Re: [NTLK] Jobs: "Computers have keyboards" - iPod: "Nyaa nyaa"

From: Rick Ludwig (bensisko_at_mac.com)
Date: Fri Apr 16 2004 - 20:31:35 PDT


I have to disagree with you on this point. The market is ready, and
willing to accept a tablet, the problem in the slow sales of tablets is
really price. Imagine if a tablet (no keyboard) was the same
power/specs as a laptop, but two thirds the cost (instead of almost
150-200%). Tablets would fly off the shelf. The second problem with
Tablets is that MS is doing a poor job of marketing. A tablet has so
much potential (and could probably sell better given the high price) if
the public knew what they were. All the MS advertisements show Tablets
as a replacement for a pad of paper ('Hey! You can WRITE on a tablet
PC!!!). This, on top of manufacture's refusal to give up the keyboard,
is confusing the public as to what use they could be (the quote from
the president of HP from 'Pirates of Silicon Valley' comes to mind....
"Why would anyone want to use a computer at home?"). Tablets need an
Apple-esque marketing manuver in order to show people why they NEED a
tablet at home. It can be done, and I think the public is ready to
accept tablets, but given that laptop prices are falling and tablet
prices are rising, it's not going to happen and they are going to be
religated back to the bargan discount bin at Big Computer Superstore.

-Rick

> Right size this time
> (I think the tablet pcs are too big), but the market has shown that it
> is
> not ready for a tablet pc yet. What might have another failure and the
> Newton canned again.

-- 
This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries
Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/
WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/


This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Fri Apr 16 2004 - 23:00:01 PDT