Apple has long been considered the stock market darling of the tech industry, defying trends even through one of the worst recessions in recorded history. Marketing mojo seems to be capable of overcoming any manmade disaster, but this time they find themselves at the mercy of an even more powerful force, Mother Nature.
Acer rode the netbook wave to coast past Dell in the global PC market in 2009, but its stay at the number two spot was brief as Dell came back in the second quarter of 2010 to retake that position. If one fad led to Acer’s sudden rise in 2009, another triggered its slide past Dell in 2010. 
If the only thing holding you back from purchasing an iPad 2 this Friday is that you're worried about giving up the unlimited data plan you were lucky enough to sign up for with your first generation iPad through AT&T, then worry no more. Word on the Web is that AT&T is letting you take your unlimited data plan with you.
If you always wanted an iPad and could care less about the upgraded features of the iPad 2, you're in luck. Apple has gone and slashed $100 off the price of every original Pad model. That means you can pick up the 16GB for $399, 32GB for $499, and 64GB for $599, while the 3G models of the same capacities now run $529, $629, and $729, respectively.
Sorry folks, but if you invested in a first generation iPad, your tablet is officially old news, behind the times, yesterday's headline, and all that jazz. As expected, Apple officially announced the iPad 2 today during a much anticipated press event in which everyone knew what was coming. What wasn't known, however, is what exactly would separate the iPad 2 from Apple's first generation tablet, or how the pricing would shake out. We have all of those details after the break.
Those of you disappointed that Motorola didn't seriously undercut the competition with its Xoom pricing, it turns out there's good reason they didn't. Perhaps Motorola couldn't. According to a teardown analysis by TechInsights, the estimated bill of materials (BOM) on the Xoom comes to $278. That's $33 more than Apple's iPad, which carries an estimated BOM of $245 for its 3G, 32GB model, The Wall Street Journal reports.B&W remains the king of all Apple-centric audio devices
The iconic Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin hit the market in late 2007 and instantly established the high-water market for iOS speaker docks, both in terms of price and performance. B&W has now bested itself with the all-new Zeppelin Air, which adds wireless audio streaming, a beefier amplifier, better drivers, and more without adding a dime to the price tag.
On March 2, Apple is holding a press event in which many believe the Cupertino outfit will officially introduce its second generation iPad tablet. Knowing this, if you already own an iPad and don't have any interest in switching platforms, you might be tempted to toss your tablet up on Craigslist or eBay before the value takes a nosedive. But will it be worth upgrading to the iPad 2?
According to the latest gossip, we're about find out how Apple plans to compete with Motorola's Xoom, RIM's PlayBook, HP's TouchPad, and every other potentially awesome tablet in the pipeline. While the original iPad is going to look long in the tooth before long, Kara Swisher of All Things D claims to have heard from "several sources close to the situation" that Apple's planning an iPad media event on March 2, 2011.
Riding the success of it's iPad tablet, Apple has leapfrogged ahead of Hewlett-Packard in both mobile PC shipments (10.2 million) and mobile market share (17.2 percent), according to data by DisplaySearch. Apple now sits on top, ahead of not only HP (15.6 percent), but also Acer (14 percent), Dell (9.9 percent), and Toshiba (8.6 percent). Note that Apple's 10.2 million shipment number includes both iPad and notebook sales.
