Move Over iPhone
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Last year at the 2010 International CES in Las Vegas, almost everything was for iPhone. If you saw anything for cell phones, it probably had something to do with the iPhone. This includes cases, content and apps, but something was missing!
You see, the iphone is made by apple and apple doesn’t attend CES. So, while there were tons of apps and accessories for phone, the actual phone was not on display. This seemed odd to me at the time. Almost like a movie premier where the star doesn’t appear.
Well, I guess I wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
This year, the star is here and it’s not the iPhone. It’s Android. For those of you not familiar with the smart phone ecosystem, android is a smart phone platform made my google that has brought some much needed competition to apple’s “I” devices. So, while apple’s IOS is a system that only works on the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad, Android works on anything. Any company can make a device, put android on it and sell it to people. This is why android makes more sense at a place like CES. Any one of the companies here can make an android phone or tablet. And many have this year.
While last year was missing the star, that is definitely not the case this time. Android is here in full force. There are thousands of accessories, loads of apps, nearly 100 new smart phones and tablets as far as the eye can see.
Actually… That’s what I’m here to talk about today. Tablets.
Cell phone and tablet makers are trying hard to take some market share away from apple and it is obvious. Every major phone maker is releasing a tablet this coming year to try and compete with the iPad.
On top of that, google (the makers of android) is working on a tablet only edition of android called Honeycomb. This tablet edition of android will finally allow all of these tablet makers to truly take on apple with an operating system that is made exclusively for tablets.
So now it’s official, the tablet age is upon us. Apple started the hype with the iPad and now literally hundreds of manufacturers are throwing their hat into the ring with their own android based tablets.
Personally, I welcome the competition. I think the iPad is a great device (more on that in another post), but it could always get better. I have now used an iPad and an android tablet. At this point, the android offering is not 100% solid. The apps are not always “tablet optimized” and you can tell that the android version being used is made for phones. Luckily, this will change soon once honeycomb is released.
On the other hand, there are going to be a lot of choices in android tablets. Just from what I’ve seen at this years CES, there could be more than plenty of options.
So, let me ask you. Would you use a tablet? Have you used an iPad or android device? Android tablet?
With all of the options coming available, it looks like tablets are the next big thing. It also looks like prices could come down with all of the competition.
~Gary
9 Responses to “Move Over iPhone”
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I think I’ll just wait, until all of the furor dies down, and pick one of the winners. Right now, my PC, laptop and cell phone are adequate for my needs.
Schwenn, I’m with you. Technology is moving so fast that by the time you buy one thing, it’s already obsolete. Just like our PC from windows 95, 98, 98se, 2000, ME, XP, Vista, Windows 7 and I believe there’s one more I can’t think of it right now. Look at our TV’s. I won a 32″ LCD HDTV about a year ago and already you can get a TV with 3D. I have a beautiful Phillips TV which is just as sharp as any HDTV (well I am older & maybe it’s my eyes). Like you I am content with my PC, laptop, cell phone and landline. Yes I still have a landline because I can’t trust my cell phone.
I will wait with Schwenn… my laptop is sufficient to get me on the web…
My cell phone is good for texting and calling. I prefer a landline for business purposes. My cell is a pain for internet things some of the apps the screen is too small to find the log in part of the page lol. I had my laptop go down and I was so lost for 6 days with no computer. I am an idiot I want a netbook and a laptop lol. I want the netbook for my writing and the laptop will be for my tax business because I moved and need to access clients that are expecting me to come back and do their taxes for them. I hear all these writers talking about their kindles and ebook apps and iPads but I will settle for a good old fashioned paperback or hardback book, and I have no problems with different tools like netbooks which men seem to pooh pooh and women love lol.
Gary great news you provided us. Thank you for the update. Its nice to be able to receive the correct information on the new tablets. Ces this year was all 3D cameras, 3D TVs and new 3D laptops. I will not be buying 3D items myself but the young think its something they have to try.
My son, 21, is the tech-head in our family. He has always hated all things Apple and swears by his Droid. It is attached to his hip. I have been intrigued by the iPad but have held off as my laptop and cell suit me fine, Now that Honycomb is on the horizon I may actually wade knee-deep into the 21st Century. It would be great for teaching and writing, the two things I do most.
There are alot of tablets being made, some of these will be called ‘Netpads’
if you haven’t heard the term already. Not every one will come with Android,
though. Expect an offering of Windows Mobile 7 on some of these, optimized
for the new screen size instead of a cell phone’s. It should make Mobile
Office much easier to use, with an on-screen keyboard touchscreen, having
both mouse and keyboard functionality using a stylus. Best of both worlds.
Opens up new possibilities for Adobe Flashplayer, Reader, Windows Media
Player, and other apps needing a larger screen area. Expect E-Book apps too
the screen size lends itself more readily to being a book reader. You will
also see Linux ported as an alternative OS.
Since I switched to a smart phone a couple years ago I always had a blackberry until about six months ago I bought a Droid Incredible and love it. I still have it and a Motorola Droid X. I can do about anything as far as talking, texting and getting online with it. It has the latest flash player and can go to any website that I want. I also have an 8 megapixlel camera and can record 720p video. The current os is 2.2.1froyo and in my book is great but the new os coming soon I think is 2..3 gingerbread is said to be much better and faster. Also I have been keeping up on the latest phones which will be awesome with dual core tegra two processors. What more could you possibly ask for from a phone and the os plus all the free apps plus even the paid apps are reasonably priced. I think android os will hurt apple and take a big chunck of their change. Like Gary said android os can be put on any phone or tablet. I have heard of an iphone running android os. I think google has come a long way in a very short time. With all the phones and tablets coming out, what I’m wandering will they eventually take the place of the pc? If not im sure it will hurt the sale of the pc. In the last quarter of 2010 it was said android os phones out sold windows 7 phones 15to1and were activating something like 500.000 a day. To me that’s pretty impressive.
Would you use a tablet? (Maybe) Have you used an iPad (Yes) or android device? Android tablet (No)?