I'm going to get a table this year - and it's going to be IPAD 3 (if my personal economy allows it).

The interesting part of it is not that I'm buying ipad 3 (whatever it will be called) because of ipad itself, but because of the software that runs on it. In other words, just like companies running Win-PC not because of the system and OS, but more of the app they need.

While there are companies that develop for both ios and android, some, just don't. some, it will take 2 years time or something after releasing an ios version before releasing android version (if ever).

http://www.artrage.com/artrage-ipad-main.html <-- art rage is only available on ipad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Pro IOS version was released Feb 2011. Android version released on Jan 2012. Even then, it sound like a 2nd class citizen (http://blog.guitar-pro.com/2012/01/guitar-pro-for-android-now-available/). Read the comments.

There are talks about Google releasing Android 5, and hard ware (ICS?) still not updating previous hardware, fragmentation (which to developer, sometimes the support on android is eating away the platform profit, making it not worth it i think there was an article on this topic before).

So in the end of the day, after looking at app I plan to use on the road, while waiting, etc, etc, I ended up having to use ipad if I decided to have a tablet.

what is your opinion? you buy tablet you like and use whatever app available for it, or you buy tablets based on app you want.

doesn't that make ipad is the new win-pc (as in software lock?)

I hear that Android sales are high, but I'm not entirely sure who they're selling to. I've been in multiple meetings lately where every single person has an iPhone, or an iPad, or both. The dominance of that product line, especially among a certain slice of tech-aware middle and upper class people, is incredible. That kind of market force, combined with how well greased the wheels of the iTunes App Store are, guarantees that the iOS crowd will have the best apps earliest. Android is kind of a rough OS, kind of inefficient and slow, and the Market is not a very smooth experience.

I don't know that it's exactly valid to compare to Windows' dominance of PC, but I do want to make one prediction: iOS is going to shatter the Windows dam and you're going to see big Mac inroads over the coming years.

I find it amazing that there are probably more people who use an iPad than they use a Mac OSX. I wonder what is the percentage of people who have a iPad and a Win PC. For instance, out of all the Win PC users in the US, X% have an iPad as well. If the iPad was a desktop, would people switch?

Ontopic: I bought a tablet to do one thing and one thing only, read PDFs. Actually I like my Win Phone 7 and am anxiously waiting for the Win 8 to come out. The Metro UI is pretty cool and nice to use. So yeah, I buy my tablet (or phone) based on ease of use not for the apps persay.

Actually, I don't think that really would be the case. Hardware price will lead to android and windows to have bigger market share. but that also the main point in my case. some developers knew those with ipad have cash, and for certain type of software, this is exactly their target market. - which is why they didn't bother supporting android.

but in tablet space, the update and fragmentation is the worst offender - just look at samsung and their hardware screen size - 7,7.7, 8.x,10.1, and now 5.3(?). while in ios space, apple still release updates for ios 5 running on iphone 3gs released, like, 3 years before? I don't think there will be bug fixes updated for android 2.1 or 2.2. (this is one of the issue i have with my android phone - leading me to decided to buy ipad 3 instead).

oh, looking at the replies, i'm not comparing ipad dominance over pc - but i'm talking about software lock. i mean, a lot of people buy pc because of the software they need (office, 3d max, etc, etc). and this exactly what will happen in tablet market - too much hardware differences and os fragmentation that some developer only develop for ipad.

iOS is going to shatter the Windows dam and you're going to see big Mac inroads over the coming years.[/quote]

It's too expensive for world-wide consumer market. And dropping the price would hurt the brand. Long term, iOS is Sony. Once a symbol of technical superiority, but mostly a pale shadow of itself. Still technologically superior in a few parts, but no longer premier choice of mainstream consumer.

For enterprise, there's two directions. Companies going open, leaving behind vendor-locked world, moving from applications towards data. Other is moving towards vertical providers. Microsoft, IBM, SAP. Apple has nothing along these lines and it takes decade or more to build credibility in such space.

Current vendor support of Apple is based around highest profitability. When choosing which OS to make apps for, iOS gets 80% or so total mobile revenue. And here the irony of locked stack prevents competition. In PC, when Windows dominated, Linux emerged. It couldn't compete in desktop, but won server and web space.

With MS keeping stack painfully closed and proprietary, locked down to absurd lengths, with Android doing its best to bring the worst of open source and app store models, there is no room for floodgates to open to alternatives. Instead of hurting developers, it's keeping competitors to Apple at bay.

Apple and Google both won because of open source and unhindered innovation that alternative to Windows created. Google triumphed over Windows on Linux, Apple went with BSD. In a way, both companies exploited the work done for free to great lengths. Competition today, much to joy of Apple, no longer has that option.

You know I figured that Windows would be moving in the direction of having their OS work on the phone, tablet, and desktop. Code once, launch everywhere. Android if I remember correctly has already done that with the Ice Cream version of their OS. I read that Apple is starting to move in that direction as well. I believe the first to do this and do it well will be the winner of the computer wars. All-Purpose OS + App Store = Skynet. Mark my words.

Android if I remember correctly has already done that with the Ice Cream version of their OS.[/quote]

Due to being tied to Google Account, Android is no longer an option for me.

Imagine your phone number of house address being not guaranteed by law, but by a company that gets 99% of revenue from advertising. Imagine your house address being banned without notice.

Since Android essentially requires Google Account and that account now being unique identity, the android ecosystem simply isn't possible for me anymore. Not for data mining. But G+/Gmail stuff is subject to fickle rules and no external oversight. Banned? Tough luck.

Unless I have a written contract, subject to same guarantees as provided by law and protected by same, I cannot rely for something so important. Google offers nothing alike and isn't likely to, since it would require compliance with laws which make their business impossible.

For example, my phone number comes with many a pages of contract, including clauses on number ownership and transfer thereof. So even if some provider chose to ban me, the number is mine to carry with me. I cannot do the same with Google properties. "But it's free..." Yes, it is, which is why it's become worthless for something that important.

Second issue is no local storage. Stuff like Google maps being online and all that is nice. But if I have network connection, I don't really need navigation. I'll need it most precisely when I don't.

I'm not too familiar with the Google ecosystem. So when you say "banned", you're "banned" from what exactly? "Banned" how? And how is your house address tied to this?

I agree with OP if it were iOS vs. Android only. Android app support is just too sub-par from my perspective.

However, don't ignore Windows 8 and how it will run on tablets. It will support a full desktop experience (when paired with an external monitor/keyboard/mouse or an ultrabook-like keyboard dock) on the x86 side and iOS-like battery life on the WOA (Windows on ARM) side. I predict it will be a serious force to be reckoned with.

One of the reason I don't want an iPad for myself (I'm happy to play with my mom's iPad 1 occasionally) is because it feels too limited for a tablet-sized device. I'm more than happy with iOS on my phone, but I want a desktop-class OS for my tablet-sized device. I want my tablet to be an ultrabook replacement. I want to be able to use it as a tablet, as an ultrabook (with a Transformer Prime-like keyboard dock) and as a desktop (docked with external monitor/keyboard/mouse). I don't want 3 devices that need to be synced - I want it to be one flexible device.



Something along the lines of Samsung Slate 7 with Windows 8 is what I'm waiting for. I've already played around with W8 on a tablet for a month, and I see a lot of potential (for a user like me; grandmas and non-tech ppl would still benefit with choosing iPad).