iPad 3 out!

[d000hg]

Only apple fanbois would pay an extra £100 for some metal casing worth about £10

They don't. IPad2 costs £329 for 16Gb with WiFi. That's almost exactly the same as top-end Android tabs.
Unlike laptops, Apple prices are on a par with Android/MS for both smartphones and tablets.

[russell]

I've got meself one, flogged my iPad 1 and gone for a new 32GB as my old 16GB one ran out of space too quickly.

I reckon Android will be sidelined to oblivion in the tablet market by Win 8 and iOS sooner rather than later.

"Research company Canalys estimated in Q2 2009 that Android had a 2.8% share of worldwide smartphone shipments.[119] By Q4 2010 this had grown to 33% of the market, becoming the top-selling smartphone platform. This estimate includes the Tapas and OMS variants of Android.[21] By Q3 2011 Gartner estimates more than half (52.5%) of the smartphone market belongs to Android"

Same will happen on tablets.

[Durbs]

Same will happen on tablets.

There have been umpteen Android tablet of all different shapes and sizes released by umpteen different manufacturers.

None of them have been any good (with a couple of exceptions) and none have sold any significant number (with no exceptions, even Samsung who are at the top end of Android sales admit they have done poorly in the tablet market).

Given Win 8 is looming and the Kindle will be making its way over here, why would this suddenly change?

If you want the best and can afford it you get iPad, if you want something for productivity that is similar to the desktop you use daily, you get Windows 8. If you want a cheap tablet to play with, read books and consume media, you get Kindle Fire. Where does Android fall in that?

The manufacturers who have lost £big on Android will now be turning a keen eye towards Microsoft.

[NickFitz]

It's a fecking mobile phone you fool

No it isn't. It's a handheld computer that happens to have phone capabilities built in.

Personally I hate telephones and never use them. Antiquated Victorian technology. I'd prefer it if telephony was abolished.

[Durbs]

I'd prefer it if telephony was abolished.

Amen to that. I'm often chastised for refusing to ever pick the house phone up when it rings. I just stand and glare at it suspiciously until it stops making noise.

[doodab]

Amen to that. I'm often chastised for refusing to ever pick the house phone up when it rings. I just stand and glare at it suspiciously until it stops making noise.

ms doodab always rings the house phone, as if I'm going to run the length of the house to pick it up. Just text me woman, then I can read it and decide whether to ignore it or not. If you phone me I'll always err on the side of caution

[amcdonald]

No it isn't. It's a handheld computer that happens to have phone capabilities built in.

Personally I hate telephones and never use them. Antiquated Victorian technology. I'd prefer it if telephony was abolished.

Not according to HMRC, officially it's a smart phone

[AtW]

Given Win 8 is looming and the Kindle will be making its way over here, why would this suddenly change?

I don't think Windows 8 will be a big threat to Apple or Android in mobile devices, if anything it will hurt Microsoft on desktop.

[AtW]

It's a handheld computer that happens to have phone capabilities built in.

It's a mobile phone with some computer capabilities build in.

HTH

[lilelvis2000]

I don't think Windows 8 will be a big threat to Apple or Android in mobile devices, if anything it will hurt Microsoft on desktop.

Windows 8 will probably kill off Blackberry IMHO.