Rumours are flying around that Apple will release a tablet at their event on the 27th. They may just be rumours or complete truth, but what I want to talk about is where this tablet is going to fit in their line and who the hell is going to use it?
The idea of a tablet sounds great and I am sure if Apple make one it will work wonderfully. What I worry about is that there is just no market for one. If you want to surf the web while your out and about then you will use your iPhone; if you want to type a blog post you would use a laptop, it’s just that simple.
Where does a tablet fit in our lives? One possibility is as an ebook reader, but then you arrive at the question of the screen. What will they use? there are two choices and energy hungry LCD or a colour limited e-ink screen. If this was its primary purpose I just can’t see that many selling. Another use is for the more artistic mac owners who really want a touch screen to better create their art work, however this market share is probably so small it will not be profitable. It has also been rumoured that you maybe able to get it with a wireless carrier, if this is true it is competing with the iPhone as a wireless surfing device.
Then we come to the mine field that is price, this is a nightmare; if they price it at $1000 it is competing with fully fledged laptops and if they put it at $500 it is competing with the iPhone. A tablet sounds like a great idea, but it is a tried and failed model. I am not saying Apple should stay away from it I just hope they have something innovative and unique so it can easily be differentiated from an iPhone or a laptop.
