Tech Watch: Are Tablet Competitors Quitting?
(KCBS) - Are tablet makers, who previously wanted to compete with Apple and its iPad, already walking away from the fight?
Research from an analyst at J.P. Morgan looking at the early competitors of the iPad is saying a lot of the other tablets are cutting back on plans to build tablets in the near future by about 10 percent.
CNET Editor-at-Large Brian Cooley said this is very strange in a market for a brand new product that you would think is growing.
"Apparently some of these companies are looking at the forecast and saying, 'you know, we don't have quite what it takes to go after the iPad and sell a whole lot more than we thought,'" Cooley said.
We've been watching the smartphone race for sometime where there are a lot of competitors against the iPhone.
"I can't recall a story like this with a variety of makers cutting back on expectations on what they can sell against Apple," Cooley said.
Is the tablet going to be a one company product (Apple's iPad) or will there be lots of different types that all do about the same thing but do it differently?
That tends to be healthier and makes for more innovation, Cooley explained, so this would somewhat hurt Apple because it really helps to have some competition.
You can hear his Tech Watch report Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:50 P.M. on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM.
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