Lenovo CEO Says Apple Will Not Be Able to Sustain the iPad’s Current Dominance

[Maura]

John Paczkowski at All Things D writes today that Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanquing has been talking to The Financial Times about the iPad, saying that he thinks that Lenovo’s forthcoming line up of Windows and Android tablets will put the company right up there alongside Apple, and that Lenovo would be “one of the strongest players in this area.†As Paczkowski points out, this is despite the fact that last week it was reported that Apple had overtaken Lenovo in terms of revenue in greater China for the first time in 10 years, with Apple’s Q2 China sales reaching $3.8 billion. Yang said that he thinks Lenovo will succeed because its tablets will be able to reach more people as they will be, for want of a better word, cheaper than the iPad. He added that he thinks the tablet market will eventually diversify, in the same way that the PC market did after IBM’s initial dominance.

Source: Lenovo: Apple Can't Dominate Tablet Market Forever - John Paczkowski - Mobile - AllThingsD

 

[Kaykaykay]

Blah blah blah. Deliver useful products and let them do the talking.

I say that as someone with many Lenovo products. I want to see the products, not hear the hot air.

 

[thewitt]

I think it's fair to say that Lenovo will dominate in the Windows tablet market - but belief that the market will move to Windows is a common misconception. They will likely have 20% of the market in the next year. Still a sizeable chunk, but no chance to dominate.

-t

 

[silvertemplar]

Didn't HP also say something like this?

...look what happened

 

[thewitt]

HP owns the WebOS market....

-t

 

[jrcrewe]

They've got a "tough row to hoe".

 

[Destroyer]

I like see companies trying..!! because makes Apple keep improving itself.!

Sent from my iPad using iPF

 

[Hasty]

What's worrying is that he believes his own hype.

 

[docfreed]

The Guy Is Worng...

and a jerk besides - anyone who would bring out a $500+ Tablet (ThinkPad) with Android after the HP debacle probably shouldn't be running a technology business!

 

[Kaykaykay]

and a jerk besides - anyone who would bring out a $500+ Tablet (ThinkPad) with Android after the HP debacle probably shouldn't be running a technology business!

Isn't he saying in the article that $500 is too much? He seems to be signaling that Lenovo tablets will be cheaper, so lots of Chinese will be able to afford them.

Pricing is important, but value harder to produce. So bring on a Lenovo tablet, and let's see. As a shopper, I like choice. But I have a feeling that what a typical Chinese consumer can afford might not appeal to a Western consumer. I'm open to being surprised, though.

 

[thewitt]

They will have very aggressive entry level pricing. They always do. Quality is only ok though.

-t

 

[jsh1120]

At the risk of poking Apple fanboys with a stick, the Lenovo CEO isn't just talking through his hat. The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet released this week includes significant advantages over the iPad for business users and corporations.

() Standard USB and micro-sd suppport with full encryption for local storage.
() Micro USB support for displays.
() Pressure sensitive digitizing stylus and built-in digitizing software.
() Optional folio case with Lenovo keyboard. (Best in the business.)
() Built-in corporate email support
() Built-in Documents to Go.
() Built-in VPN support.
() Custom software installation with central IT control for corporate customers.
() And a number of other features that are either unavailable on the iPad or available only as extra cost apps.

All this at the price of an iPad.

Is it an iPad killer in the consumer marketplace? Of course not. But any corporate or government IT department may well find it to be a much better device when they're purchasing tablets by the gross.

And individual business users may well find many of the same features to be attractive.

 

[thewitt]

Only time will tell of course, but Lenovo has a lot of catching up to do to match the iPad sales volume of 170,000 units a day...

-t

 

[jsh1120]

Only time will tell of course, but Lenovo has a lot of catching up to do to match the iPad sales volume of 170,000 units a day...

-t

Well, that isn't going to happen. Ever. But a Porsche model will never sell as well as a Camry, either. And just as iPads have cut into low priced laptop sales, less expensive tablets will almost undoubtedly take market share from iPads.

Apple undertook a novel pricing strategy (for them) with the iPad, pricing it very aggressively for the quality of the unit. As a result it has taken (and will still take) other manufacturers awhile to match that price point with similar quality devices.

But as the Lenovo ThinkPad tablet demonstrates, other manufacturers have an option of appealing to specific markets with value added devices at a similar price point and/or lower quality devices at lower price points. In the US, I don't expect the latter approach to be especially successful, especially in the mass consumer market. But value added products such as the ThinkPad tablet have an opportunity to make a significant dent with corporate and government markets.

 

[HoJo]

At the risk of poking Apple fanboys with a stick, the Lenovo CEO isn't just talking through his hat. The Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet released this week includes significant advantages over the iPad for business users and corporations.

() Standard USB and micro-sd suppport with full encryption for local storage.
() Micro USB support for displays.
() Pressure sensitive digitizing stylus and built-in digitizing software.
() Optional folio case with Lenovo keyboard. (Best in the business.)
() Built-in corporate email support
() Built-in Documents to Go.
() Built-in VPN support.
() Custom software installation with central IT control for corporate customers.
() And a number of other features that are either unavailable on the iPad or available only as extra cost apps.

All this at the price of an iPad.

Is it an iPad killer in the consumer marketplace? Of course not. But any corporate or government IT department may well find it to be a much better device when they're purchasing tablets by the gross.

And individual business users may well find many of the same features to be attractive.

USB reminds me of cassette players...