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Wave 2 of HP TouchPad “Firesale” Makes Me Suspicious

September 8th, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: technology

IS HP REALLY THIS GRACIOUS, OR ARE WE ALL BEING PLAYED?

HP TouchPad A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how I thought that HP executives were either incompetent or stupid when they decided to jettison the entire TouchPad inventory for less than market value before even giving the device a chance.

I have been scratching my head ever since.

Why would a company as successful as HP make so many stupid moves in such a short period of time?

Why would HP spend $1.2 billion on webOS only to mothball it and liquidate the first legitimate webOS device?

To add to the madness, HP just announced that it will be ordering up 100,000 to 200,000 more TouchPads to sell at a loss again!

Their reasoning?

They don’t want to leave the parts suppliers hanging with all that extra unused inventory.

When was the last time a company in distress made a decision to continue losing money just to help their suppliers? It just does not happen!

The more this whole ridiculous situation develops, the less it makes sense.

That is, unless we are the ones being played for stupid…

I’m sorry folks, but I am not falling for this.

We just read reports of HP losing over two hundred bucks a pop each time a TouchPad is sold at the $99 and $149 price.

I am very gullible, I will admit… but not that gullible that I would believe that HP would volunteer to lose another $41.2 million ($206 x 200,000 orders) just to help ease their suppliers off the barbed financial fishhook.

Personally, I think there could be a bit of guerrilla marketing strategy going on here. Do you think this is a coincidence that HP is flooding the market with a high quality tablet at a price that undercuts the Apple iPad by as much as $500? What do you think this will do for iPad 3 pricing?

I don’t think this is a coincidence at all. I think someone at HP has a master plan, and they are going for the Apple jugular.

Well that is my official master techno-conspiracy theory interpretation of this series of events. Have I lost my marbles?

Carlton Flowers
Flat World Society

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Tags: hp, hp firesale, hp touchpad, iPad, ipad 3, tablet, tablet market, touchpad

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Could An Amazon Loss-Leader Tablet Be The Wave Of The Future?

September 2nd, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: technology

HP TOUCHPAD FLAP COULD SPARK NEW SUCCESSFUL TABLET STRATEGY FOR AMAZON

Amazon Tablets A couple of weeks ago we watched with shocked looks on our faces as HP dumped their TouchPad inventory for ninety nine bucks. The collective geek community thought HP had lost their minds. But what they did could have sparked a new trend…

Loss-Leader Tablets

For those of you who don’t know the strategy, a “loss-leader” is basically a product sold for less than what a business pays for it, for the express purpose of attracting a rush of new customers and future profit.

For several months, Amazon has been quietly planning on releasing an Android based tablet, possibly under the Kindle brand, to compliment their current line of black & white eInk e-readers.

This could be the perfect opportunity follow up the HP TouchPad craze with an extremely low-priced but highly functional device. Chances are, it will more advanced than the successful Barnes & Noble Nook Color Android tablet.

Since Amazon makes a considerable amount of money selling books, the company could take the chance on releasing a tablet device at a loss with hopes to make a profit on the back end by selling digital books.

It’s something Amazon has got to be taking into consideration after seeing the TouchPads selling off like wildfire. There might not be a better opportunity for them to get their device in the hands of the masses.

Amazon has the deep pockets, the manufacturers, and the market penetration to make this happen. And this could set the new standard. Instead of 2 year carrier contracts paying for the cost of a device as it is with smartphones, the money would be made on future book sales. That would leave customers free of binding contracts.

I don’t know what price point Amazon is considering on their tablet. But something on the order of $300 or less sure would be nice. We can’t expect them to match the price of the HP blunder, but the cheaper the better. Personally, I’m waiting for a $150 price point or less, but the word is on the street that it will be around $250.

Who knows… maybe Amazon will do what they did in the past, which was releasing a new device and lowering the price over time. Remember back when the first Kindle hit the market in 2007, it was $399. Now we have the “Ad Supported Kindle” for $114. That’s quite a ncie price drop.

