iPad at 60% and Android with 30% of Tablet Market; But Hard to Blieve Playbook with 3.3%

With all the talk about how well the iPad is well, you would still think that it controls 80-90% of the market still.  For better or for worse, the iPad accounts for more than 60% of the market while Android now has 30%.  The rest is split between "others".

However, the first that released the report, Strategy Analytics, have been known to skew things one way or another.  And there is no indication of how they account for the tablets - Android for smartphones installed on tablets or Honeycomb on tablets.  

Regardless, this is a clear indication that the tablet market is viable and is beyond just a niche market for Apple's iPad.  Even Windows 7 tablets have its fans as well with 4.6% of the market.

All the numbers above in of itself seem believable until you take into account RIM's numbers.  3.3%.  with 500K shipped and RIM unwilling to divulge the actual sell-through number, we can only assume that SA's report needs to be taken with a grain of salt.  Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that some of Windows 7 tablets are in actuality laptops.  As far as anyone knows, according to Gartner's way of differentiating between tablets and PCs, there are no Windows 7 tablets.

I'm sure we'll hear more on this front from other companies that release these kinds of reports.  And obviously, they will all vary becuase of the methodology in gather the data and accounting for what is or isn't a tablet.

I am force to conclude that the SA report has a lot of errors and fudging of numbers.  

Source: Phone Arena, BRG.

Apple's Cash: Focus Should Be On Investing For the Future and Disrupting Market, Not Dividends or Share Buyback

Here we go again.  With $76 billion in the bank, stupid people on Wall Street and greed hedge funds are asking for stock buybacks and dividends. People, do me a favor if you're near someone who is asking or writing saying that Apple should use the cash to buy back shares or give money back to shareholders (I've got a couple of Apple shares myself), rudely change the subject and take their laptop and slam it against the wall.

Had Apple done what these idiots said they should, Apple may not have had the resources to outbid Google for the Nortel patents.  Or Apple would have put itself in a position where it could not have cash for other uses.  

Had Apple done what these idiots said they should, Apple may not have had the resources to prepaid for the LCD screens, memory for the iOS devices, or research into the unibody Macbook designs.  

Had Apple done what these idiots said they should, Apple would not have a $76 billion figure that scare the scrap out of competitors – if you think Samsung is copying Apple now, just imagine what would have happened if Apple did not have the cash to influence Samsung with long-term deals to source components from them.

So, if anyone wants to talk about Apple's cash, talk about how they can use it to increase the value of Apple for stockholders.  Investment for the future. 

This Forbes post has 4 ideas.  While I'm lukewarm towards most of them, this is better than stupid chatter coming from old-school Wall Street talk.  I like the video game idea.  I also like the concept of entering new markets.  Forbes mentioned HDTV. 

So, more talk about laying the ground work for the future and less about what Wall Street wants.

Another Mobile Patent Bidding War Brewing

Google lost to Apple in the Nortel round but it looks like Patent Bidding War II is coming real soon.  According to MacdailyNews via Bloomberg, a company most of us never heard of, InterDigital Inc, has hired a banker to help them auction off 1,300 mobile related patents.  

The value is considered to be worth more than $3.1 billion.  Considering that the Nortel bidding opened with a $900 million bid from Google and ended up being $4.5 billion offered by Apple and friends, this could cost the winner quite a bit.

Apple and Google are obvious contenders as are the parties involved in the Nortel bid.  And judging by the sickening $11 billion added to the bank by Apple in the third quarter, Apple and a couple of anti-Android companies can go nuts (Google added $3.5 billion...which in and of itself is no small change either).

What I like to see is that HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and maybe Lenovo help Google out.  The last time, Sony, an Android device maker, sided with Apple while Intel was the only one  with deep pockets to side with Google.

On another point, will Apple, Microsoft, and RIM work together to thwart Google again?  RIM, despite losing share in the marketplace is still very rich and Microsoft has enough cash to throw $8.5 billion at Skype.  

It would so awesome if someone could live-blog the bidding.

Source: MacDailyNews, Bloomberg

Beginner Tips On Recording Video With Mobile Devices - Stability and Editing

Hundreds of housands of people join the rank of becoming mobile warriors by activating a various of mobile devices - Blackberries, Androids, and iPhones.  And they're treated with 720p video capture and some very decent camera for still shots.  But it's the video that is become more and more popular each day.

iSmashPhone has some simple tips for beginners on capturing video. Head over for a read.  they provide some common sense tips that we sometimes don't think about all that much if we are in the middle of trying to capture a moment.

Stability, stability, stability.  That is key for anyone trying to capture video or take a still shot.  I'm notorious for making people feel ill after looking at my video.  But I'm working on making better video.

Also on editing, you might want to consider spending a few bucks (I wouldn't pay for more than $5 - iMovie for the iPhone is $5) and do some quick edits.  Seriously, raw footages are sooo 2000s.  These days, you'll want to be able to jazz your video up with your own music, some scene changes, and even themes.  

Why Are Blogs Suddenly Waking Up To Old T-Mobile Data Plans; New Value Plans Is Where Focus Should Be

T-Mobile supposedly released new data plans that do no include penalties if the subscriber goes over the limitation of the data plan.  I thought it was like this all along.  Interesting that this is just now getting attention by several blog sites.  It's the upcoming value plans that allow family or multi-line plans to share data that is more significant.

In the past, T-Mobile had always advertised its plans as unlimited.  And once a certain allotment of 3G access has been reached, T-Mobile will throttle the user down to EDGE speed  Of course, this pales in comparison to true unlimited data plans offered by Sprint.  Still, what T-Mobile is doing is better than the two biggest and most greedy mobile carriers, ATT and Verizon Wireless do:  they charge customers extra for going over their data rations.

What is more significant is the new value plans is T-Mobile is offer. They offer data plans even for family with different amounts of 3G data.  Once those limits have been reached, T-Mobile will throttle everyone back down to EDGE speed until the beginning of the next billing cycle.

I can totally be convinced of this of going this route.  I just recently got a new Virgin Mobile plan with 300 minutes of talk time and unlimited data for $25.  I also picked up an iPhone with unlimited data with Verizon.  I had plan on switch over from our family from T-Mobile to Verizon but this could change things for me.

T-Mobile has always been a strong supporter of Android especially with the awesome HTC Sensation.  And I wonder just how the rumored T-Mobile iPhone will fit into this.

Source: TmoNews, Light Reading

Apple's Stock Up - Not As Much As You Think

Apple' stock is now up on a slow Wall Street day.  And after blowing even the most ambitious estimates out of the water, Apple's stock isn't doing as well as Google did when their quarterly earning also vastly exceeded estimates.

As of this post, Apple is up little more than 3%.  Seriously, Wall Street, show some respect here.  What other company are you going to find that has this kind of earnings potentials for years to come.$7.3 Billion in profit and $11 billion more added to its piggy bank.  

What more do you want?

Loop Insight Chat With Apple Execs

Loop Insight was lucky enough to chat with some Apple executives regarding today's Lion release and the refreshed Macbook Airs and Mac Minis.

I came away from the post thinking "differently" regarding Thunderbolt cinema display.  As mentioned in the post, it is the perfect docking station.  There isn't a whole new device that you have to hook your Air or Macbook Pro to.  Just a cord.  

I suppose it is one of those things that you don't think about until someone mentions it.  Maybe a Mac Mini with 8 GB could be in play here...

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