Tech Grill: Episode 1, Tablet talk
The Tech Grill is a new project for the Tech Broiler blog that Jason Perlow and I have been working on. We're going to collect interesting conversations and brainstorming sessions and format them into blog articles. In the future, we plan on using these as the basis for accompanying podcasts.
Note: This conversation took place shortly after the iPad 2 launch, a few weeks prior to the Sendai earthquake.
Jason Perlow: the Galaxy Tab 10.1 looks interesting
Jason Perlow: http://galaxytabforum.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=9ng524l5l8cbn12qtudnmemi74&topic=59.0
Jason Perlow: but if it costs more than 600 forget it. or if they tie it to a carrier, no way
Scott Raymond: I need a wifi only tablet, and I'm getting annoyed by these companies promising them and then not delivering. There's still no wifi only 7" tab
Jason Perlow: nope, and realistically 7" Galaxy shouldn't cost more than 400. More like 350, as now it's only a single core compared to what else is out.
Scott Raymond: Other manufacturers are making cheaper ones. Dell for instance.
Jason Perlow: truthfully, a single core model should be 300 TOPS
Scott Raymond: Until these people start competing with Apple instead of pretending they don't exist, they will all fail.
Jason Perlow: HP really screwed themselves. they could have had a nice android tablet and now they want to bake their own ecosystem like RIM
Scott Raymond: HP is {censored} again on the tablet market.
Jason Perlow: they could have really owned the windows space
Scott Raymond: No one talks about the Adam any more.
Jason Perlow: its a {censored} tablet massacre
Scott Raymond: And the market should be flooded with new devices
Jason Perlow: HP's tablet doesn't do anything better than ipad. its heavier, less features, only a front facing cam. they're gonna have to price it at 400 or they're out.
Scott Raymond: A second CES passed by, and only a couple of devices from CES 2010 are actually on the market. Apple is on its second gen tablet already.
Jason Perlow: even at 400 I think they are out. 300, maybe.
Scott Raymond: Does no one pay attention to how Apple does business? Then they wonder where they went wrong.
Scott Raymond: Geez
Jason Perlow: the problem is, Apple built up a biz over 10 years on consumer electronics and now has their supply chain and cash reserve that permits them to make volume commitments at 10M+ Q parts up front and own their inventory
Scott Raymond: And yet they still don't watch and learn.
Jason Perlow: nobody else can do that. MAYBE Amazon might be able to do that. SONY could do this, if they got past their long standing objections to using Korean and Chinese manufacturing. anything they build in japan is gonna cost too much.
Scott Raymond: Others could match Apple's strategy and don't. Samsung could; they manufacture their own components. If anything their tablets should be the cheapest.
Jason Perlow: yeah but see with Samsung almost certainly Apple actually bought their own piece of the assembly line with their own equipment so they cant use what they contract for Apple.
Scott Raymond: B&N has a $250 capacitive touch 7" 800mhz tablet. It can run honeycomb.
Jason Perlow: they gimped it for the average consumer though
Scott Raymond: It has wifi and 3g. Anyone else making excuses should shut the hell up.
Jason Perlow: and since its not 3G they can't utilize the Android Market.
Scott Raymond: They could ungimp it for $400 and have a dual core device with cameras.
Jason Perlow: Amazon we shall see what they do with their app store. whether they allow other vendors to use it, or if its reserved for their own device
Scott Raymond: Another thing: only ipads seem to have good leather cases available. Everything for Samsung is cheap Chinese crap that smells bad.
Jason Perlow: or its otter type stuff and is industrial
Jason Perlow: playbook has nice cases. I saw a few, and they are on amazon already
Jason Perlow: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=playbook+case&x=0&y=0
Jason Perlow: crazy right? device isn't even near release
Scott Raymond: The industrial cases are OK, but you have to take them off to put them in a docking cradle. Kind of useless.
Jason Perlow: the otter you don't, which is why i like it, but its a high end case
Scott Raymond: You can't fit the Samsung into the cradle with any case. This is why I want a device with a built in HDMI port. No cradle then.
Jason Perlow: interesting no ipad2 accessories on amazon yet. you'd figure at least some cases
Scott Raymond: Accessories are another aspect of where Apple gets it right.
Jason Perlow: not sure if I will get the Apple case, maybe. the last case Apple made was a shmutz magnet. I hope the new microfiber one doesn't vacuum up filth
Scott Raymond: You're right. We saw a bunch of case manufacturers working on stuff for the new ipad.
Scott Raymond: I would get a leather one like Rachel has. Knomo. Cost $100 but it's worth it. Ipad2 is tempting, but I really hate iTunes.
Scott Raymond: http://www.bgr.com/2011/03/03/sams-club-to-sell-wi-fi-xoom-for-539/
Scott Raymond: $539 is a good price
Jason Perlow: I don't have a Sam's near me and I'm not a member
Jason Perlow: Costco
Scott Raymond: Order online
Jason Perlow: but 539 is more like it
Scott Raymond: Still needs a good leather case
Scott Raymond: http://androidcommunity.com/motorola-xoom-at-costco-photos-price-contracts-exclusive-20110303/