The iPad has been available for a while and it’s clear that the product is a runaway success. Say what you will, but it’s now obvious that Steve Jobs and Apple have shown us how tablet computing should be implemented. It should be a very thin, flat touch screen device that has built-in WiFi with an option for 3G. The operating system running on it should be fast and nimble. The device should be a pleasure to use and offer great battery life. In other words, a popular tablet-computing device should be everything that Windows-based devices have not been to this point and cannot currently offer.
It is said that the iPad is outpacing iPhone sales. The iPad is currently selling 4.5 million units per quarter according to CNBC. It is set to become the 4th most popular consumer electronics item.
When Apple brought the first version of the iPhone out, there was no real same-league competition. This equation finally began to change dramatically in 2010. Android-based phones are now offering the iPhone true competition. Android-based phones are on track to dominate the smartphone market. Because the average consumer changes cell phones about every 18 months, this market can and often does change very quickly.
Right now the iPad dominates the newly-Apple-minted consumer tablet market. If the history of the iPhone is any indicator, it may be a year or two before a serious tablet competitor comes along to challenge the iPad’s market dominance.
That eventual effective iPad challenger will almost certainly be an Android-based device. Microsoft and Windows don’t stand a chance in the iPad-style tablet arena.