Apple's iPad is expected to face substantial competition from Microsoft, Research In Motion and others in 2011, it has been reported. In spite of being a strong holiday seller, the tablet is expected to face a host of competition in 2011, with Microsoft reportedly readying several Windows-based tablets for debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Also, other manufacturers are preparing their own first- or second-generation devices. However, with some analysts taking a particularly strident position on the device's appeal to holiday consumers , the iPad's sales record remained strong through the year-end shopping season.
Reports from analysts suggest robust iPad sales. This is despite prevailing rumors that Apple is set to launch a next-generation iPad sometime in January 2011. According to a December 10 Reuters report, the front- and rear-facing camera modules would appear on that device, along with a higher-resolution screen.
In 2011, Apple's competition will involve tablets targeted at both consumers and the enterprise. The iPad currently constitutes about 82 percent of the business market, according to a recent survey by ChangeWave, followed by Hewlett-Packard with 11 percent and Dell with 7 percent.
These numbers would change to some extent in 2011, with 78 percent of corporate buyers indicating their preference for the iPad, followed by 9 percent each for Dell and Research In Motion tablets, 8 percent for HP, and 4 percent for Samsung's Galaxy Tab.
Microsoft is also expected to have a big tablet play in 2011, coupled with the forthcoming release of Intel's Oak Trail processors, which apparently offers better battery life for lightweight devices. The company will reportedly launch a new line of Windows 7 tablets at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. More Android-based tablets are also set to enter the market during the first quarters of 2011.
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