Apple’s upcoming tablet might prove not to be the gadget freak’s wet dreams, as it seemed a couple of months ago, when it was more of a rumour than it is now. James Brehm, Frost & Sullivan analyst claims that there will be a strong interest in the device, but the tablet won’t be the wave of the future. The problem with this product is that it’s stuck inbetween smaller gadgets and full blown PCs.
Basically, what we’re dealing with here is a bigger iPod Touch, but one that’s better equipped for movie viewing, graphic design and Internet browsing. While many already call 2010 “the year of the tablet”, things may look up for this segment of products, but only for a couple of months and not years from now.
Just look at the netbooks, that were a huge hit in 2008 and then their sales started dropping, because smartphones got better and bigger, while laptops got cheaper. Another problem with the Apple Tablet is the fact that it’ll be quite pricey, at around $800 a piece, making it a niche product. The same analyst quoted above reminds us that there have been tablets before and we don’t see them flourishing or making huge sales.
Things will probably go as Steve Jobs planned, at least in the beginning: you know, everyone will buy the new cool thing with the Apple logo on it and in mid 2010, sales will start going down, as will the price and then we’ll see if the tablet can survive or not.
[via CNN]
