Apple’s iPad is only tablet to ‘live up to the hype’

By on Sep 1, 2011 at 10:21 AM
Tablets September 1, 2011

Apple’s iPad line of tablets are the only media slates to have met and exceeded consumer expectations according to one analyst. IDC’s senior Canadian digital media analyst Krista Napier believes competitive offerings from the likes of Samsung, Motorola and RIM simply haven’t been able to impress the masses, which is why the iPad continues to dominate the market. “Apple remains the only company to have lived up to the hype so far,” Napier told Financial Post. “Apple appears to be doing many of the right things both on the consumer side and increasingly on the commercial side.” Companies like Samsung have seen some initial success with tablets, though we haven’t heard much about tablet sales since Samsung announced that it had shipped more than 3 million units earlier this year. Read on for more.

On RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, the analyst attributes lackluster sales to RIM’s confusing marketing efforts, among other things. RIM had called the PlayBook an enterprise tablet but it has been marketed with a very different message. In the meantime, Apple’s iPad continues to gain ground with businesses and consumers alike. “RIM with the PlayBook, they were very vocal when they came out with it that they were very much putting their marketing dollars towards the consumer market,” Napier said. “All their commercials show pictures of video games and movies, you didn’t see a CEO in an office in any of them.” Napier believes the current crop of iPad competitors won’t make much of a dent in the market, and will instead continue to fight for scraps while the iPad sees record sales.

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  • Anonymous

    I am an iPad 2 owner who does not feel that way.  The fact that I see “adobe flash player required” when I visit websites is something I just can’t get over.

    • Anonymous

      So sell your iPad 2 and recoup some of your money. Why do people insist of botching about something they either purchased and don’t like or bitching about something they don’t own just to prove a “point”? Just get rid of the thing. 60 million people will buy an iPad in 2011 and most all of them are going to like the device.

      Get over it, it is what it is and it is only a gadget.

    • Joshua Rawlings

      There are plenty of available browsers that will run flash in the app store.  Get it together!

  • Anonymous

    iPad is over hyped. A lot of people I know ended up with an iPad and doesn’t know what to do with it.
    I’ve always said, Apple is more of a fashion company than it’s a tech company.

    • Anonymous

      That’s sooo right.  Apple doesn’t employ a single engineer.  And they only higher fashion designers.  I saw a post the other day that says “iPhone Seamstress”.  I hate companies that concern themselves with user experience.  If they can’t figure it out then they shouldn’t be using it to begin with!  Right?  

      • Mac

        That just means you are a stupid fuck.

    • Commenteer

      Explain this retarded comment…its more of a fashion company than a tech company? Are you stupid? Do you know the amount of technology that goes into making products that useable? You are forgetting that this is the same company that pioneered wireless printing, saving etc with the Airport? Have you forgotten how long it took others to catch up to the ipod and fail at it (eg microsoft Zune)? Have you forgotten how long it took for the first Android phone to partially emulate the iphone experience (eg Motorola Droid)? 
      You, sir, are a dumbass!

    • Joshua Rawlings

      I currently own a 12-Core MacPro that I use to edit films.  A fashion company?  EJ_Su you are a complete and utter moron!

    • Mac

      That just means you are a stupid fuck.

    • Michael

      Lol. Stop lying! You don’t know anybody:) and nobody wants to know you!

  • http://twitter.com/WillieFDiazSF William Diaz ✔

    What hype? Tablets were supposed to replace E-Readers and Notebooks/Laptops, I still see more people using both of those than tablets. “Its a replacement for a netbook” Ive heard, but tablets again, do not have the hard drive space, USB ports, and only recently have tablet makers decided to put in video out and cameras. Hype? HARDLY. Apple is hype, but nothing lives up to whats already on the market. Its only selling because people THINK Apple makes the best products, but in reality its far from it, and people are too ignorant to look at other devices and say “Wow, this does everything Apple does, does it better, and does more things Apple doesnt do” They just dont like the “brand” is all… Or it doesnt have that single app that iPhone does. Ignorant to think Apple lives up to any HYPE.

    • Anonymous

      Where did you read tablets were a laptop replacement?

