White iPhone 4 coming by end of April

The white iPhone 4 has been much-reported about, but I bet you've never heard this before: a date for its release. The quite evasive white iPhone 4 will finally make its grand debut by the end of this month. The device, which was first announced in summer of 2010, has suffered delays, rumors and speculations about its delay—like light-bleeding problems and troubles with the white paint, being the brunt of the joke, and ultimately efficacy of consumers. Back in October, Apple was quoted as saying that the white iPhone 4 was actually "more challenging to manufacture" than previously expected. They said that it would be available in spring 2011.

That it is, and as such Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is ramping up to release the white iPhone 4 by month's end. People familiar with the matter, who asked to remain anonymous as Apple has yet to publicize its plans, said that the white version of the iPhone 4 would be available on both AT&T and Verizon. One person confirmed that the delay was caused by white paint that would chip and peel under heat. Certainly, this won't go over well with consumers when Apple releases a new iPhone this summer as per usual.

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White iPhone 4 coming by end of April

The white iPhone 4 has been much-reported about, but I bet you've never heard this before: a date for its release. The quite evasive white iPhone 4 will finally make its grand debut by the end of this month. The device, which was first announced in summer of 2010, has suffered delays, rumors and speculations about its delay—like light-bleeding problems and troubles with the white paint, being the brunt of the joke, and ultimately efficacy of consumers. Back in October, Apple was quoted as saying that the white iPhone 4 was actually "more challenging to manufacture" than previously expected. They said that it would be available in spring 2011.

That it is, and as such Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is ramping up to release the white iPhone 4 by month's end. People familiar with the matter, who asked to remain anonymous as Apple has yet to publicize its plans, said that the white version of the iPhone 4 would be available on both AT&T and Verizon. One person confirmed that the delay was caused by white paint that would chip and peel under heat. Certainly, this won't go over well with consumers when Apple releases a new iPhone this summer as per usual.

Read More

Consumer Reports: iPad 2 is rated the highest tablet

Consumer Reports bought the 10 most-promising tablet computers, tested them extensively, and gave the Apple iPad 2 the highest rating. It also concluded that the Motorola Xoom is the iPad 2's chief rival as it has a 10-inch screen but adds conveniences that the iPad lacks, including a built-in memory card reader and Flash support.
Consumer Reports evaluated tablets from Archos, Apple, Dell, Motorola, Samsung, and ViewSonic, against 17 criteria, including touch-screen responsiveness, versatility, portability, screen glare, and ease of use. The 32GB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi plus 3G ($730) scored Excellent in nearly every category. The first-generation iPad ($580), also outscored many of the other models tested but tied with the Motorola Xoom ($800). The largest performance gap was in battery life, which was measured by playing the same video clip continually on each tablet and timing how long it played until the battery ran down. The top-scoring iPad 2 lasted 12.2 hours, but the lowest-rated tablet, the Archos 70 Internet Tablet ($270), lasted just 3.8 hours.
Before choosing a tablet, Consumer Reports recommends that consumers consider the following:

• Many features are almost universal. Easy-to-use touch screens based on capacitive technology are now widely available. All the models Consumer Reports tested feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a front-facing webcam, and GPS capability. Android-based models can be expanded using built-in USB ports or slots for SD flash-memory cards, but the iPad 2 lacks both.
• You get what you pay for. With prices for the best tablets still too high for many budgets, consumers may be tempted by lower-priced competitors. Don't be, says Consumer Reports, whose tests have found the performance of models costing $300 and under to be at best mediocre. Buying a tablet with a data plan may lower the initial cost of the device, but cancelling early may result in a stiff penalty. Otherwise, it might be cheaper to buy a 3G-capable model without a contract.
• Future-proofing will pay off. Hardware specifications don't tell the whole story. Portability, storage capacity, and weight are important. But less obvious differences in software, connectivity, and upgradability are critical too. And with faster 4G data networks becoming more widely available, 4G capability (or at least the ability to upgrade to it) is also a plus.

Apple announced the iPad 2 last month. Less than two weeks ago, it released the device in 25 more countries. While competitors are eager to take on the company, Cupertino is making sure to be a moving target.
"So far, Apple is leading the tablet market in both quality and price, which is unusual for a company whose products are usually premium priced," Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor at Consumer Reports, said in a statement. "However, it's likely we'll see more competitive pricing in tablets as other models begin to hit the market."

