Is There a "Tablet" Market, or Only an "iPad" Market?

Up to this point, one might realistically have argued that there was not much of a "tablet" market, but mostly an "iPad" market. Whether that will continue remains unknown. The iPad was announced in January of 2010 and close to two years later and the iPad has not only succeeded but has dominated the category that it helped redefine.

Four major competing tablet manufacturers, along with countless other minor efforts, have failed to gain the traction needed to register as much more than a blip on the iPad’s radar. One suspects that something else will be needed to dislodge Apple from sole ownership of the tablet market. Odds are perhaps 50-50 that can be done, based on recent history.

Nobody was able to prevent Apple from creating an "iPod" market out of what was supposed to be the "MP-3 player" market. But smart phones have not become an "iPhone" market. One suspects there is a fair chance Amazon might be the first to make a breakthrough with its Android tablet that will double as an e-reader device, and have access to the full Amazon content ecosystem.

Why the iPad dominates the tablet market