Forbes: Has The Nexus 7 Put Apple On The Defensive?

[Babyfacemagee]

An interesting article appears in today's Forbes titled "Mossberg, Pogue, Siegler: Google's Nexus 7 Trifecta Is Complete".  In it, reporter Brian Caulfield discusses the unusual and unprecedented watershed of having three of tech's biggest Apple cheerleaders, Walt Mossberg of The Wall Street Journal, David Pogue of The New York Times and Venture Capitalist/TechCrunch columnist MG Siegler all heap praise on Google's new tablet.

Here's some sample of quotes by the three about Google's new baby:

Pogue-

[T]he iPad still makes a far more compelling total package (hardware, software, store). But at 9.7 inches, you’ll never fit that puppy into your breast pocket. If something smaller and lighter and far less expensive appeals to you, you’ll be thrilled by the Nexus 7, even if you have to wait awhile before you can find everything you want to read, watch and play on it.

Mossberg-

“After testing the Nexus 7 for a couple of weeks, I consider it the best Android tablet I’ve used. It’s a serious alternative to both Apple’s larger $499 iPad and to a more direct rival: Amazon’s $199, Android-based, 7-inch Kindle Fire. I prefer the Nexus 7 to 7-inch models from Google partners like Samsung, whose comparable product costs $250.”

and finally Siegler-

Having used a 7-inch tablet for the past week, I now see it as an absolute no-brainer that Apple has to make an iPad with this form factor as well. Of course, such rumors have been swirling for a while — and now the smoke seems too thick for there not to be a fire. It’s coming — but when it does, Apple will find itself in a position it hasn’t been in for some time: being a second-mover to a good product already on the market

Now interestingly this all coincides with reports of course that Apple is working on a device that former (and now deceased) CEO Steve Jobs said would never happen;  An iPad Mini.  Mr. Caulfield concludes that with all the usual Apple mouthpieces lauding the strengths of the Nexus 7 Apple will have no choice but to enter a market it all but wrote off as unnecessary and in a strange turn of events will be entering a market that it probably didn't intend to until others proved it worthwhile. 

So what are your thoughts about a Nexus 7 vs. iPad Mini?  Is the Android onslaught all but inevitablet (after all Android OS phones now outsell iPhones 54% to 36%) or could an iPad Mini put a halt to the Nexus 7's success?   Has Google caught Apple sleeping on the 7 inch tablet watch?



Full article:  Forbes

[comiskeybum]

If Apple decides to build one it will certainly start a war that is for sure. 

However, consider this, Google is making very little or no profit per unit, is Apple willing to do that? 

Think about how much that retina display cost and all that jazz, can a $200 price point cover all that?  I find it hard to believe it can because look how much an iPod touch cost with a smaller form factor. 

But hey if Apple wants to go to war im all for it because competition brings good things.

[radiocycle]

Well, in the early years apple was not as proprietary as they have turned out to be.  Personally, these days I would never own an ipad or any other i product.   The 'closed door' attitude of Apple is antithetical to any open source platform and bad for the web,  in general.   

[ibm650]

If Apple decides to build one it will certainly start a war that is for sure. 

However, consider this, Google is making very little or no profit per unit, is Apple willing to do that? 

Think about how much that retina display cost and all that jazz, can a $200 price point cover all that?  I find it hard to believe it can because look how much an iPod touch cost with a smaller form factor. 

But hey if Apple wants to go to war im all for it because competition brings good things.

Apple can make it cheaper since they are really vertically integrated.  Also, they could start with the 16 gig, saying that gives a good experience.  Sell it for $300, and the 32gig for $400.  They make money on the apps.  And the memory - just as Google did on the 16 gig.  Google charged the same as Apple per gig when you go from 16 to 32gig.