But instead of taking the time to test the market and respond to the demand and adjusting the price accordingly, I say they should just throw caution to the wind and float us a $150 color Android tablet. And we’ll promise to buy bunches and bunches of digital books from them to show our appreciation!

Do you think loss-leader tablets could become a trend? We’ve already seen 2 major newspapers come out with plans to use low cost tablets to revive their market. Maybe it will just take a national player like Amazon to kick this concept over the top.

Carlton Flowers
Future Amazablet Owner?

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Tags: amazon kindle, amazon tablet, Apple, barnes & noble nook color, ereaders, iPad, ipad competitor, Kindle, kindle ad supported, kindle android tablet, tablet computer

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My Analysis – The Practicality of an Apple iPad (or lack thereof)

August 25th, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: technology

RESULTS OF MY IPAD TEST DRIVES – THE FINAL VERDICT IS IN

iPad 2 Ladies and gents, I have a simple question for you:

iPad… Why?

In other words, what is your reason for wanting or owning an iPad? Does it have utility for you? What is your main use of the device?

Over the past year, I have had several opportunities to mess with an iPad. Recently, I spent some quality time actually trying to accomplish some of my routine internet tasks using my brother-in-law’s iPad 2.

After this and numerous other test drives of Apple iPads owned by various friends and family members, I’m left scratching my head and wondering if I would ever really have any good use for one myself.

When the iPad first arrived in the tech world, I was counting down the days up until the release. I saved my money, and I swore it would be a fantastic investment for a device that would make me more efficient and eliminate the need for replacing my dead Sony Viao laptop.

The first time I sat down and gave it a try, I fell in love with it. But after each additional experience, I’m left with no desire to have or use one. Not only that, I don’t think I’ve met a single person who has a strong reason as to why they own one. It has me wondering if anything other than sheer novelty is propping up the entire tablet market, for Apple and Android devices alike.

MY APPLE IPAD2 TEST DRIVE AND FINAL ANALYSIS

I’ll give you an idea of the things that didn’t work for me regarding my overall user experience with my brother-in-law’s iPad 2.

The first thing that bugs me is that I don’t feel comfortable holding it. It just feels too big. I’m not able to find an optimal way to hold it or set it up. Propped up on the foldable case, I have to lift my arm to touch the screen.

Placed flat in my lap, it’s just small enough to slide and move around too much. Holding it up in the air, it’s too heavy to use like a book, and my arms get tired. Reading my favorite blogs, do I use it portrait, or landscape? Either way, it just doesn’t “hold” right.

Reading was a pain in the rear end. Period. You’ve got this big lovely display, but you don’t have the ability to zoom in on tiny text without having to pan side-to-side. Apple gets a big fat “F“ for not designing this device to facilitate easy reading.

I really thought that the lack of text reflow wouldn’t be an issue on the iPad, because of the large screen. Not the case. Lack of text reflow annoyed me just as much on the iPad as it does on the iPhone.

Typing was a bad experience. Right off the bat, I felt very agitated and uncomfortable when I attempted to enter in a web URL.I just didn’t know how to go about entering the text, as far as what to do with my hands.

Do you float your hands in mid-air before tapping the letters on the virtual keyboard? Where do you rest your hands? Where are the two little bumps under my index fingers for the “F” and “J” keys? Those were the immediate thoughts that came to mind.

Trying to type on a large flat surface with no tactile feedback was awkward to say the least. My only alternative was to tap out letters using the hunt-and-peck method.

I was able to type faster using two fingers because my rate of typos was reduced to zero. I figured I could live with typing with 2 fingers if I had an iPad, but it certainly would not be a useful device for writing.

I couldn’t figure out the best way to sit to make my interaction with the iPad ergonomic. Do I sit at a counter in the kitchen and lay it flat, or prop it up? Or do I sit up on the couch and lay it in my lap? Perhaps slumping on the couch and holding it up in the air would feel better?

