Research firm Gartner fanned the flames of anti-PC fanboism by essentially declaring that mobile PCs are dead. To be fair, Gartner didn't actually say as much in so many words, but it sure did paint a pretty grim picture for the future of notebooks and netbooks, which Gartner predicts will have a tough time competing with tablets. Listening to Gartner, you'd think that by this time next year, we're all going to be a bunch of iPad and iPhone toting hipsters too cool for for PCs. More blasphemy after the break.
Sometimes you have to tip your hat at your opponent and tell them, "Well played." Usually, however, those or similar words of mutual respect are saved for after the fight, when there's a clear winner and loser. Samsung isn't waiting. With Apple having announced its iPad 2 on March 2, Samsung had some things to say about Cupertino's next generation tablet, essentially admitting that Apple once again has set the bar and it's not going to be easy to hurdle.
As far as Hewlett-Packard is concerned, Research in Motion's PlayBook tablet hits awfully close to home. Never mind that the PlayBook sports a 7-inch screen compared to the TouchPad's 9.7-inch display, it's the PlayBook's operating system, powered by QNX, that reminds HP a little too much of webOS. You could say the similarities are uncanny, and in fact those are the exact words HP's Jon Oakes, director of product marketing, used when comparing the two tablets.
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.
After months of ballyhooing, we're finally starting to see the tablet market unfold beyond just the iPad and one or two ill-equipped devices. With the recent release of Motorola's Xoom and several other next-generation slates on the horizon, it's going to be a busy year. How busy? According to JP Morgan Securities, tablet revenue in 2011 will reach $26.1 billion, and then $35.2 billion in 2012. This, JP Morgan says, is a bad sign for PCs.
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.
Citing sources from HP's upstream component partners, DigiTimes says
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