2010 COULD GET INTERESTING AS THE TABLET MARKET UNFOLDS

The first potentially game-changing device in the portable computing market is almost here with the launch of the Apple iPad on April 3rd, 2010. This single event is going to open up the doors to a tablet explosion similar to what we saw with the netbook craze.

It is interesting to see that Apple decided to take the closed, proprietary approach with the iPad instead of creating a device with industry standard connectivity and features. The biggest and boldest move was Steve Jobs’ decision to disable Adobe Flash support for the device, on the grounds that Flash causes system crashes and hogs too much of device processor resources. He believes that Flash video will soon be replaced by the newer open source format called “HTML5”.

Time will tell if this decision works out to be a smart move or not. But in the meantime, Apple stands on their claim that the iPad will deliver a “better Internet experience” as a device perfectly designed as a halfway point in between a laptop and a smart phone.

Delivering on this bold promise could be difficult considering that 75% of video content on the web is based on the Adobe Flash platform. But as Apple has successfully delivered in the past with the industry leading iPhone, they could possibly deliver on this promise by creating enough proprietary content within their ecosystem for the iPad.

One thing is for certain, however. It matters not whether the iPad breaks into the market with tremendous success or a resounding thud. I truly believe that Apple has just ignited the spark to what will become the tablet explosion of late 2010. There will be so many variations, concepts, sizes and feature combinations, everyone will be able to find the portable device to suit their needs.

The netbook’s popularity grew quickly and created a strong new niche, but we just didn’t see the variation and creativity that we will see with the tablet boom. Most of the netbooks that entered the market were basically the same with variations in display size, operating systems, memory, and extras.

Soon, consumers will be able to decide whether or not they want to remain within the safety of the controlled Apple environment, continue with the familiarity and popularity of the Windows 7 environment, or venture out into new areas that include Chrome, Linux and Android.

The bottom line… it look like there will be a tablet available within the next year that suits anyone’s fancy. It will be exciting to watch to say the least!

Carlton Flowers
Marketing Strategist, Gadget Geek

For great tips, ideas, and strategies on marketing and advertising for your business, visit my blog at http://www.carltonzone.com.

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