I didn’t feel like I could get into a groove with any particular position or posture. They were all somewhat doable, but I just didn’t “feel” it. I kept getting frustrated, and the overwhelming temptation was to grab my iPhone 4 or sit at the desktop computer in a chair, upright, with a real keyboard.

So there you have it. My basic frustrations while trying to get in a groove with the Apple iPhone 4. It just didn’t happen for me. And I sincerely tried.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE IPAD

I still actively ask people to share with me what they mainly use their Apple iPads for, out of sheer curiosity. I also ask them if they feel it was worth their investment dollars. The majority of the time, the answers that I hear are weak, and unsure at best.

Right now I am more inclined to believe that it is novelty than a device that has practical use. There just aren’t enough things that you can list, in my opinion, that would lead me to believe that an iPad could offer as much utility as a laptop or a desktop computer.

There is nothing that an iPad can do for me than what my iPhone 4 can provide, and I find my iPhone to be much more portable and easy to use for the tasks that are most important to me. For composing emails, keeping up on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks, and for my biggest use which is reading blog sites, I just can’t say that an iPad is any better than my iPhone. As a matter of fact, it’s worse.

Do you have a single use of your iPad that makes it stand out above using a smartphone, notebook, or desktop PC? I would like to know what it is. Or, does your company have some special “enterprise” use that justifies the cost of an iPad over a laptop? Share it in the comments section right now!

Carlton Flowers
iPad Tryer-Outer (Fail)

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Tags: Apple, apple ipad, iPad, ipad 2, iPhone, iPhone 4, tablet computer, tablet pc, tablet vs laptop

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HP Is Purely Stupid Part II – TouchPad Losses Quantified

August 25th, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: technology

HP CONTINUES TO BAFFLE AS TOUCHPAD LIGHTS UP THE WORLD IN SALES

I had high hopes that HP would make sense of their decision to jettison the HP TouchPad last weekend while slashing the price to $99. Unfortunately, they have released not a single valid reason to back up their decision, and they still look… stupid.

You’ve got to hand it to HP… they obviously did their homework and did extensive market research and product launch planning to make this happen (for those who didn’t catch it, that was pure sarcasm).

The TouchPad was slated to be released for $599 (32Gb version) and $499 (16Gb version) to compete with the iPad. So what do they do after all of the buildup? Slash the prices to $149 and $99 respectively, after deciding to dump the entire line. Makes a whole heckuva lot of sense to me.

Check out this post from iSuppli as they break down the cost of making the TouchPad. These things cost $306 and $328 to manufacture! That means they are losing $207 and $179 for each and every sale at the rock bottom get-rid-of-the-inventory-fast price.

I guess HP is in the business of giving away money. Maybe they should be commended for their act of goodwill, for flooding the market with a great device at an amazing price at the expense of the company. As a matter of fact, if I’m not mistaken, I believe the TouchPad has become the top selling computer device this week as a result.

So to walk away from this entire fiasco with no benefit whatsoever, I can only conclude that the leadership of Hewlett Packard company is stupid. That, or just plain ole incompetent.

After seeing such an overwhelming response to the sale of the TouchPad, why not rethink dropping the line? Surely the thought has crossed someone’s mind at HP, after seeing what the devices are selling for on the secondary market. Since my last report, the TouchPad sales are still going strong on eBay, Craigslist and other sites and they are fetching $250 to even $350 a pop.

The secondary market has shown us what the corrected value is for this product. That proves the fact that the sweet spot for a good tablet device that is running a nice operating system (like Android) is somewhere between $250 and $350 right now. Some people predicted that the demand for tablets at any price above $99 would be destroyed by the liquidation, but it has not.

Right now I am wishing that I was one of the lucky people who sat on the phone for hours with HP, waiting in line to be rewarded with a $99 TouchPad. I have a friend who picked up 3 of them, in fact. He is a former iPad owner, and a big fan of webOS. What a lucky guy.

Will HP rethink their decision and salvage the TouchPad after analyzing this entire mess? Share your thoughts!

