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Topic: Tablets

New Windows-powered tablets threaten iPad's enterprise dominance, claims analyst

Summary: The iPad popularity is growing in the enterprise market, with 94 percent of the Fortune 500 companies either testing or deploying the tablet. But one analyst believes that companies should take a look at the new crop of Windows tablets.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

The iPad has been a huge hit for Apple, with consumers and enterprise alike scrabbling to buy them as fast as Apple can make them. But one analyst believes that the days of the supremacy of the iPad could be challenged by the latest generation of enterprise tablets from HP, Dell and Lenovo.

According to Apple's CEO Tim Cook, 94 percent of the Fortune 500 companies and 70 percent Global 500 companies are testing or deploying iPads.

The claim is made by Moor Insights & Strategy's president and principal analyst Patrick Moorhead in an independent report titled "The latest extreme low power, Windows tablets now ready for the enterprise". The report examines three Windows-powered tablets—the Dell Latitude 10, the HP ElitePad 900, and the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2—and compares the OEM supported enterprise features present on these tablets to Apple's iPad 4. The results show that the iPad is worryingly weak when compared to the competition.

2013-03-14_14-11-45
(Source: Moor Insights & Strategy)

"The new breed of enterprise tablets provides the same comprehensive PC enterprise features deployed and already in use by enterprises," the report explains. "While the iPad provides many new features, enterprise must evaluate, deploy, train IT and purchase new tools. Domain Join and Active Directory are not supported on the iPad."

Moorhead lists a number of advantages that Windows-powered tablets have over the iPad, at the top of which is backward compatibility. The Windows-powered hardware listed is compatible with over a million peripherals, while the selection of add-ons on offer for the iPad is limited.

Another factor working against the iPad is price. Both the Latitude 10 and the ThinkPad Tablet 2 come in cheaper than a 64GB Wi-Fi-only iPad 4.

"Enterprises will not pay more to acquire the new breed of Windows tablets," explains Moorhead, "and when factoring in additional new management tools, iPads cost more."

So what should enterprises do? The report recommends that enterprises that are piloting or already deploying iPads to take a look at the latest enterprise tablet offerings from HP, Dell and Lenovo, and incorporate those new options into their decision-making process.

Topics: Tablets, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, iPad, Lenovo, PCs, Windows

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79 comments
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  • I smell a new batch of Claim Chowder cooking.

    It will be interesting to come back and look at this in a year or so.
    matthew_maurice
    Reply 4 Votes

    • LOL! "Claim Chowder"

      I had to chuckle at that. :)
      William Farrel
      Reply 4 Votes

      • I stole it from Jon Gruber.

        It's usually not good form for a blogger to gloat, but his "claim chowder" re-visits are usually pretty funny, and damning to those that made them.
        matthew_maurice
        Reply Vote

        • iPad

          ...has no place in the entreprise.
          gbouchard99@...
          Reply 7 Votes

          • But maybe...

            It could be that a Windows Pro tablet does. It's essentially like the notebooks and ultrabooks but even more mobile and, at least in manufacturing, something a manager or quality control person could use to chart productivity or note issues. The ability to use Windows legacy software means that it is likely to run what software is already being run on the floor. Being able to connect to the domain, it is a business computer in a portable form factor rather than a consumer toy. I could see that being used that way (assuming Microsoft is able to get a foothold).
            slaskoske
            Reply 4 Votes

    • Yeah!

      I just wonder if 4 years ago some had claimed that in 2012 we got marketshare like this one:

      1. Android Linux 42%
      2. Apple's operation systems 24%
      3. Windows 20%
      4. Other operation systems including other Linux distributions 14%

      Windows-fanboys would have laughed and joked but now they are so damned pissed off. Hah!
      Matsi66
      Reply Vote

  • What is the imaging process?

    with no PXE boot the normal WDS/SCCM imaging isn't possible.

    I would want something as fast and easy as that, that can be multicast.
    Doing each one at time like an ipad is a no go, even with a usb hub.
    everss02
    Reply 3 Votes

    • Surface pro supports imaging...

