Apple (AAPL) iPad Wannabes: 'Hey, Can We Play Too?' (HPQ) (MMI) (RIMM)
Tweet
Share
E-mail
Get Alerts AAPL Hot Sheet
Price: $169.89 +0.51%
Overall Analyst Rating:
NEUTRAL (= Flat)
Dividend Yield: 0.5%
Revenue Growth %: -4.3%
Overall Analyst Rating:
NEUTRAL (= Flat)
Dividend Yield: 0.5%
Revenue Growth %: -4.3%
Join SI Premium – FREE
There has been an overabundance of chatter from tech writers and blogosphere cynics over than last several months about what the tablet market will look like in six to 12 months, but only one thing matters presently, the coming of Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad 2 (or whatever those i-coholics decide to call the thing).
Every tech company wants in on this market that Apple seemed to create overnight, but in reality there is no room for imitators or pretenders.
Remember when the iPod came out, giving consumers something they never knew they couldn't live without, and the resulting flood of copycats that disappeared as quickly as they showed up. It didn't matter if a company made media player that was cheaper (or in some cases better), every rendering fell short and got left on shelves while customers continued to buy iPods in droves and in all incarnations (and they still do).
Last week the Motorola Mobility's (NYSE: MMI) Xoom hit the market, and nobody cared. There were no lines around the block, no gaudy sales estimates, and the only buzz was over the ridiculous $799 price tag.
The Xoom is supposedly a fine device (but good luck trying to find someone that can actually tell you first hand), which has the original iPad beat on specs in nearly every way. Again nobody cares since there that lack of etched fruit on the back.
On another planet seemingly, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) are prepping their iPad "killers," but they seem more interested in fighting with each other rather than focusing on the only enemy that matters. Perhaps putting aside petty squabbling and actually getting a product to market would be a better use of company time.
HP is claiming quite publicly that RIM has taken some design ideas behind the webOS powered TouchPad to create its Playbook.
“There are some uncanny similarities,” HP’s Jon Oakes told LapTop. “It’s a fast innovation cycle and a fast imitation cycle in this market, so we just know that we have the creative engine here to continue to build on what we have, and we’ll keep innovating, we’ll keep honing and those guys hopefully will continue to see the value in it and keep following us by about a year.”
That's an ironic end to a statement from a company that will be lapped by Apple on Wednesday when the iPad 2 is unveiled.
RIM had a less than inspiring retort, saying “You know, cars over time end up looking a lot alike because you put them through a wind tunnel, and when you’re trying to come up with the best coefficient to drag ratio, there’s one optimized shape that gets the best wind resistance, right? Well, when you’re trying to optimize user experience that juggles multitasking, multiple apps open at once and on a small screen, you’re going to get people landing on similar kinds of designs.”
This confrontation is like two schoolkids arguing over who gets to be put in detention first.
There is no need to mention Microsoft, due to CEO Steve Ballmer apparently seeing no need to make enter the market. Hey, wasn't this the same approach taken by the Windows creator with smartphones. And that worked out swimmingly for Microsoft.
At the end of the day all the iPad wannabes can claw and scratch their way to the base of the mountain, Apple built, scaled and for the foreseeable future dominates.
Every tech company wants in on this market that Apple seemed to create overnight, but in reality there is no room for imitators or pretenders.
Remember when the iPod came out, giving consumers something they never knew they couldn't live without, and the resulting flood of copycats that disappeared as quickly as they showed up. It didn't matter if a company made media player that was cheaper (or in some cases better), every rendering fell short and got left on shelves while customers continued to buy iPods in droves and in all incarnations (and they still do).
Last week the Motorola Mobility's (NYSE: MMI) Xoom hit the market, and nobody cared. There were no lines around the block, no gaudy sales estimates, and the only buzz was over the ridiculous $799 price tag.
The Xoom is supposedly a fine device (but good luck trying to find someone that can actually tell you first hand), which has the original iPad beat on specs in nearly every way. Again nobody cares since there that lack of etched fruit on the back.
On another planet seemingly, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) and Research in Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) are prepping their iPad "killers," but they seem more interested in fighting with each other rather than focusing on the only enemy that matters. Perhaps putting aside petty squabbling and actually getting a product to market would be a better use of company time.
HP is claiming quite publicly that RIM has taken some design ideas behind the webOS powered TouchPad to create its Playbook.
“There are some uncanny similarities,” HP’s Jon Oakes told LapTop. “It’s a fast innovation cycle and a fast imitation cycle in this market, so we just know that we have the creative engine here to continue to build on what we have, and we’ll keep innovating, we’ll keep honing and those guys hopefully will continue to see the value in it and keep following us by about a year.”
That's an ironic end to a statement from a company that will be lapped by Apple on Wednesday when the iPad 2 is unveiled.
RIM had a less than inspiring retort, saying “You know, cars over time end up looking a lot alike because you put them through a wind tunnel, and when you’re trying to come up with the best coefficient to drag ratio, there’s one optimized shape that gets the best wind resistance, right? Well, when you’re trying to optimize user experience that juggles multitasking, multiple apps open at once and on a small screen, you’re going to get people landing on similar kinds of designs.”
This confrontation is like two schoolkids arguing over who gets to be put in detention first.
There is no need to mention Microsoft, due to CEO Steve Ballmer apparently seeing no need to make enter the market. Hey, wasn't this the same approach taken by the Windows creator with smartphones. And that worked out swimmingly for Microsoft.
At the end of the day all the iPad wannabes can claw and scratch their way to the base of the mountain, Apple built, scaled and for the foreseeable future dominates.
Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!
You May Also Be Interested In
- Fisker (FSR) files form 10-K, sees more job cuts, reiterates going concern doubts
- Ancora Sends Important Letter to Fellow Shareholders About Our Collective Opportunity to Transform and Turn Around Norfolk Southern (NSC)
- Ancora Sends Important Letter to Fellow Shareholders on Norfolk Southern (NSC) Turnaround Plan
Create E-mail Alert Related Categories
Insiders' BlogRelated Entities
Steve Ballmer, PlayBookSign up for StreetInsider Free!
Receive full access to all new and archived articles, unlimited portfolio tracking, e-mail alerts, custom newswires and RSS feeds - and more!