Carlton Flowers
$99 Tablet Proponent

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Tags: $99 touchpad, hewlett packard, hp, hp touchpad, hp touchpad sale, iPad, tablet, tablet market, touchpad

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HP TouchPad Dumped On The Market For Cheap – Has HP Lost Their Minds?

August 23rd, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: technology

HP DUMPS THE TOUCHPAD – JETTISONS INVENTORY FOR $99 A POP

Either I am stupid, or HP has lost their minds with what has just transpired concerning the HP TouchPad tablet and webOS. Either I am missing some key pieces of the story, or HP has some serious problems in their immediate future.

The company announced that they were dumping webOS powered TouchPad tablet this past weekend due to disappointing sales and the inability to compete with the Apple iPad.

To get rid of the inventory of the first round of TouchPads that were produced, they had a fire sale and cut the price to $99 and caused somewhat of a stampede. Why they chose to sell them for such a cheap price is beyond me. Personally, I think they’re stupid. Why?

Because they never tested the price before making their decision. As soon as the TouchPads hit stores for $99, they were popping up on sites like eBay and Craigslist selling for $200 to $300 each. If you go to eBay right now, you’ll see what I am talking about. They are selling quite strongly at a price more than double of what they unloaded them for.

Who didn’t do their market research and homework at HP before sticking the flea market price tag of $99 on the TouchPad? Somebody would get fired for such an irresponsible business decision if it were up to me. That’s just appalling. It tells me that HP must have money to burn.

You want the real shocker? Get this… HP will be sending a refund check for $300 to any an all customers that bought a TouchPad at the retail price of $399 before the crazy price drop.

Fire sale, then retroacive refund? It’s like they’re saying “we’re too stupid to sell this at the price the device is valued at, and we want to give away all the money we made when we had it priced correctly”.

What the flip is that???

Does HP just not care about the success of their company? Or are they punishing themselves for the massive flop of their new operating system, “webOS”, and the TouchPad tablet? I just don’t get it.

First of all, it seems crazy to me that HP spent $1.2 billion for the Palm company as recently as April of 2010 only to throw in the towel a little over a year later. I guess everyone makes mistakes. But dumping the inventory of their new device at a price less than half of the market value after giving up on it? That is pure stupidity.

If I were a stockholder for HP, I’d be asking for heads right about now. Was this not a completely reckless move? Did anyone think, or did they just overreact? It’s like they have the attitude of a 3-year-old child, having a temper tantrum, who shoves his tricycle out in the street in a fit of rage because they couldn’t get the pedals to work and it gets squashed by a truck.

Looking back, this really saddens me. All the big promises that HP made to Palm customers to continue their product line, make improvements, and provide ongoing support have just gone up in flames. Where is the accountability with these corporations anyway?

I think they quit on themselves before evaluating all of their options. But again, maybe I don’t know the full story. I’m just speculating.

Is it that Apple is just that formidable of a competitor? Are they untouchable like the Godfather? Is the lead that they hold in the tablet market that insurmountable?

Apparently so.

And another thing, I really don’t get the strength of iPad sales considering all of the features that Apple lacks on their breakthrough device (Flash, text reflow, SD card slot, standard USB connector, etc.). I still maintain that the majority of people who purchase iPads are getting them because it is the trendy thing to do.

But the one good thing that has come out of this is that people will remember that a very decent tablet computer was sold for $99. Watch and see… this could become the new pricing point for tablets in the next year or two. HP might have just destroyed the entire tablet market by doing this alone.

You think I thought tablets were overpriced and useless up until now? This only underscores my belief. I will definitely not be buying a tablet for any reason at prices above $300 or $400 after seeing this happen.

In fact, I think I’d rather do without… until I see another deal like this one drop for $99.

What do you think? Was HP in their right mind by doing this? Is the iPad really going to continue to crush the market for the foreseeable future? Chime in, sound off! Share your opinion in the comments section!

Carlton Flowers
Rabid Tech Commentator

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Tags: Apple, apple ipad, hewlett packard, hp, hp tablet, hp touchpad, iPad, tablet, tablet computers, touchpad, webOS

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Are Apple’s Dirty Tactics Indicative Of Possible Decline?

