Monday, March 07, 2005
As Intel goes, so goes the Tablet market - Loren Heiny
As Intel goes, so goes the Tablet market: "
I was listening to Intel's IDF keynote webcasts and one thing struck me: Intel is leading the Tablet market. Yeah, Microsoft came up with the Tablet OS, develops key Tablet apps, and is nudging along the Tablet ecosystem, but when you think about it--really think about it--Intel is in charge. Microsoft is just going along for the ride.
Before you fall off the couch laughing (I assume you're reading this on your Tablet, of course), here's my reasoning: We all know that although the Tablet PC is going relatively strong right now, it's had a bumpy road. And thinking back, even though Microsoft's Service Pack 2 and its new Tablet Input Panel has made a huge difference in terms of the usability of the Tablet PC, it's really not the reason the Tablet is still in existance today. Not even the Microsoft marketing machine can claim success. The Tablet PC owes its survival to one thing: Intel's Centrino.
In fact, most everyone I know divides the Tablet market into "second-generation" Tablets and all the rest. (Yeah, I know some companies claim third+ generation, but they're trying to buck the Intel force. It's standalone marketing spin that's not going to work.) "
