One year after Microsoft launched its tablet PC operating system, sales have been disappointing, the choice of models is still poor, and software developers have no incentive to create specialist applications, according to a report by research firm Canalys.
HP, Acer and Toshiba launched tablet-PC hardware at the same time that Microsoft launched its Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, but after a promising start, sales have fallen sharply with analysts and manufacturers blaming Microsoft for charging too much for its operating system. Chris Jones, senior analysts and director at Canalys, said that Microsoft isn't doing enough to help Tablet PC vendors, particularly in Europe: "Rather than pricing the Tablet PC OS at a premium, adding to the vendors' costs and the end-user price, it should be doing the opposite: subsidizing the vendors to help them get the market up and running," he said in a statement.
Last week, Acer's president Wang Chen-tang also pointed the finger at Microsoft for charging too much: "Microsoft should put more effort into working with vendors in marketing tablet PCs," he said as the No. 2 maker of tablet PCs admitted it had sold only 100,000 units in a year, which is just 5 percent of its overall notebook sales. In Europe, the picture is even worse, with less that 100,000 units shipped in total during the year. According to Canalys, HP is the leading vendor, having shipped around 28,000, which makes up 31 percent of the market. Acer comes in second with 23 percent and Toshiba is third with 16.5 percent. Overall, in Q3 of 2003, shipments fell by 20 percent compared to the previous quarter.
News source: ZDNet
HP, Acer and Toshiba launched tablet-PC hardware at the same time that Microsoft launched its Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, but after a promising start, sales have fallen sharply with analysts and manufacturers blaming Microsoft for charging too much for its operating system. Chris Jones, senior analysts and director at Canalys, said that Microsoft isn't doing enough to help Tablet PC vendors, particularly in Europe: "Rather than pricing the Tablet PC OS at a premium, adding to the vendors' costs and the end-user price, it should be doing the opposite: subsidizing the vendors to help them get the market up and running," he said in a statement.
Last week, Acer's president Wang Chen-tang also pointed the finger at Microsoft for charging too much: "Microsoft should put more effort into working with vendors in marketing tablet PCs," he said as the No. 2 maker of tablet PCs admitted it had sold only 100,000 units in a year, which is just 5 percent of its overall notebook sales. In Europe, the picture is even worse, with less that 100,000 units shipped in total during the year. According to Canalys, HP is the leading vendor, having shipped around 28,000, which makes up 31 percent of the market. Acer comes in second with 23 percent and Toshiba is third with 16.5 percent. Overall, in Q3 of 2003, shipments fell by 20 percent compared to the previous quarter.
News source: ZDNet
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microsoft is partly to blame for the price. hardware prices too. both need to lower there prices.
-price of OS
-pushing this technology for which there is no market and the technology is not ready
Who needs an overpriced and underpowered tablet when you can just use a laptop?
That's what people said about windows. Now most of those companies are gone or much smaller. MS should be credited for taking a technology risk.
Also, how is the technology not ready?
Did not!
oh i love microsoft and they can do no wrong, harray ballmer, bill gates thy love.
It's people like you (werejag) and the originator of this reply thread who assume that the tablet is the defacto laptop replacement.
If you want to say that, then sure: it's a horrible terrible failure when compared to Laptops. The reality is that tablets are a totally different market. It's people like you, buyers like you, and manufacturers who share opinions like yours who cause their own failure by not playing to the correct market.
I don't love gates or ballmer or anyone else, I just call it like I see it. Your best responses are always "you're wrong!" with some really bad english or spelling. I'd respect you a bit more if you had even one semblance of fact to back up your claims. Historically that's been a challenge. You appear to be here to simply "stir the pot" and mock people.
Microsoft has never claimed what you insist they did. They provided the OS and contributed to the basic framework of the platform just as many other vendors continue to do.
during the launch Microsoft claimed alot of things like it was defacto laptop replacement and how it was going to revolutionize automation, productivity etc. this are claims Microsoft did.
never claimed it was exclusively the fault of Microsoft. but the marketing and claims at the launch was exclusively the fault of Microsoft.
everything Microsoft does is like "if you build it they will come." in their minds. xbox is a current example the developers are not building to many xbox games even thou xbox was suppose to ez to program.
the rhetoric of Microsoft is what all this comes down to, people are seeing Microsoft for what they are.
Sure didn't happen at my launch event. Yeah, it did revolutionize productivity for some people. They never said the Tablet PC was for everyone. They never said everyone was going to drop their laptop and buy a Tablet PC. Maybe you're just hearing what you want to hear.
WTF? No. You're completely wrong. There are tons of Xbox games that developers are porting and creating.
Whoever wrote this article is basing it off of old numbers and speculation - not on what's happening in the field right now - and the same goes for you posters who back up this drivel. Lamers. All of you.
stop being a fanboy and pull head out of the sand
so prove me wrong or is this all you got, the insults
So I'm lying eh?
I said "consumer confidence is up". Here I submit proof:
Economy's growth best since 1984
I said "the jobless rate is down". Once again, I submit proof:
Jobless rate drops to 6 percent
So far, two out of three ain't bad IMHO.
The last thing I said was "companies in the high-tech manufacturing sector like mine have their procurement people being led around the building like ducks by armies of Tablet PC vendors."
Are you employed in the North American Headquarters for a large corporation (as I am) where you can see and talk to the procurement people on a daily baisis? If not, then you probably aren't in a position to refute my assertion that this kind of thing is happening.
I've offered enough proof that I'm telling the truth, so why don't you dispense with the ad hominem fallacies and form a coherent argument to support your assertions?
i see no talk about this in your post. i wounder why.
are you a christian fundie by chance? that would explain alot.
as i said with or without your 2 steping, the poor numbers of sales dont lie.
