HUA HIN - The gadget gossip this week is all about Apple's long-awaited latest
offering, the iPad. The touch-screen tablet device was unveiled at an event in
San Francisco by company boss Steve Jobs amid more hype than it probably
deserved. The handheld unit aims to fill the gap between a smart-phone and a
laptop and will weigh in at a starting price of US$500, increasing to $830
depending on specification and model; the cheaper versions come without 3G
connectivity.
Claiming to have broken the digital mold once again, Jobs and company boasted,
"In order to really create a new category of devices, those devices are going
to have to be far better at doing some key tasks; we think we've got the goods.
We think we've done it." Apple dismissed rival devices such as netbooks by
branding them as "just cheap laptops", despite their surge in popularity last
year.
The 0.7 kilogram device, which looks like an oversized iPhone, can be used to
watch movies, play games, read e-books via the newly launched iBooks store, and
connect to the Internet. Users can type on a virtual keyboard directly from the
9.7 inch (24.6 cm) screen; it comes pre-loaded with 12 Mac OS applications and
boasts a battery life of 10 hours. New programs and applications are likely to
follow, given the success of Apple's App Store, which claims to have had over 3
billion downloads.
Apple aficionados are praising their consecrated company and its latest
creation; outside that group the reception of the new contender has been a
little cooler. The concept is not a new one, Hewlett Packard, Nvidia and
Motorola recently launched tablets and Lenovo has promised a hybrid device this
year.
There are a number of things a lower-cost netbook can do that the iPad cannot,
namely video chat with a webcam, Flash applications on the web, and connect to
USB devices - there are no USB ports on an iPad. Netbooks can also store more
data, with 160 gigabyte hard disks now standard - the smallest iPad is a mere
16Gb and the largest only 64Gb. A netbook also has the flexibility of being
able to install CD media that is not limited to being manufactured by one
company whose name beings with an A, multi-task (which is essential to today's
computing habits), and be upgraded - the iPad is a sealed unit; you can't even
change the battery.
In its defense, the iPad is a very sleek device that is bound to appeal to
gadget freaks and Apple devotees. But power users who require a little more
flexibility are likely to stick with their laptop or netbook. The much-hyped
launch this week will no doubt kick-start the tablet market, and a slew of
various devices is bound to hit the shelves this year offering consumers even
more choice. We're already waiting for the Android-powered Gpad that probably
will allow you to install your favorite browser or media player on it!
Industry
The Google versus China saga continues to develop with the announcement that
China will not limit the use of Google's Android platform on mobile devices.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China stated that the
application would not have restrictions in the country provided it abided by
Chinese law.
China is the world's most populous mobile phone market, with over 700 million
accounts and a huge demand for more advanced mobile services. The acceptance of
Google's mobile operating system will assist companies like Dell, Motorola and
Samsung, which also plan to sell Android-based handsets in China.
Nationalist local media have been on the offensive by attacking America and
Google. The Communist Party newspaper People's Daily directly accused
Washington of shifting its strategic focus from the military to the Internet
and using Google as a tool of the country's Internet hegemony.
The censorship issue, with Google opposing the Chinese government's insistence
on censoring searches, is still the catalyst for future operations and at the
moment it seems that neither side is willing to compromise.
Industry
A victory for Asian companies this week saw Samsung Electronics of South Korea
surpass its US rival Hewlett Packard as the world's biggest technology company
by sales. Figures released for 2009 reported US$117.8 billion in sales for the
company compared with $114.6 billion at HP. This year Samsung is expected to
improve on those figures with a forecast of US$127 billion.
The Korean tech titan is the world's leading manufacturer of memory chips and
LCD displays, and second only to Nokia in the mobile-phone market.
Japanese gaming giant Nintendo reported strong sales figures over the US
holiday period, but income fell 9% from the previous year to $2.14 billion.
Profit was also hit hard by exchange rate fluctuations. The company's Wii
gaming console still holds the top spot as platform of choice over rivals
Microsoft, with its Xbox360, and Sony's Playstation.
Martin J Young is an Asia Times Online correspondent based in Thailand.
(Copyright 2010 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
contact us about
sales, syndication and
republishing.)
Head
Office: Unit B, 16/F, Li Dong Building, No. 9 Li Yuen Street East,
Central, Hong Kong Thailand Bureau:
11/13 Petchkasem Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110
Industry
