16 Responses to "Whip Me, HP Screams with New Tablet"

1. 

   bingo   February 24, 2013 at 7:28 pm

   @SI Despite a far higher price, the iPad has crushed the rest of the players and forced them into desperate measures like price cuts to move their devices.

   I think that is a bit of exaggeration in the 7-inch segment.

   In 10-inch segment, Apple has no competition but the mini has some serious competition from Nexus 7.

   I have used both the tablets and I found the Nexus experience a bit better than the mini. (I currently own Nexus7, gave away my 1st generation IPad). One of the reason I think so many people bought Ipad mini is because, they have already invested a lot in Apple eco-system. I’m not sure how long Apple will dominate though.

   SearchIndia.com Responds:

   1. The last market share report I checked (in January 2013) showed strong iPad performance.

   Unfortunately, the report did not break down iPad Mini vs iPad 2.

   Source: http://bgr.com/2013/01/31/tablet-market-share-q4-2012-ipad-312851/

   2. I have the second generation iPad (32GB)…still going strong and have so far found no convincing reason to buy the iPad Mini or Nexus 7 or the new Retina iPad.

   3. Maybe, I’ll buy a Nexus 7 one of these days and see what the noise is all about!

   • 

     venbas   February 27, 2013 at 4:12 am

     The pricing is not bad at all for the specs. Unlike the Sony Xperia that has been overpriced and underspe’cd, the HP device specs are not bad. 7″ devices are dominated by Nexus/Amazon with other minor players.

     I have tried both Nexus/Amazon devices and they provide a very good user experience.

     I also own a Asus 10″ Android tablet that gave me all the flexibility including USB connectivity and unrestricted access to media contents without forcing me to buy separate hardware components or itunes type subscriptions.

     The ipad Mini is definitely not setting the world on fire and if it were so then Apple would themselves have released the sales figures with clear break and gloated at their own sucess.

     In a nutsheel the iPad is highly restricted and overrated Tablet.

     The days of Steve jobs pioneered cutting edge innovations that justified the hype and hoopla around Apple are gone and Android/Samsung duo is a serious competitor to shake the Apple cart.

     Already Apples stock have tanked more than 35% from their best price and that tells a serious story of the competition bridging the gap.

     SearchIndia.com Responds:

     1. You write: The pricing is not bad at all for the specs.

     Good lord, as if pricing is the only criterion for a successful product.

     Once you start competing only on price, it’s an unending race to the bottom with low/zero margins.

     HP dropped the ball with webOS…..that OS could have been a differentiator and a platform for innovation vis-a-vis iOS and Android.

     Now HP’s balls are in Google’s hands.

     The first mover advantage that Apple in Tablets has is hard to dislodge unless you have the right pricing + innovation combination. HP is trying to fight back merely on pricing, a strategy unlikely to work.

     2. You write: In a nutsheel the iPad is highly restricted and overrated Tablet.

     I don’t know what you drink but surely it’s not Kapi.

     With 300,000 dedicated tablet apps covering every category you can conceive of and a mostly pleased customer base, how is it a restricted and overrated tablet.

     3. I played with a Windows Surface Windows 8 Pro 64GB tablet yesterday at Staples.

     Pretty sleek…$900 + $120 for Touch Cover. But $1,120 for a tablet seems positively obscene when it’s not doing anything extraordinary. For that kinda pricing, I expect the tablet to sleep with me! 😉

     4. Apple’s shares have tanked…that is true. The stock market functions in mysterious, often rigged ways plus factor in the unrealistic expectations of Wall St.

     • 

       Aswin_Kini   February 28, 2013 at 4:17 am

       SI said: “With 300,000 dedicated tablet apps covering every category you can conceive of and a mostly pleased customer base, how is it a restricted and overrated tablet.” –

       Well, let me put it simply, a Ferrari has more features than a Maruthi 800, runs faster than a Maruthi, is more stylish than a Maruthi – But does that mean every man has to buy a Ferrari – No. Why? Because a car buyer doesn’t look always for a car with complete set of features, but only a car, which satisfies his/her basic needs – SMooth Commute, Decent Mileage, Above-average features etc.

