The Tablet War Escalates

Back in August, I blogged about the push for Tablets in the market- what a difference a few months make! From smoke and mirrors to actual prototypes behind smoked mirrors, 4 other companies are aggressively going after iPad and the tablet market.

The reason is simple- Apple has almost created a whole new market and totally captivated the industry. The company has sold 7.4 million iPads worldwide. It has received tremendous reviews with projections of 12- 15 million in sales for 2010. The iPad is the 4th hottest product launch of all time (behind the TV, smartphone and notebook computer). It’s no wonder the major players are racing to get market share.

In my August blog, when I mentioned Cisco’s Cius, it was more of just an announcement. Since then, Cisco has confirmed limited availability in Q4 2010 as well as a price of under $1,000. Cisco, in defending the premium over the iPad, positions the Cius not as a consumer tablet but a first-of-its- kind mobile collaboration device.

RIM announced their Playbook tablet (mind you it was working inside a Plexiglas box), a 7” version geared for the consumer and business market and requiring a Blackberry for mobile access. The tablet will run QNX, an operating system from a company that RIM bought last year. It will include an HDMI video output and a USB port. At about half the size and much lighter than the iPad, this tablet is getting favourable reviews for market introduction early next year.

The Dell Streak has actually launched with Android 1.6 software but the device will be upgraded to Android 2.2 before the end of the year according to Dell. Rumors are swirling that Dell is readying its second Android-based tablet, with a 7-inch screen but no price, name, shipping date or tech specifications yet.

And Microsoft came out again saying they’re in the market with their Tablet announcement for the Christmas holiday. CEO Ballmer mentioned new slates with Windows on them for Christmas but didn’t say who would make them.

It’s estimated that more than half of corporate America are reviewing tablets for business applications. This market is undeniably hot. The biggest WOW I’ve seen is watching business workers walking into meetings with their iPads- just the cool factor is undeniable.