    • Michael

      Get a clue pal. You don’t think for one that someone goes to Best Buy and buys a Samsung TV for hundreds more because it was “hyped” when they could have bought a Vizio for hundreds less? And dont feed me BS that Samsung is that much better. I own two Samsungs and a Vizio. BOTH Samsungs I had to replace inner parts. On one a bad capacitor on power board and on the other a circuit board. Vizio? So far so good

  • http://twitter.com/khaminsenz Feed Back

    Why continue to post 2 paragraph arguments that do nothing to advance the topic of discussion or provide new insight into the competitive landscape?  And worse, are based on unsubstantiated subjective opinions of said landscape, without the inclusion of supportive data.

    2 paragraphs is not an article.  Just my opinion.

  • Steve’s Liver

    Zack Epstein is a joke.  He keeps authoring these posts that are little more than “Apple is the market leader.  Everything else is an affront to organized society.  Death be to all non-Apple products!”  It’s like some idiot from the comments section gained the ability to post to the main page.  

    • Anonymous

      Your handle is repulsive.  But that’s ok, you don’t seem to be very smart.  

      • Mac

        That just means you are a stupid fuck.

    • Anonymous

      You have a mental disorder.  Go see a doctor.

  • Mike P

    They shoveled their ads on tv before anyone else, and made one before anyone else. That’s about it. Doesn’t mean it’s a better product. Certainly has it’s issues. They are just good at marketing, that’s about it. There is really nothing else to it.. it’s marketing.

    • Mac

      That just means you are a stupid fuck.

  • Rambit

    One more post sponsored by APPLE !!

  • fredd0

    i got two TouchPads on the fire sale and can say webOS is pretty nice. i don’t really see anything other than lack of apps. the price point is what killed the TouchPad and not the OS…

  • Anonymous

    The iPad does a few things very well, but overall it is an inflexible device with many limitations.  It is made popular by good marketing though.  Most non technical people who buy into Apple are in the same lot that bought into dial up AOL back in the day.  They’re not inherently stupid, just not interested in gadgets or the latest technology.  Their eyes glass over when you begin to talk about a fully supported bluetooth stack, SDXC compatibility or differences between GSM and CDMA.  So when they shop, they pick the device that is the most popular and has the easiest learning curve, not necessarily the device with the best/most features.  That happens to be Apple’s products at the moment.

    • Joshua Rawlings

      The funny thing about this comment is that zgryfx actually believes the complete vomit that spews from his mind. 

      • Anonymous

        My comments weren’t meant to be offensive to someone technically literate.  If you don’t understand that some people may have different or more sophisticated needs than you then I wish you all happiness in your little iOS walled garden.  A slave that is happy is a slave indeed.

    • Mac

      That just means you are a stupid fuck.

    • Michael

      Although you just wasted 15 lines of BS on my phone, nice to see an Apple hater actually give credit to Apple for simplicity and great UI. But let me say back in the day computers, although great, were very limited in most aspects. Let’s be real, they were slow so it was cool to tinker to make them faster or better. But fast forward today. These machines are so freaking fast and so much better in hardware and software practically anything is possible. Sure we can tinker with them to make them what, faster? Come on they already fast!! Now that they are cheaper and faster today than ever before, people want to start CREATING, PRODUCING, ETC on their machines. So a better UI, Experience, better Customer Support, a “Brand” that is committed to the customer to get them back up and running is much more important. Many people today rely on their computer to feed their family. It’s their livelihood. They not interested in tinkering with their shit. They just want the damn thing to work!!

    • Michael

      Also to add. I beg to differ. Historically Apple/Mac users have always been early adopters. For one they were commited to a company that are trend setters themselves!! Most PC users never update their OS till they buy a new machine. Mac users, including myself, are always jumping to the latest OS Apple releases or software.

      • Anonymous

        Apple is hardly innovative, it’s restrictive and limited in many ways.  You are just not aware of it until you get out of your walled garden and see what other people can do with their devices.  Travel outside the US and you’ll see.

        Case in point.  While traveling to Asia a few years ago, I took some photos of a friend.  Using an android smartphone, I was able to transfer those photos via bluetooth to her symbian device.  It was free and commonplace.  You can’t do that with an Apple product.

        UI changes are impossible.  I would love to be able to put Swype on my iPad.  Or have arrow keys.  Or just reskin the interface to reflect what I like.  With an Apple product, you must always think and do things the way Apple wants you.

  • Anonymous

    LOL… I love to come here and always get a good laugh at these utterly irrelevant posts.. BGR’s love of Apple things is comical…  But hey, its Jonathan’s web site and he can do what he wants with it…

    Oh by the way, I thoroughly researched my options… The iPad does NOT live up to anything for me…So yeah, no thanks…

    • Mac

      That just means you are a stupid fuck.

