The iPad is an attractive device. With the Apple operating system, it does not have the vulnerability of Windows based systems to viruses. A user like me who is interested in e-books finds that the iPad, like a laptop can be equipped with software to open different e book formats. For middle aged users like me, the larger screen makes it very attractive.
But being the first kid on the block with the latest technology has its disadvantages. In addition to being a guinea pig for all the unforseen glitches, it costs a lot to have the latest model of anything. $500.00 for the most basic iPad is still a nice piece of change. But soon, according to the Financial Times, there will be cheap knockoffs of the iPad coming on the market, some that will sell for as little as $100.oo. The Financial Times reports as follows.
“Tablets priced at about $100 will be unveiled at Computex in Taiwan, which begins Monday – the first major trade show since the release of the iPad in April.
Such low-cost tablets are part of a trend in the PC industry as component costs fall, with laptops and netbooks attracting low-cost competitors from relatively tiny companies across Asia.
Small Asian manufacturers such as Eken, G-Link, Bluesky and Kinstone will all be unveiling their iPad-lite models from Monday.”
It will be interesting to see what Apple will do to meet the competition. They will continue to have an edge over any device that uses Windows. Many people who switch to Apple computers find higher speed and less glitches. I have an easy time installing applications on a laptop or a notebook. But e readers have far less versatility. A tablet with dimensions like an iPad offers the same advantage as a laptop with far greater compactness. I wish I had known that before I bought an e -reader.
I visited the Archos Web Site. They really do offer a lot more tablet for a lot less money. They have a 7 inch tablet for $199. Additionally, they have a line of 5 inch tablets for as little as $249.00. $499.99 will get you a 500 GB hard drive.
I am looking forward to seeing what comes out of the Computex electronics show in Taiwan. It seems that guys like me who grew up with rotary dial phones and wait for the price to come down and the glitches to get ironed out may really have something to look forward to. I look forward to the savings. sometimes, it’s worthwhile to wait.
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