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Consumer Reports: iPad 2 is rated the highest tablet

Consumer Reports bought the 10 most-promising tablet computers, tested them extensively, and gave the Apple iPad 2 the highest rating. It also concluded that the Motorola Xoom is the iPad 2's chief rival as it has a 10-inch screen but adds conveniences that the iPad lacks, including a built-in memory card reader and Flash support.
Consumer Reports evaluated tablets from Archos, Apple, Dell, Motorola, Samsung, and ViewSonic, against 17 criteria, including touch-screen responsiveness, versatility, portability, screen glare, and ease of use. The 32GB iPad 2 with Wi-Fi plus 3G ($730) scored Excellent in nearly every category. The first-generation iPad ($580), also outscored many of the other models tested but tied with the Motorola Xoom ($800). The largest performance gap was in battery life, which was measured by playing the same video clip continually on each tablet and timing how long it played until the battery ran down. The top-scoring iPad 2 lasted 12.2 hours, but the lowest-rated tablet, the Archos 70 Internet Tablet ($270), lasted just 3.8 hours.
Before choosing a tablet, Consumer Reports recommends that consumers consider the following:

• Many features are almost universal. Easy-to-use touch screens based on capacitive technology are now widely available. All the models Consumer Reports tested feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a front-facing webcam, and GPS capability. Android-based models can be expanded using built-in USB ports or slots for SD flash-memory cards, but the iPad 2 lacks both.
• You get what you pay for. With prices for the best tablets still too high for many budgets, consumers may be tempted by lower-priced competitors. Don't be, says Consumer Reports, whose tests have found the performance of models costing $300 and under to be at best mediocre. Buying a tablet with a data plan may lower the initial cost of the device, but cancelling early may result in a stiff penalty. Otherwise, it might be cheaper to buy a 3G-capable model without a contract.
• Future-proofing will pay off. Hardware specifications don't tell the whole story. Portability, storage capacity, and weight are important. But less obvious differences in software, connectivity, and upgradability are critical too. And with faster 4G data networks becoming more widely available, 4G capability (or at least the ability to upgrade to it) is also a plus.

Apple announced the iPad 2 last month. Less than two weeks ago, it released the device in 25 more countries. While competitors are eager to take on the company, Cupertino is making sure to be a moving target.
"So far, Apple is leading the tablet market in both quality and price, which is unusual for a company whose products are usually premium priced," Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor at Consumer Reports, said in a statement. "However, it's likely we'll see more competitive pricing in tablets as other models begin to hit the market."

Read More

Ex-Apple exec rolls out phone-based social network

Bill Nguyen, the serial entrepreneur who sold his last company to Apple Inc in 2009, is launching a new cellphone-based social network which aims to challenge Facebook's dominance in social communications beyond the personal computer.

Color is a free smartphone-based application on iPhones and Android devices which lets people in close proximity capture and share their photos, videos and text simultaneously to multiple phones in real time.

With photos and video-sharing being one of the most popular activities on Facebook, Color's founders hope the always-on mobile nature of Color will create a different kind of 'post-PC' social network. Nguyen said social networks and apps were moving users away for PC-based Web many users were initially familiar with.

"This transition to post-PC world is going to be a huge fundamental shift," said Nguyen. "We're sharing more and more information in real-time."

Nguyen, who sold online music start-up Lala to Apple for a reported $80 million, worked with the iPhone maker for just under a year.

In September he raised $14 million in seed funding from Bain Capital Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank. One of Silicon Valley's biggest venture funds Sequoia Capital came on board just before launch with $25 million and another $2 million from Silicon Valley Bank.

Color is a free service with no user names or passwords but Nguyen and his team are hoping to be able to generate revenue through advertising and location-based marketing services.

"People are starting to realize with devices like the iPhone that you can do things on a social network you could never do before on a PC," said Bain Capital Ventures Mike Krupka, who had previously backed Nguyen with Lala.

The company said it will be using the latest round of funding to accelerate its development and infrastructure build-out to analyze large volume location information.

Color recently hired DJ Patil, the chief scientist of business social network LinkedIn. Patil joined Color as its new chief data officer to help analyze the vast amount of data it anticipates as users of the network move from location to location.

