10 Companies That Understand the Value of Tablets
1. Apple
Apple arguably understands tablets more than any other firm in the space. The company was the first to deliver a worthwhile tablet in the iPad, and by the looks of things, its iPad 2 could be just as appealing this year. What that means for competitors is anyone's guess. But at least right now, Apple understands tablets better than any other company.
The tablet market is poised for serious growth in 2011. Apple, Google, RIM, and several other companies plan to capitalize on that growth with hardware or software (or both). And in the process, the companies will be attempting to appeal to both consumers and enterprise customers. In the consumer space, it'll be somewhat difficult for companies to overcome Apple. The hardware company has a long history of delivering outstanding products, and the iPad is currently the dominant force in the tablet space. Google's Android platform is expected to come on strong this year with the help of the Motorola Xoom tablet, among others. In the enterprise, it might be a bit easier to gauge success. A couple of companies—Cisco and RIM—are planning to offer enterprise-focused tablets this year. They will be flanked by Apple's iPad and possibly a few other devices that could crossover and appeal to corporate users. Combine all that and it quickly becomes clear that 2011 will be a big year for tablets. But before any company or consumer runs out to pick up a tablet, they should be aware that a relatively small selection of firms actually understand the value of tablets. And those companies that actually "get" it should be trusted with tablet investment this year. Read on to find out which companies actually understand the value of tablets.