Asus: iPad Rivals On The Way
Netbook maker will roll out several tablet PCs in the coming months. — With just a few days remaining before Apple's first tablet computer hits stores, iPad hype is at a fever pitch. But on a recent visit to the U.S. Jonney Shih, chairman of Apple competitor Asus, was his usual tranquil self.
Context & Ripple Effects
Asus had identified Apple’s tablet plans as early as its 2007 comments on an Apple tablet, and February coverage showed PC makers preparing competing tablets before Apple’s device reached stores. Asus’s rollout plan turns that anticipated response into a named product challenge.
Apple’s shipping iPad software tools and the attention around the approaching launch make the contest more than a hardware comparison: Asus is entering a market where Apple is already establishing an application platform.
First-order effects
- Asus moves from commentary to execution, committing several tablet PCs to compete for buyers drawn to Apple’s imminent iPad launch.
- Apple faces a more immediate challenge to its early tablet mindshare as Asus positions alternatives for release in the coming months.
Second-order effects
- Other PC makers preparing iPad rivals face pressure to define how their devices differ from Apple’s hardware-and-software proposition rather than merely match the tablet form factor.
- Developers and media publishers assessing iPad applications and HTML5 video delivery gain another reason to weigh whether their work should be portable across competing tablet platforms.
Third-order effects
- If multiple PC makers follow Asus into tablets, the category is likely to become a contest between integrated device-and-software platforms and PC vendors’ ability to differentiate hardware.
- The shift points toward tablets becoming a strategic extension of the PC market, with software ecosystems shaping whether manufacturers can avoid competing mainly on specifications.
The trend: PC manufacturers are moving to answer Apple’s tablet launch with competing devices, making platform differentiation as important as hardware design.