Tinbox maker Dell has cursed Apple's iPad as doomed and says that the iPad 2, which saw legions of brain-dead fanboys queuing for days to buy, is going to fail.
In what has to be the most stinging attack on the Jobs' Mob cargo-cult since the last time I wrote something, both Dell and HP slammed Jobs' Mob.
Andy Lark, Dell's global head of marketing, told CIO that the iPad will eventually succumb to Dell's Android and Windows-based tablets because of pressure from an open enterprise market.
While Lark said Apple had ignited the tablet opportunity with the iPad, it would ultimately fall to more "open" competitors.
In the longer term capable and affordable will win, not closed, high price and proprietary, Lark said.
He said that while Jobs' Mob has done a really nice job, they've got a great product, but the challenge they've got is that already Android is outpacing them.
Lark said that Apple was only great if you have a lot of cash and live on an island. It's not so great if you have to exist in a diverse, open, connected enterprise where simple things become quite complex.
He also pointed out that the high cost of additional accessories for the iPad makes the tablet inaccessible. Lark said that an iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case will set you back $1,500 or $1,600; that's double what you're paying if you bought something more useful.
Dell's long-term approach to tablets relies heavily on enterprise adoption and it is hedging its bets when it comes to tablet operating systems.
It is thinking "mix and match Windows 7 with Android Honeycomb" as giving punters the choice they want.
He admitted that Dell had not gained a foothold with its 5-inch Dell Streak 'tweener' smartphone and tablet. This had to be the worst reviewed product of last year.
But it has begun showing off a 10-inch tablet that will compete with the iPad later this year.
Meanwhile Stephen DeWitt, senior vice president of HP's Americas Solution Partners, slammed Apple for being total tossers to its business partners.
He said that Apple's relationship with partners is transactional, completely. Apple doesn't have an inclusive philosophy of partner capabilities, and that's just absurd.
CRN's checked with several Apple and HP channel partners to test DeWitt's claims and was told that unlike Apple, HP is very channel friendly.
"As an Apple partner, I can say that it really feels like they're holding you hostage sometimes," said one source from a so-called solution provider.
As for Android,
I read an article today stating the Google admitted to taking shortcuts with honeycomb to "try" to keep up with dominance of iOS from Apple. They are now having to pull it from service to fix the shortcuts and maybe fix the malware issues.
IMO I've tried out a
android and it is predominantly full of flashy features and gimmicks. I'll stick with my "closed" iOS with the comfort that I'm much more secure than more other open "copycat" OS.
"Lark said that an iPad with a keyboard, a mouse and a case will set you back $1,500 or $1,600"
A mouse?!
Apple was once on the brink then harnessed some core technologies with such a vision that all it's competitors were left in the dark ages. Everyone has been playing catch up and in most respects just can't keep up.
The iPad 1 was a nice product but did lack some obvious features that are now in the iPad 2. But no one else out there had anything remotely like it, that was slim, simple to use and just worked.
The iPad looks great and I would like one but I recently upgraded from a Macbook to an iMac which I absolutely love so that will have to wait. Yes you pay more but you get what you pay for that's why there is choice in the world, it's no different to someone buying a Ford or someone buying a Mercedes the market is there and will always be there for both. Mercedes don't try and make a cheap car to compete with Ford, so Apple don't try and create a cheap tablet or computer to compete with all the others like Dell. Both will get you from A to B just depends on what extras you want on the way, build and reliability.
Having used PC's and Windows since mid 90's the time was right 2 years aho to switch to Apple at home and I'm so glad I did!
Needless to say that fanboys can't accept that at face value, but then who again needs Flash in their devices?
If fruityco crap is so great, how come I've never seen any of their products in use in industrial control systems. Obviously creating REAL products that function usefully in REAL work locations is too much a strain for their shallow, narrow minds.
It's easy appealing to dim-witted lick-spittle syncophants such as yourselves. Hell, you probably are entranced with your own images in mirrors.
Let me know when fruityco panty-wearing sissyboys decide to get out and play in the REAL world.
Case - $79
Keyboard - $79
Total - $1107
Basic Arithmetic - 1107 is not equal to 1500-1600.
So unless there is special "Dell Arithmetic" the cost premise is wrong. As is Dell's whole idea of who the iPad appeals to and what it is used for in enterprises. It is not used for industrial control because it wasn't built for that. But industrial control isn't the be all end all of computing. It isn't used to run Windows because it wasn't designed to be an all day input output device.
As long as Dell (and Rich the engineer) thinks that's what they need to do to keep market share they will continue to be disappointed. Ipads didn't eat into laptop market share because they are replacements for laptops, they ate into it because laptops were overkill for what many mobile users wanted out of their travel computer. Honestly, typing all day isn't what all laptop users do. Some do of course, but many are using a laptop for content consumption and an iPad does that better, cheaper, lighter and in many cases faster than a laptop. Oh, and the fruityco equipment is a whole lot cooler and while Rich doesn't appreciate it, some people just plain do.
You might as well ask, why does Microsoft specifically say that Windows should NOT be used in "nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or communication systems and air traffic control..."? So much for reliability then.
But I'll bet the real reason why your butt hurts so much is because of that chart up there - go on - look at it. It isn't Dell that's on it's way to being the biggest company in the U.S. Perhaps if they stopped copying everyone else (including Apple), they could be, but then, that could be anyone...
"In what has to be the most stinging attack on the Jobs' Mob cargo-cult since the last time I wrote something..."
What I find so funny is that you think no matter what anyone else says you're always right! I laugh so hard to myself at that. It's people like you that always produce public sector projects late and over budget because you don't listen to anyone else but your own feeble minds. Oh and you also don't care because it's not your money at the end of the day!
Apple will soon start eating into industry sectors over the coming years i'm certain but they are too busy making Jo public realise the drivel that Bill Gates has been feeding them all for far too long. People vote with their wallets Rich and as CT has already pointed out with Apple's figures that's evident.
You stick to your lonely boring, same as always, Windows environment that always requires 10 steps to do something when you only need a few. Us "dim-witted lick-spittle syncophants" will enjoy the fact that with our iOS devices and MAC OSX we can just get on with getting the job done in half the time.
That's the kind of tablet Dell makes, and guess what, no one bought it.
The iPad sells in tens of millions. Just like its sibling, the iPhone. No, I don't own any of them and don't intend to. But its silly not to acknowledge that it's far ahead in the sales race, and that no competidor is up to the task of bringing it down.
There is far superior hardware out there? Yes. Android is a better OS? Might. Will they bring Apple down? Hardly.
Apple fans are very hard do defect. They'd cut their arm off for the "coolness" of owning an Apple product. And they make things Android users hardly do. They spend tons of cash in Apps, with apple getting a 30% cut of it. No wonder Apple is sitting in more than 40 billions dollars, in cash and it's worth more than Microsoft, with it's mighty Windows.
In 1984 I was using a Digital Equipment Corporation 'Rainbow 100' microcomputer (and MS-DOS) in my office and was able to dump it in favour of an Apple Macintosh. What happened? The screen got smaller, but the cosmos was within reach.
Unfortunately through later life I had to spend many years enduring Windows in other workplaces. As a result the 'blue-screen-of-death', the virus problem and the ham-fisted design were always with me at work. At my home it was a different story. Always the Mac. Thank the Gods.