Nguyen had previously founded companies like Seven in 2001,

and Onebox before that which he sold in 2001 for $850 million to Phone.com. Color will be his eighth start-up

Read More

Ex-Apple exec rolls out phone-based social network

Bill Nguyen, the serial entrepreneur who sold his last company to Apple Inc in 2009, is launching a new cellphone-based social network which aims to challenge Facebook's dominance in social communications beyond the personal computer.

Color is a free smartphone-based application on iPhones and Android devices which lets people in close proximity capture and share their photos, videos and text simultaneously to multiple phones in real time.

With photos and video-sharing being one of the most popular activities on Facebook, Color's founders hope the always-on mobile nature of Color will create a different kind of 'post-PC' social network. Nguyen said social networks and apps were moving users away for PC-based Web many users were initially familiar with.

"This transition to post-PC world is going to be a huge fundamental shift," said Nguyen. "We're sharing more and more information in real-time."

Nguyen, who sold online music start-up Lala to Apple for a reported $80 million, worked with the iPhone maker for just under a year.

In September he raised $14 million in seed funding from Bain Capital Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank. One of Silicon Valley's biggest venture funds Sequoia Capital came on board just before launch with $25 million and another $2 million from Silicon Valley Bank.

Color is a free service with no user names or passwords but Nguyen and his team are hoping to be able to generate revenue through advertising and location-based marketing services.

"People are starting to realize with devices like the iPhone that you can do things on a social network you could never do before on a PC," said Bain Capital Ventures Mike Krupka, who had previously backed Nguyen with Lala.

The company said it will be using the latest round of funding to accelerate its development and infrastructure build-out to analyze large volume location information.

Color recently hired DJ Patil, the chief scientist of business social network LinkedIn. Patil joined Color as its new chief data officer to help analyze the vast amount of data it anticipates as users of the network move from location to location.

Nguyen had previously founded companies like Seven in 2001,

and Onebox before that which he sold in 2001 for $850 million to Phone.com. Color will be his eighth start-up

Read More

Apple, RIM five others sued for patent infringement

Imperium Holdings has filed suit against various mobile giants including Apple, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Nokia, RIM and Sony Ericsson for infringing on five patents. Filed in the US Texas Eastern District Court on March 18, the case seems to revolve around mobile phone camera technologies:

• U.S. Patent No. 6,271,884: Image flicker reduction with fluorescent lighting.
• U.S. Patent No. 6,838,651: High sensitivity snap shot CMOS image sensor.
• U.S. Patent No. 6,838,715: CMOS image sensor arrangement with reduced pixel light shadowing.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,064,768: Bad pixel correction while preserving features.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,109,535: Semiconductor device for isolating a photodiode to reduce junction leakage.

You're probably wondering who the heck Imperium Holdings is, and so are we. The mystery firm is based in Cayman Islands but has a "place of business" in New York, according to Patently Apple. The mentioned patents are held by two different companies: Conexant Systems and ESS Technology.

Conexant is the assignee on the first patent while the remaining four are owned by ESS. Both tech firms are in California. The former was recently purchased by Golden Gate Capital and its tie to Imperium Holdings is unknown. The latter is a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperium Partners Group.

Naturally, Imperium seeks financial damages, though we haven't seen a specific figure. It's also after a permanent injunction to prohibit Apple and the other companies from further infringing. The filing specifically names the iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Storm 2, and LG Voyager as infringing products.

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Apple, RIM five others sued for patent infringement

Imperium Holdings has filed suit against various mobile giants including Apple, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Nokia, RIM and Sony Ericsson for infringing on five patents. Filed in the US Texas Eastern District Court on March 18, the case seems to revolve around mobile phone camera technologies:

• U.S. Patent No. 6,271,884: Image flicker reduction with fluorescent lighting.
• U.S. Patent No. 6,838,651: High sensitivity snap shot CMOS image sensor.
• U.S. Patent No. 6,838,715: CMOS image sensor arrangement with reduced pixel light shadowing.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,064,768: Bad pixel correction while preserving features.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,109,535: Semiconductor device for isolating a photodiode to reduce junction leakage.

You're probably wondering who the heck Imperium Holdings is, and so are we. The mystery firm is based in Cayman Islands but has a "place of business" in New York, according to Patently Apple. The mentioned patents are held by two different companies: Conexant Systems and ESS Technology.

