Today Apple introduced its much-rumored iPad mini, which comes with enough features to complicate the tablet purchase process for enterprise customers.
The iPad mini looks and acts just like the larger iPad. For the most part, iOS applications should run well on both. However, enterprises that have produced their own apps specifically for the 9.7-inch iPad will need to examine whether their navigation controls and other features will be large enough on the iPad mini. Also, apps that present lots of highly detailed information with charts and graphs might need to be tweaked for the smaller screen.
The iPad mini measures 7.87" x 5.3" x 0.28" and weighs 0.68 pounds. The screen's resolution is 1,024 x 768 (same as the old iPad 2) at 163 pixels per inch (ppi). The 9.7-inch iPad, which was upgraded slightly today, sports its same Retina display of 2,048 x 1,536 at 264 ppi and weighs 1.44 pounds.
The mini comes in WiFi-only or WiFi plus cellular (with LTE). The WiFi-only prices are $329 for 16GB, $429 for 32GB, and $529 for 64GB. The WiFi plus cellular version costs $459 for 16GB, $559 for 32GB, and $659 for $659. The WiFi version will be available for purchase Nov. 2.
Viewing certain corporate apps and Web pages in general might be a bit more difficult on the mini, but its lighter weight and smaller size will make reading e-books and text documents easier. Those two features also make the mini a better choice in certain vertical markets, especially those that already have iPad apps.
Any employee who frequently carries a tablet might prefer the mini. Doctors, nurses, and technicians could slip it into the pocket of a lab coat or a uniform instead of carrying the larger iPad or any 10-inch tablet.
The profusion of software -- 275,000 iPad-optimized apps and more than 700,000 iOS apps -- is one of the best reasons for sticking with the Apple ecosystem. The mini's starting price of $329 is another reason, but it's not a killer price that will sweep away all competition.
Google's seven-inch Nexus 7 tablet, for instance, is an extremely good device that features the pure Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system and costs $199 for 8GB and $249 for 16GB. Android doesn't offer as many tablet-optimized apps as iOS, but the cost and variety of Android tablets are reasons enterprises should consider them, especially when teamed with Android phones and Google Apps for Business.
Enterprises have a number of alternatives to the iPad to consider. Tablets running Microsoft's Windows RT operating system are due at the end of this month from Microsoft and its partners, such as Dell. These tablets can run only third-party Modern UI (i.e., Metro) apps and those that Microsoft bundles, such as Office Home & Student 2013 RT. There should be thousands of Modern UI apps available at the launch, but they probably won't include many used by enterprises. Moreover, enterprises wanting to use Windows RT tablets will have to recode their corporate apps for the new interface. But for Windows-based enterprises, it still will be easier to code for Windows RT than to start from scratch with iOS or Android.
The entry price for Windows RT tablets, such as the upcoming Dell XPS 10, will be about $500 for 32GB. That's less expensive than the 9.7-inch iPad with 32GB, but it doesn't include an optional external keyboard, which has been a hallmark of these tablets, especially the upcoming Microsoft Surface. Tablets featuring Windows 8 Pro, which runs both Modern UI and Windows 7 apps, won't be available until January and will cost more than Windows RT products.
Many enterprises will need to compare Apple against at least one other major contender in the tablet area: Research in Motion. Its BlackBerry PlayBook has been a dud. Handsets with the new BlackBerry 10 operating system won't be available until the next quarter, and its applications have languished. But RIM has 80 million subscribers, and many enterprises will want to wait at least several months to see the new products.
The upshot is that the iPad mini is just one more choice, though a strong one, that enterprises will have to evaluate when determining their computing strategies.
Yes, if Windows 8 results in many people switching to Apple and/or keeping Windows 7 as long as possible, it could harm Microsoft's bottom line. There's definitely a learning curve with Windows 8 -- even with hardware designed for it (touch screen + touchpad) -- and a frustration curve (that might not be overcome) without appropriate hardware.
The iPad mini doesn't generate that level of frustration!
I certainly agree that enterprises still running Windows XP have a greater incentive to upgrade to Windows 8 for the reasons you discussed and also because there are some good features for consumers and enterprises that definitely make it useful to upgrade from XP and, perhaps, somewhat useful to upgrade from Windows 7 to 8.
Also, with all new Windows PCs bundled with Windows 8, people will be getting it whether they want it or not (the ability to downgrade notwithstanding). This could spark people to consider Windows Phone 8 and/or a Windows RT/Windows 8 Pro tablet.
However, the dramatic Metro GUI change in Windows 8 and the advantage of buying new hardware or new accessories optimized for 8, might give many consumers and some enterprises pause. If they have to use a different paradigm, perhaps it might be time to switch to OS X. After all, many employees already bring their iPhones and iPads to work, and many enterprises are testing or rolling out iPads. We'll see how much enterprises want the iPad mini in the next six to 12 months.
I very much agree, Alan. For MSFT to get a strong foothold in the mobile market, it would seem that the time to strike is now -- and that they've got to strike hard. Clearly the Win 8 strategy is about that.
That said, the timing in relation to XP's phaseout and organizations' migration plans (or lack thereof in some cases!) is an added bonus. For those who haven't yet migrated to Win 7, and are now further pushed by the fact that 1) they are now TWO OS's behind and 2) the hourglass sands on XP support are fast running out, the thinking is all the more likely to be, "Hmm... we haven't upgraded yet... so we may as well skip Win 7 and go straight to Win 8, to be as ahead of the curve as we can." This will only feed into MSFT's strategy all the more -- spurring further adoption of Win 8 mobile devices for those organizations who adopt it.
