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5. The Headstart
At the iPad's debut last year, Steve Jobs joked that the last time people talked about a tablet so much, "It had some commandments written on it." The claim was barely an exaggeration. Tablet computers had existed for years, but most of them ran Windows and required a stylus. Make no mistake: Apple birthed this market in every sense of the word.
The iPad was both unprecedented and a logical step forward—built on the back of the slate form-factor and app-based operating system pioneered by the iPhone. Now that Cupertino is out in front on a playing field of its own design, its competitors are running a familiar game of catch-up. The first iPad competitors, rushed to market by third-tier hardware firms (plus Samsung running an overstretched version of Android), were clearly inferior in both design and user experience. But now that Google has finally built the first comparable OS with Android Honeycomb, we'll soon see some tablets that are actually worth the second look. Even still, the competition will have a hard time overtaking the team that invented the rules.
4. The Price Point
At a $499 starting point, the iPad is pretty aggressively priced when you think about it. Most smart phones retail in a similar range when unsubsidized, and many netbooks are even more expensive. For evidence of just how difficult it is to bring in a premiere device of this kind at this price point, look no further than Motorola's much-anticipated Xoom tablet, which is rumored to cost $799 even with a Verizon contract. Ouch.
3. No Carrier Required
The iPhone was a runaway success that claimed nearly a third of the market share for smart phones by itself at its peak... even though it was only available on one of the four major carriers. But being limited by AT&T put a ceiling on the phone's reach, and the array of smart phones running Android on all carriers recently surpassed it.
No such restraints will exist for the iPad, which is available in its WiFi-only incarnation without a carrier or service plan at all. Even if competitors can sell their tabs without a carrier (which is not a given looking at the Verizon-pegged Xoom), they will have to compete in a market where nothing stands between consumers and an Apple Store's loving, impeccably designed arms.
2. The App Store and iOS
Android may have edged out iOS, but Apple's App Store is still the number one destination for apps in the world. Just last month, the company announced that its digital shop had sold an incredible 10 billion apps since its launch in 2008. Developers always deliver for iOS devices, and users looking for the most opportunity for gaming and expanded functionality on their tablets know Apple has the goods.
Plus, iOS is still widely considered to be the slickest, most seamless and user-friendly mobile operating system around. As Honeycomb and anticpated platforms from Palm and RIM roll out, they will find the benchmark set pretty high.
1. The Magic Factor
"Magical and revolutionary" may be an overstatement, but at over 15 million sold, there's no denying the iPad has that little extra something that has made Apple the most imitated gadget maker of the last decade. Jobs and Co. know what people want—gorgeous, simple technology that's fun and accessible—and save for a few oversights and hiccups, they've become masters at delivering it. Having one of the fattest marketing budget around doesn't hurt, either.
Google, Samsung, Motorola, HP, and the rest are no slouches. But if they want to take down the title-holder, they've got their work cut out for them... and that's even before the iPad 2. In many ways, the iPad scenario resembles the first time Apple reinvented personal electronics with the iPod and mp3 players.
And everybody knows who won that fight.
