PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
A DigiTimes report suggested that major PC makers including HP, Acer and Dell would cut back on tablet PC efforts, based on hearsay within the ‘upstream supply chain’.
Industry gossips apparently believe that the lack of ‘strong content support’ would leave the firms without the ability to adequately compete against the likes of Apple and Amazon.
The large volume eReader market, now also moving to full-featured Android-based tablets, has spooked PC makers. Competing with generic Windows or Android tablets at Kindle Fire-like aggressive prices is one thing but the lower sales of the iPad 2 over the first generation device has called into question continued consumer enthusiasm for tablets, they said.
Cut-price eReaders are already subsided by manufacturers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble. DigiTimes sources reckoned they would eventually be given away free.
If so it’s hardly surprising the market doesn’t look like the great consumer computing savior that many hoped it would be.
