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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Jumping on the tablet bandwagon

Dell just announced that it is going to release a 7 inch tablet in the coming weeks, followed shortly by 3, 4 and 10 inch versions. Similar to Blackberry's decision to go with an alternative OS for its PlayBook, Dell will also do something interesting. The new tablet will be running on Google's Android smartphone OS. I'm not sure if Dell is the first traditional computer maker to move towards Google's OS. Given that Google's foray into devices with the Nexus One did not turn out so great, I believe the company has made the correct strategic decision to allow a trusted name in computers to handle the device aspect of its entry into the tablet wars. While Michael Dell did say that some of the other versions of the tablet would be offered with the Window's OS, it seems that Microsoft is going to have to play catch up fairly quickly.
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2 comments:

  1. Aaron BondSeptember 30, 2010 at 5:17 PM

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  2. Aaron BondSeptember 30, 2010 at 5:30 PM

    From Dell's perspective, partnering with Android seems a pretty easy choice. It gives them immediate access to a growing catalog of applications, which is the true driver for tablet purchases. And it helps ensure complementary development to improve the user experience. I know Apple has pioneered the slick hardware and interface that many people swear by, but I have to imagine the actual tablet hardware will soon become a commodity, and it will be the OS and apps that drive sales. Since Dell can't partner with Apple, who's the next logical choice? Google. My feeling is that Dell needed this partnership much more than Google, given Dell's recent poor performance in PCs and laptops and the need to find sustainable new profits sources. It would be interesting to see how their financial agreements are structured to see if Google is extracting a premium, even though it is helping them launch into the tablet market, as Dan points out. And I bet Dell had to make some tablets with Microsoft's OS just to keep them happy, considering their broader partnership.

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