Multiple Tablet Users
/More from Paul Sawer:
The latest version of Jelly Bean also lets people add multiple users and switch between them instantly from the lockscreen
Hey Apple, you listening?
Business Insider and the Hopeful Math
/Windows RT tablets will likely cost $200 to $300 less than Windows 8 tablets. Since Windows 8 tablets are expected to cost $600 to $700, it's possible you'll be able to buy a Windows RT tablet for as little as $300.
I'm not saying it isn't true, but seriously... that's the new math. It's more likely that those tablets will cost $400-$500, isn't it?
Samsung Better At Hardware Than Apple?
/Nigam Arora on the forthcoming Samsung "P10" tablet that was disclosed during the Apple v. Samsung trial:
There is no doubt that Samsung will do a better job than Apple at the electronics hardware.
Turn Your Android Into An iDroid
/Killian Bell, on Espier Launcher HD, which can make your Android tablet look ilke an ugly iPad, with a big ugly black Android bar under the dock:
it works very well, save for a few minor glitches here and there.
So… it works nothing like iPad, then? Also, people need to stop affixing "HD" to everything. Now.
Windows 8 Retina Tablets
/With this support in Windows 8, we could see rival tablet displays with even greater pixel densities than the new iPad. It’s a shame they won’t be running iOS.
That's a big *could* there. Retina-competing smartphones just got preposterously large. I'm not saying it won't happen, but everyone else is focusing on gimmicks and catching-up while Apple is blazing ahead.
Photoshop Touch for the iPad
/[Photoshop Touch]’s been out for Android tablets for a few months.
Even when Apple is the dominant platform Adobe drags it's feet in terms of application development. Remember when Adobe was cool?
Back when Macromedia was a separate company.
Sony and Samsung Tablets Miss the Mark
/Abdel Ibrahim and Jon Dick:
The Galaxy tab 7.7 will set you back a minimum $499, and that’s with a 2-year contract. If you say to hell with carriers, the price of the puny tablet swells to an eye-watering, deal-breaking $699.
Maybe that’s what they meant by “double down”?
I lol'd.
Andy Rubin Suffers From Magical And Revolutionary Delusions
/The more curious phrase, to me, is “make sure we’re winning”. That sounds like they are winning, or they’re almost winning, their victory is almost a sure thing, and Rubin just needs to tweak a few small things to widen the gap between his winning platform and the also-rans. Obviously, such a perception isn’t supported by reality.
I was going to comment on Rubin's statements until I read Marco's take. You should too.
Tablet Shipments
/
Sarah Perez, reporting numbers released by NPD:
[T]ablet PC shipments are expected to grow from 72.7 million units in 2011 to 383.3 million units by 2017.
Okay, so the tablet market is going to grow. They'll ship more tablets in 2017 than computers in 2011. Great. The thing I don't understand is why everyone is so hung up on shipping numbers. Shipped is not sold. Give me the sold numbers, please.
(via TechCrunch)
TouchPad is Back(ish)!
/
Matt Burns:
But you better act quick! Don’t let another chance to own a failed tablet slip between your fingers!
(via TechCrunch)
Sell-in vs Sell-out
/Strategy Analytics is trying really hard to make it appear as though Android tablets are hot on Apple's heels with their latest reality-twisting numbers. Neil Mawston conjures:
Android captured a record 39 percent share of global tablet shipments in Q4 2011, rising from 29 percent a year earlier. Global Android tablet shipments tripled annually to 10.5 million units. Dozens of Android models distributed across multiple countries by numerous brands such as Amazon, Samsung, Asus and others have been driving volumes. Android is so far proving relatively popular with tablet manufacturers
Are you kidding me? Android-powered tablets (note Amazon and it's barely-Android fourth cousin listed among them) shipped 10.5M units in Q4'11? Apple SOLD, to customers, 15+M units this quarter! Robin Wauters of TechCruch adds:
[These Android tablet shipment numbers] refer to ‘sell-in’ and not over-the-counter sales—an important difference, those Android tabs could sit on the shelves forever at Best Buy and never be bought.
An all-important difference indeed!
(via BusinessWire)