You love to play the religion card when it has no point or justification. Do you run out of other general worthless things to say and then use this as your crutch until you think of another fanboy quip?
You have no idea what you are talking about, you are a self proclaimed master of all. Tablets are hot. Neb is very much right. I will make sure to make you feel like a total moron like you are trying to do to Neb when in the next year the exact opposite of this headline is posted.
You can wait in your hole until then and brood. You won't be missed.
if tablet pcs double there market share share in exaclty one year ill buy you one if not you will buy me one of my choice. acer is an example 5% of there sales if there is 10 %
want to take this bet?
Last edited by 26332 on 09 Nov 2003 - 17:44
i never claimed to be a religion fanboy, my example was most nuts come from religion and since he is a nut for microsoft i asked if he was a christian nut.
why dont you prove the numbers wrong, concerning tablet or is this all you got boy?
whatever kid
It's for Tablet PCs but I don't have a Tablet PC, just XP.
I think it started with MSN Messenger 6.1 (for recognizing Ink).
I like minimum number of background processes!
The problem with the tablets is that the OS is not mature and differentiated enough from laptops so you get nothing for the trade off of lower speed and less expandability.
Apple was smart to stay away from the tablet market and concentrate on laptops.
The 'wacom interface' you speak of is under the LCD, there is no special film required. Tablet PC's use active digitizers.
But in truth, MS is charging higher licensing costs and there is the volume issue (both in respect to licensing and high cost parts)... you've got ten or so small, crappy Asian OEMs building products that account for 1% of the notebook. Surely some of these OEMs are leading a bit, but that's .1% of the notebook market. how do you reduce cost when the market that MS promised isn't there?
On top of that, MS is charging higher costs but this was their initiative, their great promise... if someone isgoing to suck it up, they should.
Another aspect in which MS can be considered responsible is licensing the spec to so many crappy little vendors. This applies more pressure on every OEM while raking in more cash for MS. If MS just signed up the four biggest OEMs, they'd have better economies of scale and better success. And it would have probably resulted in better product recognition as well.
I see nothing wrong with blaming MS.
People expecting prices of less than $900 dollars US are smoking some fine crack. You cannot shove a laptop motherboard into a tablet formfactor without making mods to it.
Futurecom NETA 1000 / Crusoe 800-1000MHz / 20GB / 256MB Price: $1499.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=626355&Sku=F356-3400&CatId=219
HP Pavilion xt4345qv / AMD XP-M 2000+ / 512MB / 40GB / DVDROM Price: $999.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=660463&Sku=L250-4036%20P
The Futurecom Tablet has a 10 inch screen, the HP has a 15 inch screen.
Now with the above information can you HONESTLY say that the Tablet PC makers are charging a fair price? If you do then companies woud LOVE you!
Why do PDAs cost 300 bucks when I can get a new whole desktop computer for a wee bit more? Do you honestly think that PDAs are better than full pentiums, that are fully expandable?
No, of course not, and the consumer shouldn't either. The key word is "Shouldn't". There is the assumption that a tablet PC is as expandable (barely) as a notebook PC or maybe even a desktop PC, but in reality it suffers from almost HALF the form factor of the laptop PC. It needs that in order to create it's market!
Remember, the smaller the technology the more expensive the cost... especially when it gets as dense as a tablet.
Can the notebook machine you compared remove it's keyboard and operate with just the monitor section and the screen?
How does the weight compare?
How does the power consumption compare?
What's the longest lasting available single battery?
Do I have to sit down to type?
Can I manipulate data "on the go"?
All of those questions ultimately lead up to a technology that is ultimately better due to the form factor, but worse in the eyes of the consumer who only see it as follows:
"Hm I can get a computer that's faster or slower. I'll get the faster one!"
The tablet PC has a niche, but it needs to get better anyway. There are people who ask those questions I asked above and actually choose the slower machine because it offers more to them in the form of productivity.
Case proven.
I'm just waiting for the new HP model (the one that's the best of both form factors...it's a slate with a removable keyboard) to come out...yes it's more expensive but the flexibility is well worth it.
Smart Displays on the other hand...gimme a break...they're upwards of what, 1500 bucks for a 10 inch screen? For a few bucks more you can just buy a cheap tablet and use Remote Desktop, same difference.
they are hot temp wise and heavy.
I actually have one, and you're spouting BS.
and ive tryed a few more since, nope wont own one till you buy me one
here is an analogy (an example why i could know enough about tablets)
so you contention that i must own a piece of crap modified laptop. to voice the reasons that they suck ,is stupid and you know it.
Not all drugs are bad. It's just a mantra we feed our kids because generally speaking, the only medications they use are bad ones. The reality is that as we get older, we'll TAKE DRUGS. And on the same analogy, they aren't bad, they're filling a niche market that needs specific issues addressed.
I know that the Pinto is a sucky car, therefore all cars are bad.
BTW -- and I know this would be hard for you, as you've never substantiated any "fact" you've ever stated -- show me a link to the paper you quoted.
The difference, of course, being that when you're talking to someone with actual, real experience (i.e. someone who OWNS a Tablet PC), you recognize that you're outclassed and admit you're wrong when you are.
Which is not something you're doing. Congratulations.
until chips can be made smaller, and the tabletPC made thinner and lighter (the current size and weight is still too much ), it won't take off.... a pen and a paper is much lighter and effective in writing down notes and stuffs than the tablet PC...,
BTW this response was hand written on a tablet.
Alot of people have forgotten the technology process that happens. Initially products are expensive, and only enthusiasts purchase them.
When they gain in popularity, since people see the value, demand increases. As demand increases, overall costs of producing the product begin to go down. Lower costs push up demand even further. Take DVD Players as a recent example of this.
This is common knowledge, and many here seem to have forgotten that. Is this because we are discussing a Microsoft product?
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