Will you ride the Media Tablet Rollercoaster?
In a new report out this month the IDC examines that market for the “media tablet” and claims that the this new category of device will quickly become a consumer “must have” gadget. The report (and early strong sales of the Ipad), runs contrary to the views of many early commentators who failed to see the point of the media tablet: viewing it as an imperfect “halfway house” between smartphone and laptop.
Though the media tablet is very much an emerging category with the Apple ipad as the current prime example, IDC predicts that 7.6 million media tablets will be shipped this year, rising to 46 million in 2014.
The IDC defines media tablets as:
“tablet form factor devices with 7-12in. color displays. They are currently based on ARM processors and run lightweight operating systems such as Apple’s iPhone OS and Google’s Android OS. This distinguishes them from tablet PCs, which are based on x86 processors and run full PC operating systems. Media tablets do not include built-in hardware keyboards but use a stylus/pen or finger for navigation and data input. They provide a broad range of applications and connectivity, differentiating them from primarily single-function devices such as ereaders.”
Though media tablets will primarily be marketed as entertainment devices productivity applications will quickly become available to meet enterprise demand.
IDC says that consumer demand for media tablets will be strongly driven by the availability of apps unique to the media tablet, which will differentiate the experience from that of using a smartphone or PC. They believe that as more media tablet optimised apps emerge the media tablet will move from being a consumer “nice to have” to being an essential for many people.
So if the IDC are correct there is a huge new market emerging here for software developers.
Apple’s attitude to developer licensing has ruffled many feathers in the developer community, and the latest edict prohibiting use of cross compilers is a good example of the kind of thing many members of the developer comunity don’t like.
But with a market this big emerging it seems likely many developers will learn to live with their reservations and toe the Apple line in order to take advantage of the upcoming bonanza.
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