The tablet market is arguably the hottest in the technology industry right now. Just about every major company, including Apple, Motorola, RIM, and a slew of others are trying to capitalize on the trend and score as much market share as possible. HP is no different. Earlier this year, the company unveiled its plans for the future of its tablet division, the TouchPad. That device, which is scheduled to launch this year, is running a new version of WebOS, the operating system that HP got when it acquired Palm. And TouchPad is shaping up to be a potentially worthwhile option for customers that don’t know which tablet they want to buy. However, in order for HP to generate interest from those customers and cement its position in the tablet space, the company will need to follow several important strategies. It can’t allow the TouchPad to hit store shelves with a whimper. The time has come for HP to use all the many tools at its disposal to stake a claim to the tablet space and put Apple on notice. Here's how.
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Applications Are Important
Earlier this year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed that there are now 65,000 iPad apps available to customers. That’s important. The more apps available to tablets, the more likely those devices are to succeed. If HP wants to see its TouchPad succeed, it will need to work with developers to bring as many apps to its platform as possible.
The iPad 2 Is the Real Competition
It’s easy to get caught up with all the companies offering tablets in the space and think that they’re all competitors. But until the iPad 2 is supplanted as the top tablet in the marketplace, HP should focus its efforts on competing with that device. The iPad 2 is the device every other tablet maker must beat. And HP is no different.
PCs Could Be the Trojan Horse
HP says that it wants to bring WebOS to its PCs going forward. That’s a smart move. If it can make people grow accustomed to WebOS on the company’s line of laptops and desktops, it can go a long way in improving its standing in the tablet market. HP must commit its future strategy to bringing WebOS to every PC it sells.
4G Is Integral
One of the biggest issues with Apple’s iPad 2 is that it doesn’t allow users to connect to a 4G network. If HP wants to be a leader in the tablet market -- and it should -- the company must deliver 4G in its TouchPad. It has plans to do so later this year, but the sooner it can bring a 4G tablet to the market, the better.
Marketing Reigns Supreme
Apple has been such a success in today’s mobile marketplace because of its unique ability to drum up demand for its products through effective marketing. Other companies in the space, including Motorola and RIM, haven’t been nearly as effective at marketing their tablets. HP must learn from that and offer up some catchy ads that get people thinking about buying its TouchPad.
It Can Be For Both the Enterprise And Consumers
HP has the luxury of being a company that operates in both the consumer and enterprise market. That’s quite unique in the tablet space. Apple is a consumer-focused company, while RIM is appealing most to enterprise customers. HP might be able to win out in the tablet space if it can deliver devices over the next few years that appeal to both of those markets. It should keep that in mind.
Pricing Is Extremely Important
Pricing continues to be the Achilles Heel in today’s tablet market. Apple has set the standard for how tablets should be priced, and every other company must fall in line behind that. However, unlike RIM and Motorola, HP can’t attempt to match iPad pricing or charge more for its tablet than Apple is asking of consumers for the iPad 2. The TouchPad should be slightly cheaper than the iPad 2. That could help HP’s sales in the tablet space.
Show the iPad 2 Similarities
Interestingly, tablet vendors right now are doing everything they can to show how their products are different from the iPad 2. The only issue with that is consumers don’t necessarily want different products. They know that the iPad 2 is the benchmark for tablets right now, and they want to know that they can get much of its functionality in other products. Unlike other tablet vendors, HP should show that its upcoming tablet has many similarities to the iPad 2, including a big, 9.7-inch display.
Forget Palm
One of the last things HP should do is remind anyone that Palm was the creator of WebOS. Palm was a failure in the mobile market that turned consumers and enterprise customers away. HP has its own vision with WebOS and the mobile market, and it needs to stay true to that.
Ignore Android’s Threat
Everywhere one turns, they hear about the growing number of Android tablets coming to the marketplace this year. However, it should be noted that so far, Android-based devices haven’t caught on. And whether or not they will this year is decidedly up for debate. For now, HP should ignore any threat Android might pose to its operation. For now, Android is just another trailing operating system in the tablet space.
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