I think Microsoft is looking at a much bigger picture. It's seeing the change in usage from desktops and many laptops to smartphones and tablets. And, it has been rushing to get Windows 8 ready for the holidays, although it missed the school buying season.
Although Microsoft makes money whether people upgrade to Windows 7 or 8, Windows 8 is about the changing use of devices.
Yes, the tragedy of Apple fandom. The Oatmeal summed it up nicely here.
One wonders if part of the rhyme and reason behind the timing of Win 8's release (other than to get a leg up on the mobile market) is to further spur Win 7 adoption by the XP-clingers.
Apple's hardware margins typically have remained high, but its pricing on some products has become competitive or relatively so. Two examples: the iPad and MacBook Air. Since their introduction, manufacturers have struggled to develop tablets and notebooks (i.e., Ultrabooks) that offer the design, fit and finish, capabilities -- and prices -- of these two products.
The Verge's editor-in-chief, Joshua Topolsky, called seven-inch tablets "toys" compared to the iPad mini because of the quality of the mini's construction. I think he later relented, somewhat.
Owning an Apple product says a variety of things about a person, at least based on generalizations. The products do appeal to people who care about -- or who want to be seen as caring about -- design.
Owning the newest of anything is a statement, especially Apple products, which is why some people are very upset that Apple introduced another new 9.7-inch iPad, thus making theirs (and mine!) old news.
Of course, enterprises often don't care much about new. Indeed, in many instances, such as new operating systems, newness could be a disadvantage (Hello Windows 8 v.1).
It's interesting to see these business models colliding: Apple needs to maintain its hardware margins, but it's now producing a device much closer to that produced by companies which don't. Hence, I guess, Amazon's insistence that the Kindle Fire outperforms the iPad mini in some respects.
Re: "Of course there will be cheap Asian knockoffs of the iPad mini. But with the cost of the Amazon Kindle and the Nexus tablets at $200 or less, there's less incentive for many people to buy junk."
...excepting, of course, that there is a large contingent of people who will buy a polished you-know-what so long as it has the Apple logo on it. These fanbois/fangrrls would be the primary target market.
Apple is more than a product; it's a fashion statement.
The ThinkerNet does not reflect the views of TechWeb. The ThinkerNet is an informal means of communication to members and visitors of the Internet Evolution site. Individual authors are chosen by Internet Evolution to blog. Neither Internet Evolution nor TechWeb assume responsibility for comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and ThinkerNet bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose.
In the past few weeks, Evernote, Twitter, and LinkedIn have implemented an optional security feature: two-step verification. It's time -- perhaps even past due -- for enterprises to consider offering this feature as well.
A horror story could unfold if Gartner is correct that many businesses will soon be forcing their employees to bring their own devices to work. It might seem like great news to people who want to use their own gear, but the policy could turn ugly for both employees and IT departments.
The apartment and house sharing service, Airbnb, now requires members to verify their identities by demonstrating a presence on the web, and by either scanning a government ID or entering detailed personal details. Other enterprises should take a close look at Airbnb's verification policies.
Enterprises must keep a close eye on the Marketplace Fairness Act, now before Congress, which would allow a nationwide sales tax on US online purchases. The bill's enactment will affect every business that operates or buys from an e-commerce website.
Samsung Electronics recently announced two Galaxy Mega branded phones with enormous screens -- 5.8 inches and 6.3 inches -- that could be useful for enterprises, especially those in vertical markets.
A survey by JD Powers found that customer interest in product features is lessening as phones evolve. Rather than features, price is driving purchases, and that change could have a dramatic impact on how IT departments secure these devices.
The decision could discourage innovators looking to the past, and require companies to build from the ground up, leading to a new generation of stagnation in the IT world.
Analysts, writers, and – most recently – Steve Jobs have been condemning cellular phone fragmentation. Alan says, "Phooey! Fragmentation is a good thing!"
New tools like laptops, tablets, smartphone, and wireless connectivity let us work from San Diego to Katmandu, and anywhere in between. But time management remains a problem.
Companies need to take advantage of new technologies to simplify interfaces, improve capabilities, and enhance back-office processes. But they can't upgrade their Websites too often.
The iPad Mini is the latest iteration of the exploding tablet category. Because most tablets are WiFi-only, they create a new kind of mobile network. The problem is that we don't have issues like roaming and security defined for this new world.
A recent release of the popular TweetDeck app for Twitter power-users gives new life to software that had previously taken a wrong turn. Here's a quick walk-through of the new TweetDeck, to show you why it should be at the top of your Twitter toolkit.
Big-data and analytics tools enable marketers to understand customers as individuals, identifying unmet needs and addressing each customer as a "segment of one," says John Kennedy, VP corporate marketing, IBM.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
So here we are, the last day of the 2013 US Open Golf Championship at Merion, and Phil Mickelson -- who has been a US Open runner-up five times now but never taken the trophy -- is right up there at the top of the leaderboard.
Expert Integrated Systems: Changing the Experience & Economics of IT In this e-book, we take an in-depth look at these expert integrated systems -- what they are, how they work, and how they have the potential to help CIOs achieve dramatic savings while restoring IT's role as business innovator. READ THIS eBOOK
your weekly update of news, analysis, and
opinion from Internet Evolution - FREE! REGISTER HERE
Wanted! Site Moderators Internet Evolution is looking for a handful of readers to help moderate the message boards on our site – as well as engaging in high-IQ conversation with the industry mavens on our thinkerNet blogosphere. The job comes with various perks, bags of kudos, and GIANT bragging rights. Interested?
To save this item to your list of favorite Internet Evolution content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
Email This
