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Thundering Herd Update
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OOPS.
Sprint has abandoned its plans to launch a version of Research In Motion?s BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with an embedded 4G WiMAX radio. The nation?s No. 3 wireless carrier cited a lack of demand among business customers as its reasoning for the cancellation, The Wall Street Journal reports. ?It?s an interesting concept, it just hasn?t caught on with business customers as much as they would like,? said president of Sprint?s business markets group, Paget Alves. ?There are so many tablets in the market, it creates confusion for the average customer.? Sprint announced in January that it would release a 4G BlackBerry PlayBook sometime this summer, and a Sprint spokesperson told The Journal that the decision to not release the 4G PlayBook will have no impact on the carrier?s relationship with RIM.
I posted the same thing on another thread. My comment there is just as applicable here.
How low do things have to be when even Sprint turns you down? Wow.
The Playbook is deader than dead.
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John Molloy
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This European injunction coming on heels of the Australian release postponement of Samsung’s tablet means Apple’s legal proceedings are bearing fruit for sure.
http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2011/08/samsung-pleaded-unsuccessfully-against.html
Also, it looks like Samsung’s protestations that it didn’t have advance notice of the German proceedings are a bit disingenuous, see the FOSS Patent blog post on the hearing, in essence:
On July 29—almost a week before Apple’s motion, which was filed on August 4—Samsung had actually filed a “Schutzschrift” (protective pleading) with the court.<snip>
While it’s true that they weren’t put on notice and that there wasn’t any hearing, Samsung wasn’t forthright enough to admit that it had filed a protective pleading. Samsung wasn’t blindsided—Samsung knew it had this coming, and the court’s decision was based on both Apple’s motion and Samsung’s pre-emptive opposition pleading. This kind of communication strategy on Samsung’s part is old-school spin doctoring and only serves to strengthen my impression that Samsung is in a legally weak position against Apple.<snip>
Given that Samsung already failed with its protective pleading, its lawyers will now have to come up with some new arguments to have the motion lifted. Usually such hearings only lead to a different outcome if the defendant can prove that the plaintiff’s representations were factually wrong, which I doubt in this case. It’s far more likely that the district court is just going to affirm its decision, and in that case, Samsung will probably try to appeal the preliminary injunction to the second-instance court (Oberlandesgericht D?sseldorf). In parallel, the first-instance court will continue with the main proceeding, which will probably take about a year.
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Don’t anthropomorphize computers, they hate that.
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Dell kills the 5 inch Streak…..oh my, will there be any tablets left running Android? :bugeyed:
Dell kills its 5” Android tablet as ABI searches for success among tablet failures
While Google hoped its Android platform could take on the iPad this year, its licensees are finding it difficult to even compete with Apple on the low end. On example, Dell’s Streak 5 (aka Mini 5), has just been discontinued, but that hasn’t stopped marketing companies like ABI Research from insisting that Android is still a thriving tablet competitor.The end of a losing Streak
Dell introduced the Streak 5 (originally named Mini 5), a hybrid small tablet/smartphone in May 2010, with both a 5 inch display and 3G calling features that placed it somewhere between Apple’s iPod touch and iPad.
“I’ve been at Dell for 16 years, and I don’t think there’s ever been more buzz around a single Dell product than this,” wrote Lionel Menchaca, chief blogger for the Round Rock, Texas, company at its release. “In my view, that’s for good reason. Hardware and design-wise, this thing impresses. Add the ever-increasing capability that Android brings to the equation, and you’ve got a mobile device that offers a ton of flexibility while looking cool in the process.”
The Streak 5 originally shipped with Android 1.6, but was updated to Android 2.1 (incurring the wrath of customers who complained about the over the air update adding bugs and taking away existing software features) and finally Android 2.2 Froyo last winter. It will not possible to upgrade to Android 3.0 Honeycomb or the forthcoming Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
Dell’s use of Android on the Mini/Streak line signaled a new effort by the PC maker to evaluate the use of software platforms independently of its long term partnership with Microsoft. The company still sells its 7 inch Streak, and continues to offer both an Android 2.2 “Venue” smartphone and a “Venue Pro” model that runs Windows Phone 7.