      Being tested now at the enterprise I work for.
      kstap
      Reply 7 Votes

  • Enterprise will gladly embrace Windows 8 tablets.

    I predicted this last year that Enterprise will replace iPads with Windows tablets. Why would one go for a half-ass solution ( ipad) when the Rolls-Royse of Enterprise ( Win 8) is available at the same price.
    Owlll1net
    Reply 13 Votes

    • Yes why get an Ipad

      When you have the Worlds largest repository of malware available at your fingertips with Windows.
      Alan Smithie
      Reply 6 Votes

      • When you have the Worlds largest repository of malware available...

        Windows? don't you mean Android?
        apetti
        Reply 14 Votes

        • Nope

          I mean Windows
          Alan Smithie
          Reply 7 Votes

          • Oh Alan, Alan, alan...

            Clearly you don't have the first clue about the difference between "correlation" and "causation".

            Have you eaten Carrots lately? I heard that 100% of people who eat carrots DIE! Yep, its a proven fact... So carrots must be killing people.
            Enigmaticatious
            Reply 7 Votes

      • You mean in the mobility

        then you got it wrong. It is your Android.
        Ram U
        Reply 10 Votes

        • With the convergent OS

          Which group do we put various MS products in?
          Little Old Man
          Reply Vote

          • Call it tain't

            Tain't iOS and tain't Android.
            IT_User
            Reply Vote

      • We are back to this old hack are we? Ha! Old school or what.

        Waa Waa Waa. Windows has malware. Waa Waa Waa.

        What a crock. GO to these companies and see if they are populated with Windows computers or Macs.

        9 out of ten times it will be Windows or mostly Windows.

        GO on to these companies like some lunatic about how bad the Windows malware is.

        After listening for about ten seconds they will give you the bums rush and pitch you and your nonsense out the door.

        Its hard to beleive that there are still those out there so stupid as to think people who use Windows have significant reason to fear malware and should stay away from Windows because of that.

        Its a dead argument.

        It died with the Appple guy commercials that took misleading to a new level of outright lies about Windows malware and yet Apple still couldnt gain any significant rise in their market share.

        If you like Apple products then fine, purchase Apple products, use them and love them. I know many who do. But dont even bother to drag out that rediculous old crock about Windows being some major kind of danger due to malware. It dosnt work any more.

        Sorry.
        Cayble
        Reply 3 Votes

        • I agree but

          I do have to laugh that you type such a long rant about using an old crock against Windows yet never have an issue with the same being done against Apple.
          non-biased
          Reply Vote

    • Was Patrick Moorhead Paid by Microsoft

      Maybe Patrick Moorhead was paid by Microsoft to write his report and skew the facts like "iPad - enterprise must evaluate, deploy, train IT and purchase new tools". Doesn't the enterprise need to do that with a Windows tablet, or do they go down to Walmart and pick out a tablet and pass them out to their employees without evaluating, deploying, training IT, and purchasing new tools? Common sense says that an enterprise needs to follow the same steps with any new tool (tablet) from either WinTel or Apple.
      TBeckner
      Reply 1 Vote

      • Just a guess...

        If you're running Windows 8 (not RT) you can use your legacy programs assuming your licenses can transfer...I reckon many if not most will be fine here. Since you're using the EXACT same program and it will look EXACTLY the same on Windows 8 there is no need to train for it.

        I'm not sure what "training" IT would really need to support legacy programs. So your training is going to consist to last about 10 minutes- how to shut down, flip between start screen and desktop, charms, and switching apps. Of course, you could also give the IT person Windows 8 to take home for the night and you'd have the same thing accomplished. I "trained" my completely tech illiterate mother over the phone (she wasn't even at her computer) in about 5 minutes on how to use Windows 8. She hasn't had a single question for me and it's been a few months.

        I'm not sure why people make it out that Windows 8 is so hard to figure out. It's different... different doesn't mean hard, it means you're not used to it. Using only keyboard shortcuts isn't hard, it's different. Once you're used to it you ignore so many menus and clicks.
        ikissfutebol
        Reply 6 Votes
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