August 19th, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: business · technology

DIRTY COURT TRICKERY EXPOSED AS APPLE’S GRIP SLIPS ON DOMINATING THE MARKET

Sneering Steve Jobs I just wrote about Apple Corporation and their rottenness about a week ago. Up until this point, my take on Apple has been that they are solidly successful with an insurmountable tech market lead, but just solidly evil. But now, I’m starting to change my mind about that prognosis.

Considering the dirty tactics employed in the European injunction case against Samsung, I think Apple is on the verge of a slide. Not a slide to oblivion, or even slight financial hardship, but enough of a slide that Android and Windows Phone will definitely overtake them at the top of the smartphone heap.

The cat was let out of the bag on what Apple did in its court battle in Germany to temporarily halt the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 all throughout Europe except the Netherlands.

Everyone who pays attention to tech news was shocked when they heard how Apple’s legal team went about getting the injunction that just got overturned by the same court. They used a modified image of the Galaxy 10.1 Tab printed on a piece of paper to draw a comparison, and it fooled the judge.

Beside the fact that this was purely low-down and dirty, I cannot come up with one reason why Apple’s attorneys would show up in a Dumbledorf court with a photoshopped picture of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 using it as their only bit of evidence that Samsung copied their design of the iPad.

But I equally cannot come up with a logical reason why the Dumbledorf judge would uphold an injunction request based on 2 images printed on pieces of paper instead of asking to see the actual devices! What in the wide world of sports was he thinking? Is it really this easy to fool

Apparently, the image of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was skewed. They stretched the short dimension to make it look like it had the exact same aspect ratio as the iPad. In reality, it is a little bit less than a half an inch skinnier. If you sat an iPad on top of a Galaxy Tab 10.1, it would be hideously obvious that they are in no way the same.

This brings another question… did Apple’s attorney make an honest mistake by not copying and pasting the image with the correct width, or did he do this on purpose to skew the perception of the judge? Either way you look at this, it is bad bad bad.

You either have an attorney who is totally incompetent, or you have a lying crook who’s intent is to deceive. Then you have a Dumbledorf judge who you could probably sell the Brooklyn Bridge. Apparently, all you’d need is an inkjet printer and a photo of the bridge to print out from Flickr.

If Apple is dipping down this low to fight off their competitors, resorting to outright lies (or complete incompetence), it must mean that they have a legitimate fear of Android. They wouldn’t be going to this extent if they did not fear their chief competitor.

I’m not proud of Apple corporation right now. What they did permanently tainted their “untouchable” air of confidence. Leaders don’t act this way. Leaders don’t have to cheat to stay ahead. But Apple seemingly has lost confidence in themselves.

In 2007 they were the darling tech company of the world with the release of the first functional, mass marketable smartphone. The design and functionality of their flagship product was leaps and bounds ahead of the nearest competitor. But the lead is gone. Manufacturers using the Android operating environment have caught them.

The loss of confidence and the whole reverting to patent trolling, patent bullying, and courtroom hijinks really doesn’t make Apple look like a confident leader. What it does is give the impression that they are trying to trip their competitors while they race by them on the track.

I guess their new philosophy is to focus on scaring and bullying people out of competing instead of pushing the technological envelope. If they would have put their time and energy into developing and finishing the iPhone 5 instead of plotting and scheming against HTC and Samsung, the iPhone 5 would have come out in June like every other iphone release they have had to date.

When you compare other industries with the tech world, it really makes Apple’s argument (and behavior) look plain silly. We would never expect Ford to sue Chevrolet because the Malibu has 4 wheels, 4 doors, similar overall dimensions and gross weight as compared to the Ford Fusion.

We would never see Exxon Mobile sue Phillips 66 because they are dispensing gasoline through hoses and spouts that fit the same hole in cars that fills the gasoline tank.