       Similarly, Apple has many extraordinary features, but the common man needs only “x’ number of features and wishes to spend only “y” number of money on a product that satisfies its needs. Considering that 80% of the market falls under this “x+y” category, therefore, they buy a tablet with less plentiful features at a lower price than buy an iPad for 500 USD. What’s so wrong with that?

       Coming to restricted – Apple does not allow any other external software to be installed, in order to install a non-Apple app, a user has to JAILBREAK (Use a loophole in the iOS to install the software). This is a so-irritating feature. When I buy a product for 399-499 USD, I should be able to install compatible software, why should Apple decide what I need to install on MY device? Comprende?

       Secondly, if I cannot share a basic thing such as a file, picture, or other documents from an Apple to other tablets, I am surely gonna call it a “restricted” tablet and nothing else.

       Apple iPad is a great tablet, no doubt about it. Does it have super-excellent features? Yes. Is it better than 90% of the tablets in the world? Maybe. But does every one have to buy only the iPad? A BIG NO.

       An account does not need an iPad to do basic accounting stuff, nor does an office executive or any other comman man.

       Perhaps you forgot that there is a reason why they call Apple a Niche product?

       SearchIndia.com Responds:

       1. You’re right….price is a key factor. How else can you explain the success of Walmart (2012 sales: 443.9 billion).

       2. You write: Perhaps you forgot that there is a reason why they call Apple a Niche product?

       Apple has sold 80.596 million iPads and over 300 million iPhones so far….hardly a niche player.

       • 

         Aswin_Kini   February 28, 2013 at 9:31 am

         “Apple has sold 80.596 million iPads and over 300 million iPhones so far….hardly a niche player.”

         Hmm, never realized that Apple had sold that much of iPads and iPhones, but general surveys across the world indicate that Apple is preferred primarily by Europeans and Americans, who can afford to spend 399-499 USD or some hundreds of Euros on iPads and Iphones. Generally speaking, Apple products are so highly priced that they most often cannot be bought by the lower-middle class people, who constitute atleast 60-70% of the worldwide market.

         Perhaps I may be wrong, but even in the IT industry, we have had very low penetration of iPads, more because of their cost. The general opinion is that iPad and iPhones are great products, but they are far too overpriced to be owned “This was an opinion stated by a few reputed US client of my company”. They wanted to procure iPads for their Sales Reps, but opted for other tablets because of a few complications that occurred. In addition to this, their company budget demanded that they choose Efficient, but affordable products, considering the fragile economy. Considering the popular opinion, I am very very very surprised that Apple has managed to sell close to 300 Million iPhones *(I am really doubting this number)

         However, I still maintain that Apple products cater to a nice product. Even Steve Jobs agreed to the point that he prices his products very high because he doesn’t want to create the very best products and believes that there is always a SECTION OF PEOPLE who will buy anything that is labelled as APPLE.
         http://www.arabnews.com/node/237409

         Only Apple Fans and Cash-rich, gadget-crazy people go for iPads. Only a few thousands actually buy iPads for utilizing their actual features. These people may include Graphic Designers, UI Designers, and people belonging to either the Gaming or Media industry…

         Considering that Steve Jobs is dead now and that another recession is Work in Progress, I really doubt that Apple can match, let alone beat, its former success rate.

         SearchIndia.com Responds:

         1. Stop flogging 10-year-old links talking about “niches” that are from the pre-iPhone, pre-iPad era….they’re meaningless considering so much water has flowed under the bridge since. Apple now gets the bulk of its revenues from iPhone, iPad, iPod, iTunes…not from Mac like it was 10-years back when the article in your above link was published.

         2. You write: I am very very very surprised that Apple has managed to sell close to 300 Million iPhones…I am really doubting this number

         Hey doubting Thomas, take this:

         From 2007 (iPhone launch year) through Q3 of 2012, Total iPhone unit sales = 244.24 million
         Add 26.9 million (Q4, 2012)
         Add 47.8 million (Q1, 2013)
         Total = 318.94 million

         Now what part of the above numbers do you still doubt?

