iPad Competitors - Can They Hurt iPad Sales?

iPad Competitors seem to be coming from all over the place. Of course, there are all of the best Android tablets that were recently on display at the CES conference, and Windows and Blackberry seem to be gearing up for a fight on the tablet stage. But can they really compete?

Apple doe not seem to be concerned at all. Tim Cook, the Chief Operating Officer at Apple, stated that many of the iPad competitors out there, including Android tablets, are "vapor," meaning they do not exist for sale yet. But what will happen when they are available?

Here are a few strengths of the iPad along with strengths of its competitors -

iPad Strengths

First, iPad was really the first to the table when it comes to tablets. Since they were the first and have been widely successful, they have a serious amount of momentum behind them.

Second, they have a huge selection of apps. Apple did a good job of getting lots of companies to build apps for their devices, and now companies are lining up just to get their latest application approved at Apple's App Store. While Android has a lot of apps as well, they still do not have as many as the iPad, by far.

Finally, iPad competitors do not have many of the features that the iPad has. For one, many of the tablets on the market now has smaller screens than the iPad, and they do not have an operating system that is optimized for tablet computing like the iPad does.

iPad Competitors Strengths

Even with all that Apple has going for them, Tim Cook and the folks in the company should probably be a bit more concerned. iPad competitors are coming fast and in tidal waves, and they do have some advantages that may make them viable iPad alternatives.

First, many of the iPad competitors can be purchased and used several different wireless companies' networks, giving them a wider exposure. Many people are going to want to get a tablet at the same place they have a phone, and since the iPad is only available at AT&T (and now Verizon, although you have to carry around a hotspot to use it), this could mean a boon of sales for items such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, available on several carriers.

Second, while it is true that many iPad alternatives are running a smartphone operating system, that will change soon, as many of the best Android tablets coming out soon run on Honeycomb, or Android 3.0, which is optimized for tablets.

Finally, there is a lot of variety in what is offered among iPad alternatives, and some people will find that options such as having a smaller device than the iPad, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which is about 7 inches by 4 inches, will be better for them and easy to carry.

Conclusion

The iPad is still king, for now. But Apple better work hard to stave off all of those iPad competitors!

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