14 DAY TRIAL // In a less than typical episode of man's creation turning against him, it might just be that all the Android 3.0-loaded tablets released so far, along with those set to come out, will end up causing more problems that profit for their makers.
Regardless of what most believed early last year (2010), there is no doubt that tablets grew fast and well as a market.
Still, even though most notebook and smartphone makers thought they'd finally nailed it during MWC (Mobile World Congress) and CeBIT, things did not go exactly as planned.
Basically, while a bunch of slates running the Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) OS did get launched, the iPad 2 came soon after and slammed the segment with a much more affordable price.
What some also discovered was that Android 3.0 has some problems when it comes to applications and battery longevity.
Coupled with the fact that the number of applications in the Android Market is small compared to those in the Apple App Store, things may only get more complicated the more slates come out.
Granted, such models aren't nearly as expensive as some Windows 7 ones, like the (admittedly powerful) ASUS Eee Slate EP121, which will start shipping on April 10.
Still, a recent report indicates that continuing in their quest to deal in tablets might end up hurting companies more than aiding them grow as a business.
ASUS itself seems to be careful about its dealings, having apparently decided to not promote its Eee Pad Transformer in the US and the UK.
The Android 3.0, 10.1-inch model did get released in Taiwan early, but direct competition with Apple and other smartphone makers is said to be something that the company wants to avoid.
What remains is to see just how the rest of those involved in the slate segment decide to go about things.