         Sources:
         http://www.searchindia.com/2012/07/24/apple-juggernaut-steams-ahead-in-q3/
         http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2013/01/23Apple-Reports-Record-Results.html
         http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/10/25Apple-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-Results.html

         3. There are rumors that Apple is launching a lower-priced iPhone targeted at the developing markets….we should know in a few months.

         • 

           Aswin_Kini   February 28, 2013 at 9:38 am

           ” Even Steve Jobs agreed to the point that he prices his products very high because he doesn’t want ” – Sorry, I wanted to say that “he always wants to”, not “doesn’t want” as stated above.

         • 

           Aswin_Kini   March 1, 2013 at 1:47 am

           Ok. agreed to your info on Apple not being a Niche product.

           But I still stick with my opinion that there is no need for every one to buy an Apple iPad or iPod, just because it gives 100x features. The reason is simple, it ain’t affordable. If I was a great Graphic Designer, UI Designer, or any other guy who needs a gadget that provide the best resolution and picture quality, then it makes sense to buy an iPad.

           But, on the contrary, if I am a Content Developer, Project Manager, Quality Analyst or any other routine office guy, I am better off using any other tablet. It makes financial sense.

     • 

       venbas   February 28, 2013 at 7:15 am

       You write: Good lord, as if pricing is the only criterion for a successful product
       I counter – “The Platform is Android (not some proprietary mumbo jumbo) and the specs are comparable to others in the same price range like Amazon or Barnes and Noble devices. Agreed Nexus beats the HP device handsomely but HP has priced the device at lower band than Nexus”

       You write on my statement “In a nutshell the iPad is highly restricted and overrated Tablet” that “I don’t know what you drink but surely it’s not Kapi”

       I counter “I was talking about the iPad mini to be specific. Agreed iPad biggie had its day under the sun, but the iPad mini does not justify even a single cent of it price difference over the competition. The devices by competition are truly magnificent and beats the iPad mini experience and usability. I have personally tried the gadgets and can vouch a device like Nexus will kick the back of ipad Mini and knock it out in a single round. Further the Android App store has truly caught up and is fast closing in on 1 Million Apps
       http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/09/26/google-android-reaches-25-billion-downloads-675000-apps
       http://readwrite.com/2013/01/08/google-play-to-hit-1-million-apps-before-apple-app-store
       http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/27/google-play-hits-600000-apps/

       You write “I played with a Windows Surface Windows 8 Pro 64GB tablet yesterday at Staples” Pretty sleek…$900 + $120 for Touch Cover. But $1,120 for a tablet seems positively obscene

       I counter “Agree. The Windows people are still in their own world that they have this wonderful product of the year 1985” I am not even talking about Windows as a competitor with their nasty price tags ok 🙂

       You write “Apple’s shares have tanked…that is true. The stock market functions in mysterious, often rigged ways plus factor in the unrealistic expectations of Wall St”
       I counter “Your viewpoint is OK if this was some small patel somu or ramu company. This is the Big apple that was dabbling with a Trillion dollar Market Cap not long ago. Operators cannot screw up the market price of a monster like Apple to the extent that it loses 4 Facebook worth of Market Capitalization in 5 months.(Source http://www.statista.com/topics/847/apple/chart/928/apple-s-loss-of-market-share-since-september-2012/)

       I chanced upon your long monologue on Apple made all the naysayers look absolutely stupid in hindsight.

       But that was the Steve Jobs era and he truly remains as a Tech titan who truly transcended boundaries of acheivement and built the future in whatever he did…be it Pixar Studios in animation biz or the current gizmos of Apple. Unfortunately the king is dead and if Apple does not watch their step, they will end up looking as silly as Microsoft as the competition bridges the innovation/wow factor gap.