Or how ’bout Sony suing Emerson because they tried to bring a rectangular television set with an LCD display to market with the same aspect ratio and overall dimensions?

Unheard of.

Wake up Apple, and get a grip. It’s not like you’re the Packard Bell computer company on the verge of collapse. Where is your pride? Honesty and integrity is still the best winning business practice. Tighten your belt and get back to your winning ways.

Carlton Flowers
Shamed Apple Product Owner

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Tags: android, Apple, apple injunction against samsung, apple samsung lawsuit, galaxy tab 10.1, iPad, ipad 2, iPhone, iPhone 5, samsung, samsung injunction lifted, smartphone

Tablet Computers – What’s YOUR Use?

June 24th, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: technology

CAN I JUSTIFY MY “NEED” OF A TABLET COMPUTER?

I could not wait to get an iPad when it was first rumored. From watching sci-fi movies like Star Trek, I’ve dreamt of having tablet like computers all my life. Fast-forward to 2011, and they are everywhere. It’s a reality. You can get them in every flavor and brand But now that my dream has come true, I can’t come up with justification to spend the money on one.

First of all, if I were to buy a tablet, I now know that it wouldn’t be an iPad. I think the iPad is of the highest quality of all tablets. But it blocks Flash. The single use I would have would be to use the tablet to build my website. But my web building tool is Flash-based. That nixes the iPad.

I love the idea of using a tablet as a reading device for magazines and books. But is that worth spending $150 to $500? I don’t know.

I have a part-time job as a ratings agent for a consultant, and I need to get a laptop. I can’t install the Firefox extensions and tools on a tablet computer and use it for my work. So my first priority is getting a low cost laptop.

But I will admit, having a Samsung Galaxy Tab or an Acer Iconia or a Blackberry Playbook would be great for entertainment purposes. I love to watch television shows through Netflix, and a tablet would be perfect for that. But I can’t say that I would have much more utility with a tablet than that.

Have you found a business use for a tablet? Does a tablet make you more productive? Have you found a way to enhance your internet marketing with a tablet?

If you have, I sure would like to know about it. Share it in the comments below and educate me!

Carlton Flowers
Tablet Mugwump (google it)
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Tags: iPad, ipad for business, tablet computer, use of tablets, using a tablet for business

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Tablet Computers – What’s the REAL Use?

May 2nd, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: business · technology

I WANT A TABLET! BUT I DON’T KNOW WHY…

Tablets are all the rage. They are slick, thin, shiny, and futuristic. I wanted one ever since the first generation iPad came out. But what has kept me from blowing five hundred bucks on the latest greatest tablet gadget? Answer: I can’t justify the investment.

Tablet computers are what I have dreamed about since I was a kid. I’m 43 years old, and this is the type of technological advance I have been looking for since the sci-fi flicks of the 80’s and 90’s teased me with their amazing coolness. But money is tight in my household of 6, and any investment I make in technology has to have a purpose, and a way to pay for itself. I can’t quite figure out a way that a tablet would do this for me.

A couple of years ago, I swore I needed a netbook. They were small, compact, slick, cool, and cutting-edge. Some of them even came with built-in air cards to get you on the net wherever you may go. I thought I needed one to build my blog site while I was on the go, or out of town. I lurked, and I lurked. I must have tested out a couple of dozen netbooks in Walmart and Staples and Radio Shack over a 1-year period. And what was the end result? I just couldn’t justify it.

Fast forward to 2011, and the tablet craze has all but killed the netbook market. My attention was immediately drawn to tablets, and I searched for ways it could make me more productive in business. I searched for ways that I could use it to make money. I searched for ways to justify the cost, thinking it would make me more productive. I found no definitive reason of justification.

I still get as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve when I see the specs on the latest release of a tablet. I dream about tablets. I crave them. But I still don’t know what I would use it for. Thus far, there are a few things that I know I would definitely use a tablet for. They are as follows:

reading ebooks and magazines
reading my favorite tech blog sites
checking email
writing blog posts
surfing the web
playing games
watching TV shows and movies

But guess what… I can do all of these things on my desktop computer and/or my iPhone for no additional cost. As busy as I am, would I really have time to be glued to yet another electronic device for these things? I don’t think so. For me, it all boils down the fact that I want a tablet for the sheer entertainment aspects. And with a son in college, a daughter going next year, and two elementary school kids, I can’t justify that.

