“With as many as 100 different models of tablet computers from dozens of makers expected to be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, market consolidation is a certainty,” Matt Hamblen reports for Computerworld.
“Some of those tablet models won’t be on the market within a year, and some won’t even last beyond the four-day show that officially kicks off Thursday, predicted Shawn Dubravac, chief economist for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the show’s sponsor,” Hamblen reports. “‘Every industry consolidates, and over time we’ll see [tablet] consolidation,’ he said. ‘Some won’t go beyond the show.'”
MacDailyNews Take: This reminds us of last March, when Microsoft CEO Ballmer T. Clown strode onstage with a mockup of HP vaporware. While the anti-Apple brigade partied in the streets over the wondrous promise Ballmer’s dog and pony show portended, we immediately and, as usual, correctly wrote, “HP and Microsoft offer vapor as Apple launches iPad.” The pretend plug was pulled on the nonexistent slab barely more than a month later.
Another failed attempt to freeze the iPad market was “leaked” by Microsoft in the form of “Courier” 6 months earlier in September 2009. Again, with the eternally optimistic insane clown posse drooling in anticipation (Gizmodo raved, “This is Courier, Microsoft’s astonishing take on the tablet.”), we immediately and, of course, correctly wrote, “What’s astonishing about it? That it looks to be 1990’s thick, that it’s stuck running some version of Windows, that it’s vaporous computer graphics with a cartoon demo, or all three? It’s not a “booklet,” it’s a “vaporlet.” So, why is this “astounding” CG imagery being emitted right now? Are Microsoft worried that a real device is coming soon from another company?” Of course, they were. The imaginary Courier was “killed” the day after the fake HP slate.
Hamblen continues, “Dubravac predicted that more than 80 tablets will be shown at CES, and possibly up to 100.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We can’t wait to see what kind of shenanigans some of these junk peddlers will try to pull this year. We expect to pen plenty of “bloody” headlines.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
@ oxstasy:
Repeating that stupid mantra ‘competition is good for us’ shows where you are at.
Good and useful products are good for us, and maybe mac people here can be forgiven for going a little over the top on Windows and all the CRAP out there.
After all, we have had to put up with Microsoft and others holding back progress in computers for years, selling their ‘enterprise’ junk.
Revenge is sweet, Baby.
BTW, time to drop the ‘salmon’ extended metaphor thing – its getting a bit fishy.
all these tablets will seek asylum like Salmon Rushdie
It’s “elitist GARBAGE” to point out that vapourware tablets are vapourware tablets, and that lame, non-competetive iPad ripoffs are lame, non-competetive iPad ripoffs?
So I guess telling the truth is forbidden. As long as it’s flattering to Apple, at least. Thanks for telling us.
Oh, and the “I’m better than you are pissing contest” will stop when some company starts making better hardware and software, not just claiming they do. That day hasn’t arrived. It won’t be arriving anytime soon, either, judging from the looks of Apple’s “competition” which so far is all vapour, or DOA, or is successful in its own right but fails to compete(like Android and the way it doesn’t even dent iPhone sales, for all its success).
Actually, the whole reason for the “pissing contest” is delusional egotists like Ballmer proclaiming their mediocre(at best) copycat products are totally the bestest most innovative things ever and will bury Apple in no time. So it’s not really a pissing contest, it’s more like rubbing the faces of these clueless braggarts in their own bullshit. The 90’s, aka the Decade of Deathknell, adds extra satisfaction to this.
In the immortal words of Mr. Fields “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull.”
But it does sow confusion in the marketplace (the way Windows has all these years), so there will be at least a little traction against the iPad’s dominance. The pace of development will be rapid, as this tech segment matures – the big players can’t afford to ignore it.
And a final thought – part of the reason Google’s offering Android to these companies for free is that it dilutes Apple’s influence and forces the partners to do Google’s advertising for them – thus increasing their mindshare. It’s quite an intelligent strategy, when almost all you have is software.
@ken1w
“Next, you’ll be complaining because iOS has no access to a command line”
Ken, to be honest, my iPohnes have been jailbroken since it was available for each model iOS revision. In addition openSSH is installed(and passworded) on all of them as well as Netatalk, Sbsettings, MyWi,and several others…
Whats YOUR EXCUSE for being a pRick??? Penis Envy???
@osxtasy
“Whats YOUR EXCUSE for being a pRick??? Penis Envy???”
Take a quick peek in the mirror, butt pickle.
Sorry, osxtasy, but Apple and it’s fans are allowed to slam all the haters, including you. Ever since the 1980’s, Apple’s competitors have gone to any and all lengths to insult, ridicule, steal and copy all of Apple’s technology. So now that Apple is on top, they expect Apple to play nice? I don’t think so.
Calling garbage ‘garbage’ is not an insult. It’s telling the truth.
If Apple’s so-called competitors put as much effort into making their customers happy as they did with beating Apple, they would produce something worth having.
You’re absolutely right, osxtasy, competition is good for all of us.
The problem is that the iPad is waiting for some actual competition to show up…