Who cares about the iPad mini?

Earlier this week Apple sent invitations to the media for the launch of a new product to be held next week. In its usual style, Apple did not mention the product, instead, the invitation read, ‘We've got a little more to show you.’

Apple is expected to be launching a new iPad mini device which will be smaller, more portable and less expensive than the iPad.

While the numbers are healthier in Australia, Apple has lost 29 per cent of the tablet market over the past year in the US and the iPad Mini is expected to be the product to claw back some of that market share.

Research company Telsyte has estimated that 15 per cent of the Australian population owns a tablet computer and this figure is expected to double to 30 per cent in 2013.

For more information visit The Age.

The world's richest company

At the start of the year, Apple passed ExxonMobil as the world’s richest company. With high demand for their products which sell out on launch day, low production costs and the majority of their products being sold through third parties, Apple has the perfect business model. But increasing demand for tablet computers, more technically advanced systems and higher quality Apps over the coming years, means that Apple is expected to lose its stranglehold on the tablet market.

The quality of competition in the tablet space has picked up over the past nine months with several products standing up strongly against the iPad or even surpassing it. The main advantage for Apple in the tablet space is that a large portion of mobile users who have owned a smartphone, have at one time owned an iPhone. Humans are resistant to change and learning a new operating system can be a nightmare. This certainly works in Apple’s favour. To a lesser extent, the other distinguishing feature is the Apple Store.

I remember purchasing my first Android operated smartphone about two and a half years ago. It was more technically advanced than the iPhone with a faster processor, higher quality camera and was able to set up a wireless hotspot (iPhones at this time couldn’t). The major issue I encountered was that companies were focusing on creating an iPhone application first and then a year later releasing an Android copy. I eventually gave in and moved back to the iPhone. The landscape has changed significantly since then and that is why you have seen a large uptake in non-Apple smartphone and tablet technology. Unfortunately, an App barrier still exists and will remain until Apple’s dominance is halted.

For those who are generally interested in the iPad mini, if the rumours are all true, the product will be convenient as it will fit in a bag (or hand bag) with ease and allow you to email, surf the internet, read eBooks, play games, write documents, listen to music, watch movies, take photos and many other operations. The iPad mini is expected to be much more affordable than the full-sized iPad, but we will have to wait and see.

Do you have an iPad? Will you sell your iPad to upgrade to the mini?