The company describes the discontinuation of the Streak 5 as the end of “a great ride” on its website
[ Edited: 12 August 2011 08:27 PM by Red Shirted Ensign ]
In edit by Red: A Great Ride? Dell calls the Streak experience a great ride?Signature
AAPL: to boldly go where no stock has gone before
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I posted the same thing on another thread. My comment there is just as applicable here.
How low do things have to be when even Sprint turns you down? Wow.
The Playbook is deader than dead.
Sorry for the double post. I’ve been out and about most of the day so haven’t read much in the other threads. (yet)
Ratty, you didn’t double post. I wasn’t sure where to put this info so I choose a different topic than you did.
Please forgive me for poor wording. I only mentioned my previous posting in order to explain why I was repeating myself.
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Dell kills the 5 inch Streak…..oh my, will there be any tablets left running Android? :bugeyed:
Dell kills its 5” Android tablet as ABI searches for success among tablet failures
I was going to post this too.
Of all the tablets, I always thought this one was the dumbest. Did you know it could be used as a phone too? Even it’s advocates admitted that you looked like the biggest dork in the world holding this giant thing up against the side of your head during phone calls.
But it gets better. Remember this:
iPhone vs. Dell Streak: Streak May be Better for Many
Rob Enderle in Products on August 11
Apple doesn?t build products that people already want. Their more successful method is to build products that people could want and then use the biggest and most effective marketing budget in tech to drive these people to those products.
The man is clueless.
Both (the iPhone and the Dell Streak) also look a bit dorky when held up to your head so both should have headsets.
Say WHAT? The iPhone looks dorky when held up to your head?
Certainly, the US Copyright office has come forward supporting the Google open approach to an application store over Apple?s closed approach and the Streak is an Android phone. This means you are free to either buy your applications and reading material from within the Android store or outside of it. Given the EU is apparently going down a similar path, it appears that the governments are speaking on behalf of their citizens and arguing for us that freedom is a good thing and want Apple to switch to the Google model. Since the Streak already uses the Google model, it has an advantage there and should set the bar.
So you’re saying that the GOOGLE model will produce the superior App store?
The Dell Streak uses the time-tested Qualcomm Snapdragon platform, which means even in beta form it hasn?t had the problems with the radios or performance that the new iPhone has been struggling with. Just as Steve Jobs discovered he couldn?t keep up with the Power architecture against Intel/AMD, I think he will likely discover he can?t keep up with ARM against Qualcomm, Marvell, Nvidia and Freescale as these firms are both more dedicated to the related technology and have vastly more experience with it.
Un. Be. Frickin. Be. Lievable.
The Dell Streak would be preferred by those that use wireless headsets (it is a big device), want a better web experience (for instance, according to IBM mobile, the iPad actually is used more for things like online shopping than the iPhone, which shows that size does matter), a better video experience (bigger screen), for baby boomers (size again), and those that need better typing experience (virtual keyboard doesn?t cover as much of the screen) than the iPhone.
The Dell Streak was dead as a door knob the moment it was conceived and everyone except for the people who worked for Dell and Rob Enderle knew that.
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Oh Falkirk, now that was a walk down memory lane…..egad, (channeling Chandler Bing) “could he BE more wrong”.
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AAPL: to boldly go where no stock has gone before
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Ouchpad: Best Buy Sitting on a Pile of Unsold HP Tablets
From allthingsd (No link. Blacklisted)
According to one source who?s seen internal HP reports, Best Buy has taken delivery of 270,000 TouchPads and has so far managed to sell only 25,000, or less than 10 percent of the units in its inventory.
A second person who has seen Best Buy?s TouchPad sales figures confirmed the results as ?consistent with what I?ve seen,? and went so far as to say that 25,000 sold might be ?charitable.? This source suggested that the 25,000-unit sales number may not account for units that consumers return to stores for a refund.Ouch is right
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“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”
- Jimi Hendrix -
“Ouchpad.” I like that, Mr. Hesseldahl!
