Will Apple's new product dominate 2010?

Today, Apple unveil their highly anticipated touchscreen tablet that, if industry analysts are right, will start a slate computer revolution with Microsoft and HP racing to take a percentage of the market, even though they have already showcased their devices to mixed reactions.

What is it about Apple devices that seize the public imagination? The Apple tablet is being anticipated as the year's must-have device and online sites are abuzz with rumours about what features it could boost and what it will be capable of. While there was excitement about Microsoft and HP's devices, it was nowhere near this level.

Rumoured capabilities

While the introduction of Apple's tablet is anticipated, so too are its specs but information so far has been scarce. Vague descriptions of its capabilities have come from analysts and others that have been briefed on it.

Apparently it will;

• Run all the applications of the iPhone and iPod Touch

• Have a persistent wireless connection over 3G cellphone networks and Wi-Fi

• Will be built with a 10-inch color display, allowing newspapers, magazines and book publishers to deliver their products with an eye to the design that had grabbed readers in print.

Meanwhile rumours abound of Apple executives going around mainstream media companies trying to get them on board with the idea of selling everything media-based on the tablet, be it movies, books, music or magazines and newspapers.

If they're successful, could we all be reading magazines like this in a few years?

Of course, this piece of geek-joy will come with a steep price - rumoured to be $899.99.

2009 success

Steve Job's company has come along in leaps and bounds in recent years. Despite the fact that most people still have PCs in their homes, Mac sales have risen 3.36 million during the last quarter. Considering that Macs only have a 3.6 percent share in the global home computer market, that is quite some achievement.

Not just that, but Apple devices such as the iPod Touch continue to perform strongly, however it was the iPhone that was the real game changer for the company. In the past year alone, sales of the Apple smartphone have doubled increasing to $3.38 billion in the three months to 26 December, from the $2.26 billion it made the previous year.

It this quarter, Apple stated that they sold 8.7 million iPhones in the quarter and that sales of Macs increased by a third.

The question is whether the iPad or the iTablet or the Jesus tablet or whatever it's called will be able to match the iPhone's success and popularity. One man who is sure of its success is, of course, Steve Jobs.

Speaking to the BBC, the chief executive said, "The new products we are planning to release this year are very strong, starting this week with a major new product that we're really excited about."

Eradicating E-readers?

One group that are probably less excited by the prospect of Apple's new device are companies that have pushed e-readers like the Kindle. Designed to be able to let consumers read books and newspapers on the move, e-readers could quickly become redundant despite only just arriving on the market.

Consider that the Tablet will be a e-reader as well as being capable of everything the iPhone can do and more, and you have a device that towers above all competition.

One thing is for certain, consumer anticipation could not be higher, and with tablets rumoured to be the next step in personal information devices the chances that Apple could dominate a market, already rumoured to be worth over a billion dollars, is high.

Relevant articles:

Online technology of 2009 | Is real-time information too dangerous? | Microsoft introduce their 'slate PC'

 

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