the form factor of a laptop, and was actually a product of the One Laptop Per Child program.

Asus Eee PC from 2007

But in the end, this was really a unhappy marriage between putting a conventional keyboard in a smaller package. The Asus Eee PC was originally classified as a "UMPC", but eventually a new category called "Netbooks" was created and the devices grew larger, being pretty much low cost ultraportable laptops.

Basically, the need for a device, bigger and more functional than a smartphone, more portable and cheaper than a laptop has been a recognized for some time. Apple's iPad, was the first truly commercial success in this regard. Basically, it dropped the physical keyboard and dedicated pointing device and created a software or app ecosystem which minimized dependence on those two input methods.

Apple's iPad from 2010

The other view has been expressed. Kevin C. Tofel of GigaOM wrote an article entitled "The once mighty PC treads a path towards extinction", citing Mark Dean, IBM's Chief Technology Officer:

[W]hile PCs will continue to be much-used devices, they’re no longer at the leading edge of computing. They’re going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs.

I think this view is extreme.While I can agree with the first statement, I do not see them going the way of "the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs."

Yes, I do see the tablet replacing the PC for a large portion of the market. A desktop or laptop is just more than many people need. The personal computer was a productivity tool, became a gaming device and morphed into a multimedia platform. With the advents of more capable smartphones, and now the tablet, it is going back to being a productivity tool.

Before the advent of the PC, we had the typewriter and the pen and paper. Our use for computers have gone beyond recording information and writing letters, but basically the need for this functions has not gone away.

Back in the day, a family would share a typewriter, with a few people who used it regularly having a separate one of their own. For daily needs, we would use the pen and paper.

Basically, the personal computer replaced the typewriter. For lack of other viable options, it became the tool for those who really just needed the pen and paper. The tablet replaces personal computer for those who just really needed the pen and paper. Well, that is where things stand today.

But generation of ARM processors Tablets will get more powerful. Keyboards and other peripheral, even larger monitors can and will be integrated into tablets, so much so that a tablet can be transformed a laptop or a home theatre PC depending on need.

I do not want to put words in the mouth or Mr. Dean, but I think what he was saying that x86 (Intel, AMD and Via processors) is going the way of the dodo, in the personal computer space at least. I think I can agree with that. While there will always those who need more power, at some point in time, people will start realizing that their needs only require so much power that they will buy what works well enough and not worry about benchmarks, with other factors like battery life being considered more important.

I would not say that the PC is dead, but it will loose relevance with the average home and business user.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 available for pre-order in the Philippines

You can pre-order a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, a Android Honeycomb powered tablet, now at this site: It's Time to Tab. The retail price is listed at Php29,990, and if you reserve now, you can get it for Php26,990 with a free leather sleeve.

The promo mechanics are as follows:

All Philippine local residents may reserve a Galaxy Tab 10.1 through the Samsung online reservation site from August 17 to 20, 2011.

Online reservation is open to all Philippine local residents only, note however that claiming may only be done in Metro Manila on the stated venue and on the specified claiming period.
Interested parties are entitled to reserve one (1) of 700 units of Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Metro Manila at a promo offer of P26,990 with a Free leather sleeve. The P26,990 shall also be available for payment on a 0% Banco de Oro Credit Card installment facility for a period of 6 months. (Regular Retail Price: P29,990).
The 700 units of Galaxy Tab 10.1 is the first shipment to the Philippines for these model. Retail availability will commence on August 26, 2011.
Reserved units may be claimed at the ground floor Fashion Walk, Greenbelt 5, Makati City on August 21, 2011 from 8AM - 8PM
Units may only be released to the confirmed registered customers present during the redemption date. Customers can only redeem reserved units in the designated venues indicated on their registration forms.
To reserve and avail of the promo offer, interested parties must complete the online registration process at the online reservation website: http://www.samsung.com/ph/itstimetotab

My only problem with the promo is I cannot figure out which model is being offered, but the website does state it is the 16GB model. Given the price, it is probably either the 16GB model with WiFi and 3G.

Samsung Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 available for pre-order in the Philippines

You can pre-order a Samsung Galaxy S WiFi, a 5-inch Android 2.2 powered tablet 10.1 now at this site: It's Time to Tab. The retail price is Php12,990, and if you reserve now, you can get it a set of a free Urbanears headset.

The promo mechanics are as follows:

All Philippine local residents may reserve a Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 through the Samsung online reservation site from August 17 to 20, 2011.

Online reservation is open to all Philippine local residents only, note however that claiming may only be done in Metro Manila on the stated venue and on the specified claiming period.
Interested parties are entitled to reserve one (1) of 400 units of Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 in Metro Manila at the price of Php12,990 a promo offer of a free Urbanears headset. The Php12,990 shall also be available for payment on a 0% Banco de Oro Credit Card installment facility for a period of 6 months.
The 400 units of Galaxy S WiFi 5.0 is the first shipment to the Philippines for these model. Retail availability will commence on August 26, 2011.
Reserved units may be claimed at the ground floor Fashion Walk, Greenbelt 5, Makati City on August 21, 2011 from 8AM - 8PM
Units may only be released to the confirmed registered customers present during the redemption date. Customers can only redeem reserved units in the designated venues indicated on their registration forms.
To reserve and avail of the promo offer, interested parties must complete the online registration process at the online reservation website: http://www.samsung.com/ph/itstimetotab