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The Summer of AAPL is here. Enjoy it (responsibly) while it lasts.
AFB Night Owl Team™
Thanks, Steve. -
Ouchpad: Best Buy Sitting on a Pile of Unsold HP Tablets
From allthingsd (No link. Blacklisted)
According to one source who?s seen internal HP reports, Best Buy has taken delivery of 270,000 TouchPads and has so far managed to sell only 25,000, or less than 10 percent of the units in its inventory.
A second person who has seen Best Buy?s TouchPad sales figures confirmed the results as ?consistent with what I?ve seen,? and went so far as to say that 25,000 sold might be ?charitable.? This source suggested that the 25,000-unit sales number may not account for units that consumers return to stores for a refund.Ouch is right
Brutal.
Let’s recap:
HP: Total disaster. Based on what they’ve shown so far, I see no tablet future. 1.1 billion spent to acquire Palm and HP is going to flush it down the toilet along with the enormous cost (half a billion?) to gear up for the TouchPad fiasco. I mean launch.
RIM: Worse than HP. They’re completely behind the 8 ball. Their tablet is a non-starter and by the time they put out the next iteration, their entire company may be going down the tubes.
Windows Tablet 8: Hello! Where ARE you? Can’t sell a tablet that you haven’t created yet.
Android and it’s many minions. This looks like the most promising brand, especially the Samsung models. But they have patent troubles. And software troubles. And hardware troubles. But the most troubling thing of all is that developers have stayed away in droves. Do they know something that we don’t? Like that nobody’s making any money on Android?
You know, I often end these types of posts with the tagline that there is no tablet market, only an iPad market. But I may have to start adding a new tagline:
“There is no money being made in Android.”
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“There is no money being made in Android.”
UNLESS you happen to be MOTOROLA MOBILITY, then you just ‘hit the motherload.’
And don’t forget Carl Icahn, the REAL winner of this weeks “merger lotto.”
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“Even in the worst of times, someone turns a profit. . ” —#162 Ferengi: Rules of Acquisition
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“There is no money being made in Android.”
UNLESS you happen to be MOTOROLA MOBILITY, then you just ‘hit the motherload.’
And don’t forget Carl Icahn, the REAL winner of this weeks “merger lotto.”
They didn’t make their money from Android. They made their money from holding Android hostage.
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I want to know the timing of the next report of how many Android tablets shipped in the current quarter. Based on the unsold tablets collecting Best Buy dust, the “sales” of non-iPad tablets will FALL OFF THE CLIFF after such retailers order ZERO refills.
Apple’s market share in tablets will “grow” from an earlier reported 60% to 90% in ONE quarter if these tablets continue to be DOA. We knew the 60% was fallacious but many believed it (or wanted to). Now we’re going to “recapture” market share it never conceded. Best Buy and other retailers are extremely unlikely to order ANY non-iPad product based on the poor showing of Samsung, Moto and RIM offerings. Going from 35- 40% market share to less than 10% (my prediction) is going to sting Android hard.
This will be entertaining to watch from the Apple bleachers. And it could be a tradable event.
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MacMall is trying to move some Tab 10.1s with an eBay “Daily Deal”. $430 shipped for a 16 GB Wifi only version. As of 8:40 pm PDT they’ve sold 97. This is arguably the best Honeycomb tablet available and the best non-iPad ever. How many iPad 2s would be sold if Apple had a “Daily Deal”?
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I think Verizon is skewing its sales pitch toward non-Apple product. I pop in my Verizon store fairly regularly and invariably sales reps can be overheard to be pushing Android handsets over iPhones. I don’t know why. My experience with ATT reps is that they’re more even-handed.
Also, it may be a coincidence, but Samsung’s Galaxy Tab feels lighter because the security cord isn’t as spring loaded to the degree the same cable secures the iPad. When you lift the iPad you’re pulling harder, leaving the impression it’s heavier. It’s noticeable more than subtle.