Conexant is the assignee on the first patent while the remaining four are owned by ESS. Both tech firms are in California. The former was recently purchased by Golden Gate Capital and its tie to Imperium Holdings is unknown. The latter is a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperium Partners Group.

Naturally, Imperium seeks financial damages, though we haven't seen a specific figure. It's also after a permanent injunction to prohibit Apple and the other companies from further infringing. The filing specifically names the iPhone 3G, BlackBerry Storm 2, and LG Voyager as infringing products.

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Apple iPad 2 delayed in Japan

Apple has decided to push back the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan. Last week'searthquake and resulting tsunami is the main reason for the postponement.

"We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to the people of Japan, including our employees and their families, who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy."

The iPad 2 was supposed to debut on March 25, 2011, the device's international launch day. Apple has not disclosed a new launch date for the country.

Earlier this week, Microsoft made the same decision for Internet Explorer 9. The software giant announced that IE9 would be delayed in Japan for the same reasons.

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Apple iPad 2 delayed in Japan

Apple has decided to push back the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan. Last week'searthquake and resulting tsunami is the main reason for the postponement.

"We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to the people of Japan, including our employees and their families, who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy."

The iPad 2 was supposed to debut on March 25, 2011, the device's international launch day. Apple has not disclosed a new launch date for the country.

Earlier this week, Microsoft made the same decision for Internet Explorer 9. The software giant announced that IE9 would be delayed in Japan for the same reasons.

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Apple TV update reportedly causing screen flicker issues with HDMI to DVI adapters

We've seen reports of strange video behavior with Apple TVs before, and it looks like a new problem has now cropped up with the most recent update. According to a growing number of reports on the Apple support forums, those using an HDMI to DVI adapter to connect the device to their TV seem to have been hit with an annoying issue that causes their screen to flicker every few seconds. That's apparently happening with a wide range of TVs, and at least some are also reporting the same thing happening even if they aren't using an adapter. A few folks have apparently been able to fix things in the interim by simply pulling their HDMI cable and plugging it back in, but most are stuck with the annoying issue -- or worse, a downgraded 480p signal. Having some similar issues? Let us know in comments.

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Apple TV update reportedly causing screen flicker issues with HDMI to DVI adapters

We've seen reports of strange video behavior with Apple TVs before, and it looks like a new problem has now cropped up with the most recent update. According to a growing number of reports on the Apple support forums, those using an HDMI to DVI adapter to connect the device to their TV seem to have been hit with an annoying issue that causes their screen to flicker every few seconds. That's apparently happening with a wide range of TVs, and at least some are also reporting the same thing happening even if they aren't using an adapter. A few folks have apparently been able to fix things in the interim by simply pulling their HDMI cable and plugging it back in, but most are stuck with the annoying issue -- or worse, a downgraded 480p signal. Having some similar issues? Let us know in comments.

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IDC: Apple will continue to dominate tablet market

Apple's tablet

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Apple's success in the tablet market in 2010 will continue at least through this year, a new report from market researcher IDC predicts.

According to IDC, 10.1 million tablets were shipped worldwide during the fourth quarter of 2010, easily overshadowing the 4.5 million tablets vendors shipped in the third quarter. During the fourth quarter, Apple's iPad secured 73 percent market share, down from its 93 percent share in the prior period. IDC found that the Samsung Galaxy Tab boasted 17 percent market share in the fourth quarter, well behind Apple, but ahead of a "number of smaller regional players."

All told, IDC found that almost 18 million tablets shipped worldwide in 2010--with Apple nabbing 83 percent of the market, which would come out to around 14.9 million tablets shipped.

Although IDC was relying on shipment figures and not actual sales to customers, Apple CEO Steve Jobs did specifiy sales figures at the iPad 2 unveiling earlier this month. He revealed that Apple sold 15 million iPads to customers in 2010. So basically, it looks like Apple sold every tablet that it shipped.

For its part, Samsung reportedly shipped about 2 million Galaxy Tab units through 2010, but the actual sell-through to consumers was much lower. The company has not revealed how many units were actually sold.

Looking ahead, IDC sees the tablet market growing at a rapid clip. It believes that about 50 million tablets will ship this year as an increasing number of vendors join the fray and consumers continue to warm up to the idea of using such devices.

Regardless, competition from the Motorola Xoom, Research In Motion's upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook, and the scores of other tablets hitting store shelves this year will do little to affect Apple's market share, IDC predicts. The researcher said it believes Apple's iPad will hold onto 70 percent to 80 percent of the tablet market through 2011.