       End Disclaimer : I do not work for HP or endorse their products. In fact I had a very nasty experience with HP devices when I bought their stupid laptop earlier and in no mood to buy a HP device when Nexus or Amazon ones are doing the job well. But my 2 cents is that instead of getting carried away with the Apply hype and hoopla you take a step back and admire the world around…be it Android/Google or Samsung or even the upcoming Ubuntu for Mobile platform. Its really a large and interesting world out there and enjoy it!!!

       SearchIndia.com Responds:

       1. The jury is still out on whether the iPad Mini will be a dud owing to the huge price differential with other 7″ Android tablets. We’ll know in a few quarters.

       2. The fact remains that a lot of people are willing to pay the price differential for an Apple product. How big this pool will continue to be and acceptance new products will determine Apple’s destiny in the coming years. Plus, as I’ve repeatedly said a company with $137 billion in the bank has a lot of options. Like a big banyan tree, Apple won’t fall so easily.

       Working exclusively on Apple platform (OS X plus iOS) for the last 15-months I’d say the user experience is for the most part pretty decent.

       3. Android tablets have a good chance outside the U.S. where the Apple mystique is not as strong.

       I played with the 7″ Nexus too at Staples….I found nothing to pique my interest but for a non-tablet owner it might deliver the goods.

       • 

         venbas   February 28, 2013 at 9:20 am

         As for the jury being out on iPad Mini…considering that iPad mini was launced just in time to ride the Holiday wave of Thanksgiving and Christmas and its been a good 6 months now. Apple would have been tom toming the sales from every nook and corner of the country…their silence speaks volumes about the “success” of the Mini.

         SearchIndia.com Responds:

         I’d wait for some more time before writing the epitaph of the iPad Mini.

         After all, it was launched only in November and until recently there were supply constraints.

       • 

         tiramisu   February 28, 2013 at 7:44 pm

         I have not just ‘played’ with the devices, I own them and have had them for a while now.

         I am speaking of the 3rd Gen iPad, Nexus 7, a color Nook, and have spent significant time using the iPad mini and the RT based Surface.

         “The devices by competition are truly magnificent and beats the iPad mini experience and usability.” That is exactly how I felt for a few days into owning the Nexus 7.

         After having used it for a couple of months now, the Apple devices are heads and shoulders above in terms of usability. There is simply no comparison. Granted you don’t have too many things to futz around with the apple devices, but whatever you can do, just works 99% of the time. In fact I would say that your Maruti car analogy is flawed. Most people want something to satisfy their needs and expect it to work as they are supposed to. They do not want too many bells and whistles. Which is what the Apple devices do IMHO, albeit they cost more. You pay a premium for simplicity, not for complexity.

         The Nexus 7 is a good piece of hardware but just not as smooth or intuitive as the Apple devices. Try using a external Bluetooth audio device, or getting airplay to work, not to mention the numerous apps that just freeze. It is nice a device for the geek types, but for a vast majority of the populace it is just not in the same league as the apple devices in usability.

         The Surface RT – is heavy. It feels nice when browsing in the Microsoft store, when you actually bring it home and try to do everyday tasks with it, you realize that you are better off with a real touch screen laptop. Not so responsive keyboard, browser issues and cannot hold in your hand for long periods.

         SearchIndia.com Responds:

         You write: You pay a premium for simplicity, not for complexity.

         Great point!

         N.B.: The $69 Kindle e-reader is another shitty device that I loath (when compared to the iPad reader).

         You get what you pay for.

         • 

           Aswin_Kini   March 1, 2013 at 1:40 am

           Tiramisu said:” In fact I would say that your Maruti car analogy is flawed. Most people want something to satisfy their needs and expect it to work as they are supposed to. They do not want too many bells and whistles. Which is what the Apple devices do IMHO, albeit they cost more.”

           Buddy, you misunderstood my point. What I said was that people expect products, which satisfy their basic needs and is affordable. While iPad is a great product, people don’t need to buy it for doing basic stuff/office tasks, they can easily buy any other tablet with a cheaper price (provided the tablet does basic tasks efficiently).

