In an article I wrote at the beginning of this year, I asked if 2011 would be the year of the tablet. Even this early, it appears that 2011 will be huge for tablets.<\/p>\n

17 million tablets were sold last year, and analysts expect at least two to three times that many to sell this year. The level of growth is four times that of smart phones and five times that of PCs.<\/p>\n

Yesterday Apple launched the iPad 2. Its most striking difference is that it is very thin. It looks cool. As a tech obsessed friend used to say, this has a high “Batman factor”.<\/p>\n

New features include a front facing camera for video chatting, and a rear facing one for taking photos or video capture. Video mirroring makes its first iPad appearance. This is a function that should have been in the first iPad, as it’s a common use of laptops. The new iPad Smart Cover is slick, a thin, brightly coloured, magnetic cover that automatically wakes the iPad when opened and sleeps it when closed.<\/p>\n

To me, the iPad 2 seems evolutionary rather than a major new design. Speculation is that the iPad 3, planned for later this year, will be more innovative.<\/p>\n

I was glad to see Steve Jobs presenting at the launch. He’s been absent due to cancer treatment, causing uncertainty regarding Apple’s future. Apple is stronger with him than without him.<\/p>\n

As tablet sales grow, it’s clear that Apple no longer owns this market. Consulting firm PFTM says that\u00a0 102 tablets are currently on sale or in development. There is excitement regarding the imminent launch of RIM’s Blackberry PlayBook, especially from corporate buyers. Products from Samsung and HP show that designs smaller than the iPad may, with increased portability, attract buyers who didn’t want an iPad. I expect that Apple will lose market share, but gain revenue as the market size grows.<\/p>\n

If you want a tablet, it may be worth waiting to see the newer iPad 3 which will be out in the fall, as well as the upcoming Blackberry PlayBook and other competitors.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an article I wrote at the beginning of this year, I asked if 2011 would be the year of the tablet. Even this early, it appears that 2011 will be huge for tablets. 17 million tablets were sold last year, and analysts expect at least two to three times that many to sell this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":2582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[137],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n