E-readers
IDC also took a look at e-readers. The research firm found that more than 6 million e-readers shipped worldwide during the fourth quarter, helping the sector to tally a total of 12.8 million unit shipments in 2010. Although that put them behind tablets, e-reader shipments were up over 325 percent year over year.

During the fourth quarter, Amazon's Kindle led the way in the e-reader market, taking 48 percent share. That figure was up from the 40 percent market ownership it secured in the third quarter. The Pandigital Novel and the Barnes & Noble Nook took the second and third spots in the fourth quarter, respectively.

One other interesting tidbit: Sony Reader shipments were up 80.7 percent worldwide in the fourth quarter. Total shipments for the device surpassed 800,000 units last year.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20041529-17.html#ixzz1GDXMlT6a

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IDC: Apple will continue to dominate tablet market

Apple's tablet

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Apple's success in the tablet market in 2010 will continue at least through this year, a new report from market researcher IDC predicts.

According to IDC, 10.1 million tablets were shipped worldwide during the fourth quarter of 2010, easily overshadowing the 4.5 million tablets vendors shipped in the third quarter. During the fourth quarter, Apple's iPad secured 73 percent market share, down from its 93 percent share in the prior period. IDC found that the Samsung Galaxy Tab boasted 17 percent market share in the fourth quarter, well behind Apple, but ahead of a "number of smaller regional players."

All told, IDC found that almost 18 million tablets shipped worldwide in 2010--with Apple nabbing 83 percent of the market, which would come out to around 14.9 million tablets shipped.

Although IDC was relying on shipment figures and not actual sales to customers, Apple CEO Steve Jobs did specifiy sales figures at the iPad 2 unveiling earlier this month. He revealed that Apple sold 15 million iPads to customers in 2010. So basically, it looks like Apple sold every tablet that it shipped.

For its part, Samsung reportedly shipped about 2 million Galaxy Tab units through 2010, but the actual sell-through to consumers was much lower. The company has not revealed how many units were actually sold.

Looking ahead, IDC sees the tablet market growing at a rapid clip. It believes that about 50 million tablets will ship this year as an increasing number of vendors join the fray and consumers continue to warm up to the idea of using such devices.

Regardless, competition from the Motorola Xoom, Research In Motion's upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook, and the scores of other tablets hitting store shelves this year will do little to affect Apple's market share, IDC predicts. The researcher said it believes Apple's iPad will hold onto 70 percent to 80 percent of the tablet market through 2011.

E-readers
IDC also took a look at e-readers. The research firm found that more than 6 million e-readers shipped worldwide during the fourth quarter, helping the sector to tally a total of 12.8 million unit shipments in 2010. Although that put them behind tablets, e-reader shipments were up over 325 percent year over year.

During the fourth quarter, Amazon's Kindle led the way in the e-reader market, taking 48 percent share. That figure was up from the 40 percent market ownership it secured in the third quarter. The Pandigital Novel and the Barnes & Noble Nook took the second and third spots in the fourth quarter, respectively.

One other interesting tidbit: Sony Reader shipments were up 80.7 percent worldwide in the fourth quarter. Total shipments for the device surpassed 800,000 units last year.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20041529-17.html#ixzz1GDXMlT6a

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Analyst: iPad 2 could lead to glut of rival tablets

Could the iPad 2 trigger an oversupply of competing tablets?

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Demand for the iPad 2, which goes on sale tomorrow, could hurt rival tablet makers by sticking them with an oversupply of products they may not be able to sell.

That's the outlook of J.P. Morgan Research analyst Mark Moskowitz, who yesterday voiced his opinions in an investors report, which was sent to CNET.

In a race to catch up with the iPad 2 and gain ground in the tablet market, other manufacturers will rev up the launches of their own devices. But they could hit an oversupply bubble during the second half of this year, says the analyst.

Apple and its rivals will collectively build around 81 million tablets for 2011, according to projections by J.P. Morgan. But Moskowitz's forecast calls for only 47.9 million tablets to actually ship this year, leaving many companies with a glut of products stuck in their warehouses. Even accounting for a potential 20 percent dip in the estimate of 81 million would still leave 65.1 million tablets looking for buyers. Overall, the analyst believes that supply could outstrip demand by 17.2 million tablets.