Something else that I have noticed is that the majority of my friends and family who have rushed out to buy a tablet don’t really have a solid idea for using them for productive reasons either. The best reasoning comes from my brother-in-law. He is an iPhone 4 owner like myself, and he hates using his phone for doing his finances due to the fact that the screen is so small. He is going to use his new iPad 2 to balance his checkbook, pay his bills, and check his work emails. But the good thing is, he saved his money and waited a year before making the purchase. He can afford it.

If I had $500 to blow, I would probably buy one. I would treat myself to an iPad 2, and I would probably use it mainly for entertainment purposes. I wish I could use one for my main purpose of maintaining my blog site, but the blog engine I use is Flash-based, so that nixes my main productive reason.

I think it makes more sense to purchase a tablet for specific reasons, like using an iPad for Garage Band. Musicians, song writers, and Dee Jays would find great use for that. With a specific singular use, the price would be justified. But I think the majority of people rushing out to buy tablets don’t have an actual worthwhile single use.

I am meeting more and more people who have been bitten by the tablet bug only to find themselves scratching their heads wondering why they spent the money a few months after making the purchase. This might become a common experience over time. I think that there is a very real possibility that something could come along that would render tablets as useless as netbooks.

Typing on a tablet is absolutely useless and impractical to me. I bought a knockoff Apple bluetooth keyboard for my iPhone 4, and I’m using it like a mini netbook. I get so much use out of writing with my bluetooth keyboard that I really don’t think it would be any better with a tablet. In fact, I am considering buying a smart phone in the future with a bigger display in the future. To me, that would be a much better use of my money than buying a big tablet that won’t fit in my pocket, and won’t be powerful enough to function as a real portable computer.

Tablet owners, what are your thoughts? Do you use a tablet for business purposes? I would like to hear some specific business uses of tablets that makes them worth the investment. Share your ideas and experiences and post them below!

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Geek
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Tags: android tablets, iPad, is a tablet pc worth the money?, tablet pc, tablet pc business use, tablet pc market, uses of tablet computer, uses of tablet pc, using tablets for business, value of tablet pc

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Is The Dominance of Microsoft Slipping?

March 10th, 2011
· by Carlton Flowers · Filed Under: technology

I SEE A DISTURBING TREND FOR MICROSOFT IN FUTURE MARKET DOMINANCE

I just don’t get it… what is it with Microsoft these past few years? Microsoft and “monopoly” used to be one in the same in the days of Bill Gates. Sure, they still dominate the world market with some impressive financial numbers, but will they hold their position given their current philosophy and lackluster vision?

It seems to me that the giant in Redmond has become complacent. They have a whopping 88% of the world’s market share in desktop computers with their Windows operating system. Plus, the XBOX 360 has jumped ahead of Wii and PS3. Kinect was the hottest selling gaming gadget for Christmas 2010. But the end result is that Microsoft is resting on its laurels.

However, Apple surpassed Microsoft’s market capitalization in May of 2010 to become the world’s largest tech company. Sure, Apple’s current status as “king of the hill” is not guaranteed to last due to the fact that company value fluctuates wildly based purely upon stock price. But would anyone have imagined this to have happened just 10 years ago? No.

Once upon a time, everyone thought that Apple’s days were numbered before CEO Steve Jobs rejoined the company to bring them back into their glory. Apple was considered the yuppy alternative to computer systems and electronic devices when compared to the standard that Microsoft had set. Developers would never have guessed that their future would be in writing little apps for the revolutionary iPhone.

Now Microsoft has become a reactionary company under the somewhat “visionless” leadership of Steve Ballmer. They’ve handed over the title of “innovator” on a silver platter to Steve Jobs. Instead of keeping the lead role in breaking open new fertile markets and taking huge risks, they’ve sat on their laurels and rested on the security of their flagship products in known markets.