           I am not against Apple products, just against Apple evangelists, who try to convince the common man that he/she must only use Apple iPad/iPod/iMac to perform their daily tasks. That’s why i brought in the Ferrari-Maruthi analogy. Maruthi fulfills the basic needs of a car user efficiently, Ferrari gives much better facilities, but with a higher price tag, but the common man can easily do with a Maruthi. “Why buy a Ferrari when a Maruthi can do the job?, Why use an iPad when a Kindlefire would do the job – People are not so much lazy that they expect every UI to be intuitive and easy. Techie folks and office goers understand the pros and cons of other tablets and can easily manage doing their jobs….. There is no need to raise a hue and cry over this.. Especially, in this economy, people need to be more wiser with their money, not everyone can afford can 400-500 USD product – Criticizing them for not buying an Apple product is like shouting at a Poor guy for eating out at a Kai Yendhi Bhavan, instead of Saravana Bhavan. The poor guy can’t simply afford it”. Not every country has a per Capita Income like the US, UK, or European countries. Please deal with it.

         • 

           Naveen   March 1, 2013 at 1:11 pm

           I would add simplicity and reliability.

2. 

   zarboan   March 2, 2013 at 11:15 am

   Another thing is,iOS is very much unchanged since the first iPhone (except for siri, buggy maps, notification bar copied from Android) while Android has progressed from glitchy, buggy os to a fine and refined OS, although not up to the mark in consistency as iOS,it does lag sometimes whatever high end phone it may be (my experience with galaxy s3 and one s).

   Coming to the point what i meant was iOS is getting older,those same old maze of static icons,single home screen,compared to android’s multiple home screens,live widgets,live wallpapers and multitasking is lot easier on android.

   But when it comes to apps, i have to admit that quality of iOS apps are better when compared to android play store, maybe this is due to http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/smartphones/infographic-two-thirds-of-android-users-dont-pay-for-apps/5651

   Some may praise simplicity,but for those who like to customize their phone a lot,geeks who want to install custom roms android is perfect.

   But you have to admit android looks lot better now compared iOS,if you want you can look for HTC’s sense UI and samsung’s touch wiz UI which has useful features like smart stay,smart rotation,lift to answer calls and lot of other motion features on the other hand Apple is focusing on killing competition by accusing other companies over rounded edges and some patents instead of bringing something revolutionary product again.

   And about apple manufacturing budget iphone those are just rumours,that’s never gonna happen,cuz then apple would no longer be an premium brand. Keep in mind that there are several people out there who buy iphone just to show off or as an status symbol,if it produces low price phones Apple’s gonna loose all these customers.

   SearchIndia.com Responds:

   1. You write: Keep in mind that there are several people out there who buy iphone just to show off or as an status symbol,if it produces low price phones Apple’s gonna loose all these customers.

   Good Lord! What do you smoke these days.

   A product (like the iPhone) that sells in the hundreds of millions is hardly a status symbol. A Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, yes these are status symbols but not a mobile phone that’s in the hands of 318 million people. Source: http://www.searchindia.com/2013/02/28/total-iphone-and-ipad-sales-2007-2013/

   2. Not many iOS users pay for apps either.

   As per my analysis, the majority of iOS developers are not making money – Apple’s Willing Sacrificial Lambs.

   3. One of the reasons iOS works better vis-a-vis Android is that Apple has full control of the ecosystem – hardware, software and tight control over apps.

   With Android, it’s a 4-way process – Google + Hardware Vendor + Carriers + Different App Store vendors (Google Play, Amazon).

   • 

     Aswin_Kini   March 3, 2013 at 5:20 am

     SI replied to Zarboan: “Good Lord! What do you smoke these days.

     A product (like the iPhone) that sells in the hundreds of millions is hardly a status symbol. A Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, yes these are status symbols but not a mobile phone that’s in the hands of 318 million people.”

