Apple’s iPad success comes at a price
Hewlett-Packard’s webOS-based TouchPad is dead already. Motorola, even after repeated price cuts, has yet to sell its millionth Xoom. Samsung’s had some limited success in the market, but has been battered in the courtroom, while Microsoft and its partners won’t deliver an iPad competitor until next year.
Golly gosh gee whiz all of these failures aren’t good for anyone long term and that includes Apple, too.
In the meantime, however, Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar (All Things D) says that the Cupertino kids are selling ever more iPads as competitor after competitor crashes and burns in the marketplace.
“Expanding geographic foot print, back-to-school sales and faltering competition suggest upwards of 11 million for the September quarter or almost 20 percent sequential unit growth,” says Kumar. “With competition being held back by either legal injunction or weak sell-through, iPad volumes could further accelerate in the December quarter approaching 15 million units.”
Great. While the fan in me celebrates Apple’s success, as well as the various and multiple failures of Dell (shnork!), Samsung, Motorola, HP et al, a marketplace devoid of competition isn’t good for consumers (a.k.a. me and all other iPad users).
Think of it this way — since Apple pwned the media player market back in 2005, Steve Jobs has had us on an innovation drip feed. Honestly, the coolest thing to happen to the iPod nano in six years is Apple turned it into a wrist watch (band sold separately).
Help me, Obi Wan…
So, now, everyone with a stake in the tablet market is waiting for Amazon’s Androidish offering, which is expected in September or October “for hundreds less” than the iPad.
Will bookzilla deliver the low-cal secret sauce that gets consumers everywhere lining up around the block for a taste? I for one seriously hopes they do…
What’s your take?
via Cult of Mac
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August 30th, 2011
Everyone holds up Amazon as being able to sell a pad-like device below cost as a loss-leader that they can make up via book sales.
There are millions of iPad users who use their device every day having spent (I estimate) a total of $20 extra on apps, and who have no need whatsoever to keep pumping money into Apple.
Amazon do not have a business model that can compete with that.
August 30th, 2011
Maybe we should be bemoaning the fact that the success of Windows came at a price. On the other hand, even though some of that was illegal, look at the results from the underdog, Apple. If such progress can occur, maybe there is no reason to worry!