Let’s consider a few of the unproven markets that Apple took the extreme gamble on and led the way, with Microsoft responding late in the game:

The iPhone & iOS Smart Phone Platform

In 2007, Apple released the first generation iPhone. Where was Microsoft? Fooling around with Windows Mobile 6.5, a sad excuse for a mobile phone platform. 3 years passed by before they released the impressive and user-friendly Windows Phone 7 platform, which to me is more intuitive than the iOS operating system. But as great as Windows Phone 7 is, it’s entirely too late. They should have done this long before. The release did not make a big splash, and I don’t see it possible at this time for them to catch up and overtake Apple’s iOS. They missed the boat. Apple will dominate this market for years to come, no matter how good Windows Phone 7 gets, because iOS is in the “perfecting” stage while Phone 7 is in the elementary stages.

The iPod Touch

Yet again, Microsoft let Apple solidify their dominance with the groundbreaking iPod touch before they even thought about getting the Zune out to market to compete. How do you sit on your can and let the iPod touch snatch up the entire market when you created the standard with the Windows operating system? It’s too late for Zune, and the Zune HD will not be the device that wins back the hearts of consumers. They can forget it. The iPod touch is now the standard in portable gaming and music.

Internet Browsers

During the 90’s, Internet Explorer was the only choice when it came to browsers. Netscape was the old standard, but IE quickly erased their lead. Nowadays, Firefox has established the number one position. According to W3 Schools, they took the lead away from Microsoft during 2008. The trend continues for Firefox, and IE is still sliding losing market share and even has Chrome on its heels. I don’t know what the future holds for IE, but it’s not looking very good at this point in time.

The iPad & Tablet Market

Tablet computers aren’t really that new. The Apple Newton was one of the first, and it failed miserably. Microsoft had partnered with several hardware manufacturers to produce various tablets during the 2000’s that never took off. Apple took the huge gamble on releasing the iPad, and set the standard. They practically created the market, only to watch everyone else in the world scramble to make a late entry. Not a single tablet product threatens the iPad now. While there are noteworthy contenders in the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy Tab, the iPad is clearly ahead of the game. Most companies are pushing their inaugural tablet products while Apple crushes the competition with their 2nd generation iPad.

During the time that the iPad was originally released, rumors swirled about the fabled Microsoft Courier. It was an entirely new concept that was in no way similar to the iPad. If they were going to enter the market late, at least they were going to do so with something totally outside of the box. The Courier was supposed to be a brand new concept mimicking a book with two 7″ displays hinged in the middle. The operating system was to be based upon the Microsoft Surface concept (something else that has stayed stuck in the developmental stages, never to be released as a consumer product).

The Courier turned out to be vaporware. Microsoft ditched the project. But why? As large as a company that Microsoft is, wouldn’t you think they’d have the research and development budget to push the project and get it out to market in a reasonable time? Sadly, they did not make the effort. They’ve been talking about releasing tablets for 2 years now, and just can’t come up with a workable tablet interface.

Now Microsoft is talking about showcasing future Windows 8 tablet concepts in June of 2011. What the heck is that all about? iPad 2 is on sale right now, and they are still talking about showcasing future products this summer? This is so sad it is shameful. In my opinion, they may as well throw in the towel and stick to pushing the XBOX 360 and Kinect products. If I were a major stockholder, I’d be asking for the heads of leadership. Somebody with real vision and and a proven track record of being proactive needs to take control of this company. This is the biggest disappointment of all in my opinion.

I could take this farther, but these are the areas where I see Microsoft hurting the most in the future. I think a serious leadership change is in order for Microsoft. If they don’t initiate some kind of major change in their glass tower, they’re going to be looking like Apple during the late 80’s.

Carlton Flowers
Disappointed Microsoft Fanboy
www.carltonzone.com
www.microbusinessplans.com
www.twitter.com/carltonf

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