     I am sure he smoked something that you had already tried. Just because a product is being bought by 318 million people doesn’t mean anything, except that it’s very popular. How did you exactly come to the conclusion that the majority of the iPad/iPod/iPhone users bought it only because they wanted to make good use of it?? Did you have a mind map, which can automatically find if a user bought an iPhone to actually put it to good use or just for the sake of owning one? Did you invent a secret technology that scans the mind of iPhone users? Is there an app to actually find how many of Apple buyers actually put the product to good use?? There is no conclusive data to validate your opinion, apart from the 318 million figure
     http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1495515
     http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/227101/economy/apple-goods-status-symbol-for-china-s-youth-middle-class
     http://www.minyanville.com/sectors/consumer/articles/Apple-as-Status-Symbol-Apple2527s-iPhone/1/4/2013/id/47166
     http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2012/10/31/apple_loyalty_questioned_as_iphone_popularity_drops/

     The links I posted above are mostly from forums, which convey a message stating that Apple Products have become status symbols, at least in China! But it doesn’t mean that it is the truth. However, judging my immediate peers and friends, who own apple products and the way they use them, I need to say that many Apple users indeed buy one just for the sake of owning one.

     SearchIndia.com Responds:

     My point is simple – a product purchased by 318 million can’t really be a status symbol no matter what people write in a forum.

     Status symbol presupposes scarcity, something few people can afford to own. A commonplace thing (like the iPhone) can’t be a status symbol.

     My context is the U.S. since that’s where most of the iPhone sales have come from.

     You also have to understand that the mobile phone service works differently in the U.S. compared to India, China etc. In the U.S., people can get a brand new iPhone for as low as 99-cents because they sign a 2-year contract for the service (paying upwards of $70 per month).

     In any case, at least 90% of iPhone users in the U.S. pay no more than $199 or $299 for the iPhone.

     That’s why I said it’s not a status symbol in the U.S.

     I suppose in China or India where still few people own an iPhone it could be seen as a status symbol but not in the U.S. Also, I understand that the mobile phone service/system is different in India and people pay full price for a phone.

     • 

       boopalanj   March 3, 2013 at 6:58 am

       I bought iPad for the reliability, simplicity of use, and user experience.

       I have tried many tablets ranging from Samsung’s galaxy tab to micromax’s fun book after that for considerable amount of time.

       But they dont match. Yes, something like a USB connection etc would have been nicer but that does not make it below par.

       That said, I don’t own an iPhone, but an android based smartphone which satisfies my needs.

       Because of the premium price tag in India, it is seen as a status symbol, but it’s the same with the case of a galaxy s3 or s2 or galaxy note as well. Some things in Samsung android phones such as swype typing are really cool, but when Samsung first released its smart phone, it was a rip off.

       SearchIndia.com Responds:

       As I said earlier you can get a brand new iPhone in the U.S. for 99-cents (plus a 2-year contract at $70 per month). Of the 318 million iPhones sold, I suspect 200m must be in the U.S.

       After 2 years or so, my iPad 2 is still working fine. No issues.

   • 

     zarboan   March 3, 2013 at 8:36 am

     Ok, status symbol that may not be the case in us and other western countries but it is India and china and some other asian countries where half of apple features are completely useless, take siri for an example, how many english accents do you think siri can understand and most movie, magazine, video, music apps in appstore are area restricted.
     Besides you can’t ignore the fact iOS got older, call it simplicity or anything, its same old maze of static icons.

     And here is a link I think you would find amusing
     http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/5-year-old-spends-2500-on-in-game-purchases-in-ten-minutes-02-03-2013/

     SearchIndia.com Responds:

     Yeah, I read this account of the 5-year-old UK kid yesterday.

     I blame the father for not putting in appropriate controls and the people for insisting on every app being free.

     How is a developer supposed to survive if people insist on every app being free.

     • 

       boopalanj   March 3, 2013 at 10:11 am

       Not sure if you read this piece last year.

       http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-boy-sells-kidney-for-ipad-2012-8

       SearchIndia.com Responds:

       I’m waiting for the day when they start selling hearts for iPhones.

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