"In our view, the technical and form factor improvements of the iPad 2 stand to make it tougher for the first generation of competitive offerings to play catch-up, meaning actual shipments could fall well short of plan," Moskowitz wrote in the report.

Beyond the tablet makers, manufacturers of individual hardware components also stand to lose by building too many parts for vendors eager to secure them in case the tablet market really jumps.

"Based on our research inputs, tablet makers eager to emulate Apple's meteoric start are trying to secure components with inflated build plans," Moskowitz wrote. "There appears to be a concern among makers that certain components will not be available if tablets take off. Of note, glass displays, processors, and, to a lesser extent, NAND Flash are the components that could be most at risk."

Worries about a market oversupply of tablets and components have hurt semiconductor company ARM, which designs chips for the iPad and other devices, according to Bloomberg. Its shares today took their biggest tumble over the past five months based on fears that the stock may be overpriced and that sales of tablets may not meet expectations.

With the iPad 2 about to land in consumers' hands, competing tablet makers are still plotting their next moves.

Samsung, which released its 7-inch Galaxy Tab late last year, is reportedly set to unveil an 8.9-inch model to join the 10-inch tablet it demoed at Mobile World Congress last month. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is readying its new PlayBook tablet, with some reports saying the device will launch next month. RIM also is planning to release two more tablets before the year is over. And HP has gotten into the act, with its new TouchPad reportedly reaching consumers in April.

Those and many other tablets will join Motorola's new Xoom, which went on sale just two weeks ago.

But Moskowitz believes most of the Apple rivals will face a rough market, especially from consumers who'll be looking for a lot from any iPad rival.

"We have a favorable view of Apple's products and operating model, but given the extraordinary success of the company over the last decade, there are holdouts just as there were with Microsoft before Linux," wrote the analyst. "We think these holdouts will be underwhelmed by the tablet alternatives. Aside from Motorola's Xoom and HP's TouchPad (which does not have a price tag yet), the competitive offerings appear to be light on attraction, in our view."

Read More

Analyst: iPad 2 could lead to glut of rival tablets

Could the iPad 2 trigger an oversupply of competing tablets?

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Demand for the iPad 2, which goes on sale tomorrow, could hurt rival tablet makers by sticking them with an oversupply of products they may not be able to sell.

That's the outlook of J.P. Morgan Research analyst Mark Moskowitz, who yesterday voiced his opinions in an investors report, which was sent to CNET.

In a race to catch up with the iPad 2 and gain ground in the tablet market, other manufacturers will rev up the launches of their own devices. But they could hit an oversupply bubble during the second half of this year, says the analyst.

Apple and its rivals will collectively build around 81 million tablets for 2011, according to projections by J.P. Morgan. But Moskowitz's forecast calls for only 47.9 million tablets to actually ship this year, leaving many companies with a glut of products stuck in their warehouses. Even accounting for a potential 20 percent dip in the estimate of 81 million would still leave 65.1 million tablets looking for buyers. Overall, the analyst believes that supply could outstrip demand by 17.2 million tablets.

"In our view, the technical and form factor improvements of the iPad 2 stand to make it tougher for the first generation of competitive offerings to play catch-up, meaning actual shipments could fall well short of plan," Moskowitz wrote in the report.

Beyond the tablet makers, manufacturers of individual hardware components also stand to lose by building too many parts for vendors eager to secure them in case the tablet market really jumps.

"Based on our research inputs, tablet makers eager to emulate Apple's meteoric start are trying to secure components with inflated build plans," Moskowitz wrote. "There appears to be a concern among makers that certain components will not be available if tablets take off. Of note, glass displays, processors, and, to a lesser extent, NAND Flash are the components that could be most at risk."

Worries about a market oversupply of tablets and components have hurt semiconductor company ARM, which designs chips for the iPad and other devices, according to Bloomberg. Its shares today took their biggest tumble over the past five months based on fears that the stock may be overpriced and that sales of tablets may not meet expectations.

With the iPad 2 about to land in consumers' hands, competing tablet makers are still plotting their next moves.

Samsung, which released its 7-inch Galaxy Tab late last year, is reportedly set to unveil an 8.9-inch model to join the 10-inch tablet it demoed at Mobile World Congress last month. BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is readying its new PlayBook tablet, with some reports saying the device will launch next month. RIM also is planning to release two more tablets before the year is over. And HP has gotten into the act, with its new TouchPad reportedly reaching consumers in April.

