“Windows 7, the most recent version of Microsoft’s operating system, is too unwieldy for an iPad-like device, said David Daoud, an analyst at IDC,” Culpan and King report. “A lighter edition won’t be ready until the fourth quarter, giving Apple almost a year’s head start in the burgeoning market for tablets.”
MacDailyNews Take: Microsoft has been trying and failing to sell tablet PCs for the better part of a decade.
Culpan and King report, “The iPad’s success caught much of the PC industry by surprise. Within two months of the April 3 release, Apple sold 2 million iPads — more than IDC expected for the entire tablet industry in 2010. To catch up, Dell and Hewlett-Packard are turning to Google Inc.’s Android operating system. Taiwanese manufacturers that build most of the world’s PCs said they’re dissatisfied with Microsoft’s current lineup… The iPad, which can display books, videos and the Internet on a thin touch screen, will reach sales of 5.5 million units this year and jump to 13 million next year, according to Macquarie Group Ltd.”
MacDailyNews Take: Macquarie’s iPad unit sales estimates are too low.
Culpan and King report, “Later this year, Microsoft will release Windows Embedded Compact 7, which will require less processing power and reduces the drain on batteries.”
MacDailyNews Take: Wonderful name. So memorable and sure to inspire loads of sales. Or maybe just loads.
Culpan and King report, “Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, has tried for more than a decade to build a market for tablet-sized personal computers. “
MacDailyNews Take: Wait, we just said that. We thought that Apple will have “almost a year’s head start in the burgeoning market for tablets?”
Culpan and King report, “Chairman Bill Gates predicted in November 2001 that the tablet would become the most popular form of PC within five years.”
MacDailyNews Take: Charlatan.
Culpan and King report, “Demand for the Windows tablets currently sold by Hewlett- Packard and Dell has been lackluster, according to IDC.”
MacDailyNews Take: Ha! Thanks, we needed a laugh.
Culpan and King report, “Before the iPad made its debut this year, the researcher had been forecasting that sales of tablets would decline to less than 1 percent of the overall PC market in the U.S. IDC had predicted total shipments of just 523,000 tablets.”
“Intel Corp., whose chips run about 80 percent of the world’s PCs, hasn’t helped Microsoft’s cause,” Culpan and King report. “The chipmaker’s most energy-efficient tablet-ready processors don’t run Windows 7 — and won’t until early next year.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Most of the world made a big, very costly mistake with Microsoft last time around. It won’t happen again.