Why are iPads selling as fast as Apple's Chinese subcontractors can
crank them out? In part, it's because the iPad has a suddenly-hot
product category pretty much to itself. Before scuttlebutt that Apple
was working on a tablet started to heat up, no major PC manufacturer
seemed to think that consumers wanted a general-purpose,
touchscreen-only computing device. Now almost all the big names-and
lots of little ones-are furiously playing catch up.Pictured: The Archos 7 Tablet
End result: Starting later this year, the iPad will be confronted by an army of other touchscreen machines, from potentially worthy opponents to shameless wannabees. Call 'em iPadversaries, and read on for my first stab at accounting for (most of) them.
I cheerfully admit that I've defined the term "iPadversary" loosely. Some of these gizmos are very much meant to compete head-to-head with Apple's tablet, including a bevy of Windows 7 "slate PCs." Others won't do so at all-such as the OLPC XO 3.0 and "$35 Indian tablet"-but I found them intriguing for one reason or another. And a few (such as RIM's BlackPad) are unconfirmed rumors which may or may not pan out.
There are also a few tablets that are already for sale here, all of which have one thing in common: Most of the reviews of them range from so-so to profoundly negative.
I considered only devices with touchscreens-and only screens that are at least 5″. I didn't include any product which definitely has a physical keyboard, although some of the upcoming Windows slates which we know almost nothing about will reportedly have them. (If so, they'll be Tablet PC offspring more than iPad counterparts.)
I've attempted to gather some basic facts on each device, and to indicate when the information I mention is speculation or rumor rather than confirmed fact. I'd be amazed, however, if all of these products reach the market in exactly the form detailed here.
Shall we get started?
Source: Harry McCracken, Technologizer
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