is Coming to Korea - Korea IT Times
is Coming to Korea - Korea IT Times
is Coming to Korea - Korea IT Times
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News in Brief<br />
Is Apple’s iPad a Trouble Maker or<br />
a R<strong>is</strong>ing Star?<br />
Apple unveiled its much-<strong>to</strong>uted and wildly anticipated tablet-style<br />
computer, iPad, only <strong>to</strong> find itself in for a rude awakening. First, Apple's<br />
iPad has received a chilly reception in the US market for failing <strong>to</strong> live up<br />
<strong>to</strong> the market's high expectations. Secondly, trademark battles are looming<br />
large over the new iPad. CNN and the Financial <strong>Times</strong> (FT) quoted<br />
<strong>IT</strong> gurus as saying that whether Apple's iPad would fire up technical innovations<br />
and content consumption remains uncertain. Gene Munster,<br />
an analyst of <strong>IT</strong> market research firm Piper Jaffray, predicted Apple iPad<br />
sales would reach around 3.5 million th<strong>is</strong> year.<br />
Taking in<strong>to</strong> consideration the fact that the market for netbooks sold<br />
33.3 million netbooks last year alone, the predicted sales of Apple's iPad<br />
would make up as much as 10 percent of the <strong>to</strong>tal, th<strong>is</strong> year. However,<br />
compared <strong>to</strong> the report cards of Apple's previous iconic products, the<br />
sales forecast for the iPad <strong>is</strong> nothing, but gloomy. 3.6 million Mac PCs<br />
and 20 million iPods were sold in the fourth quarter of last year. Apple<br />
sold 1.3 million iPhones in the first week of its launch. <strong>IT</strong> experts at the<br />
NPD Group (a leading North American market research company)<br />
iPad<br />
pointed out, "Apple's iPad has drawn much attention <strong>to</strong> its slimness,<br />
small design, and not <strong>to</strong> mention its lower-than-expected price. However,<br />
it will not be Apple's next champion in terms of innovation." Some said<br />
that Apple's iPad would be no match for netbooks. Overall, Apple's iPad <strong>is</strong> deemed not <strong>to</strong> be as intelligent as netbooks. Jeff Orr, a senior<br />
analyst for ABI Research, said, "Apple's iPad <strong>is</strong> an excellent media player, but even the simple task of sending an email <strong>is</strong> troublesome.<br />
Its virtual keyboard makes web browsing tricky." He continued, "In addition, it doesn't have a camera function, making content<br />
creation impossible." Another analyst said, "Multi-tasking <strong>is</strong> not allowed on Apple's iPad, so it <strong>is</strong> not suitable for business purposes."<br />
Apple's iPad <strong>is</strong> predicted <strong>to</strong> have a marginal impact on the eBook reader market. The cheapest iPad model, with Wi-Fi connectivity,<br />
costs US$499, which can affect the sales of Amazon's Kindle DX, retailing for US$489, and Barnes & Noble Nook, an electronic book<br />
reader. However, some refute, "As more companies come up with a wide array of eBook readers, prices are going down. So, Apple's<br />
iPad would not make much difference in the market.<br />
Forrester Research analyst James M. said, "Those who buy eBooks want the most optimized eBook reader. I presume Apple's iPad<br />
would not serve as a game changer in the e-reader market." On a brighter note, <strong>IT</strong> experts agreed that as Apple's iPhone takes credit for<br />
the smartphone market boom, its iPad can help the eBook market grow big. They also predicted trademark d<strong>is</strong>putes over the name of<br />
iPad. Japanese electronics company Fujitsu has been producing a handheld computer called " iPad" -which shop clerks use <strong>to</strong> check inven<strong>to</strong>ry.<br />
STMicroelectronics, Europe's largest chipmaker, trademarked the name "IPAD" for its proprietary semiconduc<strong>to</strong>r technology<br />
in 2000. An American company, called Mag-Tek, has already reg<strong>is</strong>tered "IPAD" for<br />
its line of PIN-entry keypads. German conglomerate Siemens also uses the name for<br />
its engines and mo<strong>to</strong>rs. Furthermore, a Canadian lingerie company has the right <strong>to</strong><br />
market iPad padded bras. The outcome of the trademark battles can change the<br />
name of Apple's tablet PC.<br />
70 KOREA <strong>IT</strong> TIMES | February 2010