14 DAY TRIAL // The iPad currently dominates the slate market, but Acer says that, when the Android, Windows, MeeGo and webOS platforms kick off, the share of this slate will drop to 20%-30% or less, depending on how widespread the other types of slates become and how aggressively their makers market them.
Basically, the iPad has been on top of this segment because it practically created it and has, so far, not had any sort of competition to speak of.
Mainly, the multimedia capabilities, portability and touch input are the main assets of such products, and PC makers seek to steal some of Apple's share.
Providing Flash support will, naturally, be one of the main selling points of rival slates, but the new devices will also benefit from the functionality inherent in their operating systems and, of course, hardware.
Earlier this year, the leader of ARM Holdings claimed that its chips will power half of all tablets, and this would add strength to its position as major supplier of mobile processor.
Now, Acer reportedly claims that the iPad losing a sizable part of its share is quite inevitable, given that Android is just about far along in development to support slates.
The most important factor here is that tens of companies already support Android, and this practically ensures that it will be used in a large amount of such gadgets.
Digitimes says that the aforementioned estimate of 20-30% was actually given by Acer Chairman JT Wang in an interview.
Basically, Apple will have its hands full with competing with all the IT players that intend to secure a slice of this emerging market.
As for what Acer itself plans, a slate pre-loaded with Google's Android OS should make an appearance by year's end or in early 2011. What remains to be seen is just how the market actually evolves.