iPad Alternatives Are Becoming More Popular

With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, there is the expectation that more corporate users are going to demand it for their mobile internet needs. With the move away from paper and bulky laptops, tablets such as the Galaxy are likely to be popular with hospitals, doctors, and other business folk that have, until now, had to deal with endless paperwork.


The wait for the BlackBerry Playbook has also created an interest in these kinds of users, and functions such as HD capabilities, front and rear facing cameras, and the ability to tether with a BlackBerry device, such as the Torch, are tempting customers away from the ever-popular Apple iPad.


The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first tablet device to allow full Flash performance, and with it's super high resolution AMOLED screen, the user experience is extremely impressive.


Until now, the Apple iPad has commanded tablet sales  with a 95% share of the market, but other manufacturers are jumping on the tablet bandwagon, with products set to emerge from Hewlett Packard, Motorola, Lenovo and Acer in the near future.


Companies that have so far focused their sales on standard PC's and laptops are looking to reduce their sales forecasts for these types of products in anticipation of cannibalization by the tablet market. Although the growth forecasts aren't changing dramatically, it is still evidence that customer preferences are moving to items that make their daily lives more efficient, and mean that they don't have to carry around such large devices to stay connected.


Most pricing is set to stay around the levels that Apple has set with its iPad, which suggests that customers are quite happy to pay between $299 and $699 for a new tablet.


This is definitely going to be an interesting market to watch over the Christmas season, and well into 2011. New competitors, new products - all very exciting!