With the exemplary growth of Apple’s portfolio - from the Mac to the iPod, and now to an enviable bevy of successful devices including the iPhone and the iPad -, PC/smartphone makers are mimicking the company and working on tablet computers.
With the iPad emerging as a game-changing device – a fact that is evident from the continual selling out of the device from the store shelves -, analysts are reporting that the sales of the iPad and other similar tablets are bound to witness a substantial leap next year; probably giving a blow to the laptop sales.
Essentially a media device, the 10-inch iPad chiefly boasts a PC-like functionality, though it neither features Windows nor Intel processor.
The astounding success of the iPad has attracted other PC-makers to the tablet arena – with PC giant Dell already having released its Streak tablet, which is powered by Google’s Android operating system and a Qualcomm ARM processor.
Another bigwig PC-maker embarking on the tablet computer route is Hewlett-Packard (HP), which is coming up with its highly-awaited ‘PalmPad’ tablet/slate device – basically Palm’s version of the iPad, sans a PC operating system.
Meanwhile, smartphone makers like Research In Motion (RIM) and Motorola are also supposedly having a go at the tablet platform. Though details about the rumored RIM tablet have yet to come by; Motorola’s tablet – which will use software and silicon similar to the one used in the recently-released Droid X handset - is likely to launch later this year.
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