Tablets

Dell: Android tablets will outshine iPad, eventually

Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell believes Android tablets will eventually overtake Apple's iPad as the dominant force in the slate market, according to an interview published today in The Wall Street Journal.

"Not tomorrow. Not the next day. But again, if you look at 18 months ago, Android phones were like, 'What is that?' And now there are more Android phones than iPhones," Dell said in response to a question on the possibility of Android tablets beating iPad sales. "I don't see any reason why the same won't occur with Android tablets."

Admittedly, Dell has a vested interest in seeing that happen. His company currently offers both 5- and 7-inch Android tablets, known as the Streak. He also pointed out in the interview that Dell will continue to double down on Android.

Of course, Dell didn't say exactly when the shift might occur in tablet market dominance. Right now, Apple's iPad is easily overshadowing the competition. According to research firm IDC, Apple owned 83 percent of the tablet market last year, and IDC expects the company to control between 70 and 80 percent of the tablet market this year.

That further evidences the trouble Android is having establishing a beachhead in the tablet market. The Motorola Xoom, which launched in late February, has been gathering dust on store shelves. Deutsche Bank said recently that only 100,000 units of the device have been sold so far.… Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 45: I sue you, you sue me

Apple sues Samsung, Samsung sues Apple, the Army uses Android in the battle field, and we get a tour of the latest round of Android Tablets. Join Justin Eckhouse and guest hosts Eric Franklin and JT Tabencki as they dive into the world of Android.

News Stories

Apple sues Samsung for ‘copying’ smartphones, tablets http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20055033-248.html

Samsung countersues Apple over iPhone, iPad http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/22/us-samsung-apple-idUSTRE73L0DG20110422

Android phones record user-locations … Read more

Honeycomb surges in CNET tablet rankings

This week, Google quietly added three new Android 3.0 tablets to the ranks. The Acer Iconia Tab A500, LG G-Slate, and Asus Eee Pad Transformer all made their appearance and we wore our touch-screen-jabbing fingers to the bone.

In addition to providing some companions for the Motorola Xoom (the first tablet to launch with Honeycomb), these three tablets stormed our CNET best five tablets list, as well as our list of the best five Android tablets.

Should Apple be scared? With prices inching down below $400 and two options now for 4G, there's definitely reason for Steve Jobs … Read more

IHS iSuppli: Manufacturing issues caused iPad 2 shortfall

Manufacturing problems led to the shortfall of the iPad 2 during the first quarter, IHS iSuppli said yesterday, prompting the research firm to trim its forecast on Apple's tablet shipments for the year.

As iPad buyers have run into sold-out stock at Apple stores and long wait times ordering online, questions have arisen over why supplies of the new tablet failed to come close to demand.

Though it raised the specter of supply chain problems caused by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, IHS iSuppli doesn't see the disaster as contributing to the iPad shortfall. Following the earthquake, Apple … Read more

Kindle app updated for Android Honeycomb tablets

Amazon.com has updated its Kindle Android app with features designed to tap into the Honeycomb interface currently found on the Motorola Xoom and T-Mobile's LG G-Slate.

Available now at Amazon's Appstore for Android, Kindle for Android 3.0 is geared for all Android devices but takes special advantage of the larger displays and other attributes offered by Honeycomb-powered tablets.

The updated version offers a virtual bookshelf that stretches across the screen to let people visually browse and view titles at the Kindle store. The new interface also provides quicker access to customer reviews, recommendations, and other items … Read more

Get a refurbished iPad Wi-Fi + 3G for $329

It was just a couple weeks ago that I told you about a refurbished 16GB iPad Wi-Fi for $349, and now AT&T is offering something even better: a refurbished 16GB iPad Wi-Fi + 3G for $329 shipped. 3G!

Don't think 16GB will do? The refurbished 32GB iPad Wi-Fi + 3G is $429 shipped. (For what it's worth, I've been able to get by just fine with 16GB--but I don't stuff my iPad with a ton of music and video.) Curiously, the 64GB model is also showing a price tag of $429, which is particularly awesome, but it's currently out of stock.

Great as these prices are, there are a few things to consider. First, these are online-only deals, so you can't just walk into an AT&T store--not a big deal for most folks. Also, you'll probably be on the hook for sales tax, same as if you were buying from Apple.

But the real downside here is AT&T's warranty: 90 days, versus the one year you get on refurbished gear from Apple. Of course, Apple charges $479 and $559 for the 16GB and 32GB iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, respectively, so you're saving a considerable chunk of change by accepting a shorter warranty.

My thought? Totally worth it.… Read more

Asus Eee Pad Transformer review: The Netbook of Honeycomb tablets

When it comes to tablets, we're not really ready for software keyboards, are we? Or maybe the developers of software keyboards aren't yet ready for us.

This week, we received the Asus Eee Pad Transformer tablet. Like with most new tablets that enter this building, it was immediately pounced on by a pack of ravenous wolves group of my coworkers.

What made the Transformer's debut more exciting than most was its primary claim to fame and origin of its namesake: the keyboard/dock accessory.

If not for the keyboard/dock, most would have mistaken it for one … Read more

Analyst: BlackBerry PlayBook sales beat forecasts

Research In Motion may have sold more BlackBerry PlayBook tablets than analysts expected, as many as 50,000 on the first day alone, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky.

In a research note sent to investors yesterday, Abramsky said he and his team checked with 70 different retail stores, including Best Buy, Staples, and RadioShack outlets, to ask about PlayBook sales on the first day. The team found a range of responses from light sales to 11 percent of the stores sold out, but overall leading to an estimate of 50,000 sold on opening day this past … Read more

iPad 2 supply catching up with demand?

Are supplies of the iPad 2 finally starting to get closer to demand?

Customers who buy the new tablet through Apple's online store now have to wait just one to two weeks before it ships. The new estimate follows a roller coaster ride that started with an initial and short-lived wait time of only three to five days before hitting a high of four to five weeks not long after after the iPad 2 made its debut.

But over the past month, the ship time has gradually decreased, reaching three to four weeks in late March and then two … Read more