Will Android tablets always play second fiddle to the iPad?

Android will remain on the outside looking in

Robin Harris: Apple has re-defined music players, smart phones, notebook computers and tablets. They've also gobbled up the lion's share of the profits. Apple once dominated the graphical PC market, before losing it to Windows 3.1. They currently dominate tablets likewise. Will Android do to the iPad what Windows did to the Mac?

No, it won't for several important reasons:

* Apple is the volume producer and has the lowest cost structure.

* In addition to its supply chain advantages, Apple has a strong application base and is more congenial to developers given its limited number of platforms, simpler business model and large installed base.

* "Almost as good as" and "slightly cheaper" aren't inspiring battle cries. Unless and until Apple really screws up the iPad formula, Android will be on the outside looking in.

Android will dominate the all-important long tail

Christopher Dawson: Yeah, yeah, the world is all atwitter over the new iPad. Even I'm excited to get mine. It, like the original iPad and iPad 2 before it, looks to set the standard for the tablet market.

That's hardly the end of the tablet story, though. Just as the iPhone took the smartphone into the mainstream, so too will the iPad make tablets a must-have. A look at the smartphone market, however, show us how the tablet market will evolve: Apple will make billions selling at the high end and Android will dominate the all-important long tail.

This isn't a matter of playing second fiddle - It's market segmentation. The Kindle Fire has already shown us what an Android tablet can do at the right price. It's only a matter of time before a variety of well-used Android tablets become a far more common sight than shiny new iPads.