  • Anonymous

    I think it is interesting. It is one thing if you are going up against the iPad and it is not as good though you undercut them in price. It is another if you claim you are equal and you charge just as much though your product is totally lacking. I think this is what we have seen so far. 

    We are slowly getting a lower market in here though it is taking time. I don’t know for example any one with an Android tablet who raves about it. I have one friend who has a Playbook and loves it as it really works well with the BB phone he still has. I have dozens of friends with iPads. 

  • Anonymous

    perhaps potential android tablet owners don’t have the same spare cash to spend as ipad owners?
    perhaps android tablet owners are more demanding or have higher expections?

    • Michael

      I beg to differ, since Android is on virtually every phone/tablet other than Apple’s, you have people that buy these devices that do not even have a clue. You think everyone that uses Android know what Android is and/or that Google makes it? Highly unlikely! I am even willing to bet some think that they even have an iPhone:)

  • Totalimmortal363

    It’s hilarious watching people hate on the success apple has had with the iPad. Do you want to know what they had that success? They make a product that just fucking works. My grandmother can pick up her iPad and just use the damn thing, without an hassle or fuss. Apple has created a product NORMAL PEOPLE want to use. Guess what!?!? NORMAL PEOPLE are the ones that are buying them, in droves I might add. People that don’t give a fuck about multitasking, openness, or clock speeds on processors. Ever notice apple rarely if ever talks specs in it’s commercials? There’s a reason for that. THEIR CUSTOMER BASE DOESN’T CARE.

    Get a clue. Use your android tablets all you want, but don’t kid yourselves and think the iPad isn’t the king of the hill.

    • Totalimmort363

      *why

    • http://twitter.com/mistercarter7 Mike Gonzalez

      truer words ever spoken

    • Anonymous

      Well said though it won’t shut the ‘haters’ up.

      The same goes for the phones of course.

  • Cash

    Interesting coincidence, this story being published a few hours after I put my iPad 2 up for sale on eBay because I never use it. I bought into the hype and the wow factor of playing with it in the store, but between my iPhone and my MacBook, my needs are taken care of and it was a stupid impulse buy. Might trade up to a MacBook air though, because I still like the idea of having something that portable yet fully functional.

  • Anonymous

    this is all bull…. althought i admit the iphone4 is great, the rest of the apple are overprice and not very innovative and most of all for simple people with simple mind like yourself.

  • Phed_Up

    Oh….I….think….I….just….puked…a…LOT!

    Really?

    I am sorry, but in my opinion…NO TABLET has lived up to the “hype”!

    When I use one for 20 min. and then have to go find my laptop so I can finish/do what I really wanted to do…hype blown!

    C’mon people, this is a “created” marketspace, hyped to the nine’s, and bought into by virtually everybody!

    CrApple was the first out of the gate, and by rights should be the “winner”, but until tablets can do 95% of what a laptop can….you are still going to need a laptop! (speaking strictly from the “portable” perspective, if someone buys a tablet instead of a desktop thinking that is the only thing they will need….well, you know for a fact the hype will get blown there!).

    And for crying out loud, if someone is truly trying to say that the MaxiPad is the “only one..blah blah..hype…blah blah” then they need to move outside of their religious fandom and get real.  The MaxiPad can’t do ANYTHING more/less than any other tablet!  If we are being specific, then there are other “tablets” that can do MORE than the MaxiPad because they have actual USB ports, and a true multi-tasking OS (no, I am not speaking specifically of Android, there are Windows tablets, and Linux based tablets that do).

    The MaxiPad is by far the MOST MARKETED, and as such is going to be the most successful, plus there is that rabid cult fanbase, but it or any other tablet is just not worth the prices on them today in my opinion!

    Just sayin’

  • Anonymous

    I see articles like this, and I just shake my head.  Apple and Google better make their money while they can – Next year, the tablet market will become an entirely different landscape.  Windows 8, a complete OS, will be released which will actually make tablets useful.  Oh and did I mention the fact that you will be able to run real Windows programs on this OS (except for the arm version).  Also, we will most likely see quad-core arm processors in tablets making their performance and battery life much improved.  People can say what they want about Microsoft, but they definitely have the right idea here.  Face it people, iPad’s and Android tablets are first-gen toys…

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