Great Debate: Are $200 tablets a game changer?

$200 is the magic price point

Jason Perlow: In 2010, Apple set off the "Big Bang" for the tablet industry, by introducing the iPad. While the consumer electronics giant did not create the tablet, they created the entire model for which all tablets must have today: an App store as well as cloud-based services to back it up.

However, at an entry point of $500, the iPad (and other full size Android tablets that followed) cannot ever be the  "People's Tablet" or the industry equivalent of the Volkswagen.

While cheaper than most desktops and laptops, iPad is still too expensive to stay the market leader. There is still a huge untapped market to fill for people that don't own a tablet at all and would prefer to spend considerably less money on a digital convergence device.

Indeed, $200 is the magic price point that will enable tens of millions of people to buy tablets and eventually propel us into the Post-PC era that Steve Jobs will establish as his true legacy.
 

It ain’t going to happen this time

David Morgenstern: Every couple of months there comes along a technology vendor with an announcement of a tablet that will knock the iPad off its dominating 75+ percent share of the market. It ain’t going to happen this time with Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Nobles' NOOKColor.

The problem for competitors is multifold -- even those as well-funded as Amazon and B&N, which have captive audiences in popular Internet storefronts. The Apple iOS/iPad combo is now a major computing platform for enterprise, business and consumer segments; the iPad is now integrated into many uses beyond simple content playback, including sci-tech and industrial segments. And its form factor is completely understandable by users. The iPad’s large user base make it attractive to developers, whether for consumer or business apps.

All these hurdles make it difficult for the competition, even devices with a smaller handprint. Perhaps other devices can find niches. Or maybe not.