Those and many other tablets will join Motorola's new Xoom, which went on sale just two weeks ago.

But Moskowitz believes most of the Apple rivals will face a rough market, especially from consumers who'll be looking for a lot from any iPad rival.

"We have a favorable view of Apple's products and operating model, but given the extraordinary success of the company over the last decade, there are holdouts just as there were with Microsoft before Linux," wrote the analyst. "We think these holdouts will be underwhelmed by the tablet alternatives. Aside from Motorola's Xoom and HP's TouchPad (which does not have a price tag yet), the competitive offerings appear to be light on attraction, in our view."

Read More

Apple offers $100 back to recent iPad customers

When it comes to new gadgets, Apple generally leaves its customers in the dark until the very last minute. Cupertino doesn't unveil a product until days or weeks before it's on store shelves, and even then some ill-informed shoppers just don't get the memo, leaving them to unknowingly purchase "obsolete" products on the eve of a refresh.

That's precisely what happened to many people who recently bought the original iPad, which was replaced this week by a sleeker, faster model. To ease the pain of investing in dated tech, Apple will offer cash back to anyone that purchased a first-generation iPad between February 16 and March 1, the day before Apple unveiled the iPad 2.


US customers will receive $100 while folks overseas will get £100 or €100 -- and that's cold, hard cash, not store credit. To receive compensation, swing by an Apple Store location with your receipt or call the company's customer service (1-800-676-2775) if you purchased your iPad online. The iPad 2, will launch March 11 with a starting price of $499.

Read More

Apple offers $100 back to recent iPad customers

When it comes to new gadgets, Apple generally leaves its customers in the dark until the very last minute. Cupertino doesn't unveil a product until days or weeks before it's on store shelves, and even then some ill-informed shoppers just don't get the memo, leaving them to unknowingly purchase "obsolete" products on the eve of a refresh.

That's precisely what happened to many people who recently bought the original iPad, which was replaced this week by a sleeker, faster model. To ease the pain of investing in dated tech, Apple will offer cash back to anyone that purchased a first-generation iPad between February 16 and March 1, the day before Apple unveiled the iPad 2.


US customers will receive $100 while folks overseas will get £100 or €100 -- and that's cold, hard cash, not store credit. To receive compensation, swing by an Apple Store location with your receipt or call the company's customer service (1-800-676-2775) if you purchased your iPad online. The iPad 2, will launch March 11 with a starting price of $499.

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We're liveblogging from Apple's iPad 2 event tomorrow... be there!

There's really no telling what could happen tomorrow at Apple's little event. Sure, the company could talk about its success with iOS devices, how well the iPad has sold, and then introduce a brand new version of the wildly popular tablet... but maybe there'll be surprises too. We can't say for sure at this point, but that's okay, because come 10AM PST (1PM EST), we're going to be delivering all the news as it happens with the industry's best liveblog right here on Engadget.

If you want to follow along with the action, tune into this URL right here at the times below tomorrow. Just make sure you've got the popcorn and sodas ready -- this is going to be a fun one.

08:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
01:00PM - Eastern
06:00PM - London
07:00PM - Paris
09:00PM - Moscow
11:30PM - Mumbai
03:00AM - Tokyo (March 3rd)
05:00AM - Sydney (March 3rd)

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We're liveblogging from Apple's iPad 2 event tomorrow... be there!

There's really no telling what could happen tomorrow at Apple's little event. Sure, the company could talk about its success with iOS devices, how well the iPad has sold, and then introduce a brand new version of the wildly popular tablet... but maybe there'll be surprises too. We can't say for sure at this point, but that's okay, because come 10AM PST (1PM EST), we're going to be delivering all the news as it happens with the industry's best liveblog right here on Engadget.

If you want to follow along with the action, tune into this URL right here at the times below tomorrow. Just make sure you've got the popcorn and sodas ready -- this is going to be a fun one.

08:00AM - Hawaii
10:00AM - Pacific
11:00AM - Mountain
12:00PM - Central
01:00PM - Eastern
06:00PM - London
07:00PM - Paris
09:00PM - Moscow
11:30PM - Mumbai
03:00AM - Tokyo (March 3rd)
05:00AM - Sydney (March 3rd)

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