2011, Year of the Tablet?

frontwave writes "After the huge success of the iPad, with over 4 million units sold since its introduction, all major hardware vendors of PCs and mobile devices are coming out with new tablets in the next few months, including Apple with a smaller version of the popular product. Analysts estimate the market for tablet devices (over 6" screen size) to be around 25 million units for 2011."

Comments

Heh

[anomnomnomymous]

Including Apple with a smaller version of the popular product.

And let me guess; You can also call with this one?

Re:Heh

[Albanach]

I make phone calls all the time on my iPad via Skype...

Hey, I can't see you. Is your camera turned on?

Re:Heh

[TheKidWho]

Apparently you don't seem to understand what a phone call is.

të largohen nga ky vend

Re:Heh

[BlueKitties]

Calling the iPod a smaller version of the iPad is like calling a flip phone a small netbook, or calling a Nook a small TV. Try actually spending time with a device before making comparisons. They are similar in many ways, but the usability difference is a sharp contrast.

Re:Heh

[BrokenHalo]

Calling the iPod a smaller version of the iPad is like calling a flip phone a small netbook...

Not really. The iPod Touch and the iPad have more similarities than differences, and there's little point in discussing usability, since that is entirely at the mercy of Apple.

The iPad looks very attractive, but it is essentially (like that manufacturer's other handheld products) just a media box. From my point of view, Apple has missed the boat. I would have welcomed an iPad that ran OS X with the bells that come with it, most particularly the *nix shell of my choice (zsh if anyone cares).

In other words, what I really is a tablet computer, not just a locked-in box that dishes up any trinkets and baubles that Apple cares to sell me.

Re:Heh

[catmistake]

From my point of view, Apple has missed the boat. I would have welcomed an iPad that ran OS X with the bells that come with it, most particularly the *nix shell of my choice (zsh if anyone cares)

I thought the exact same thing. But I thought I'd give it 10 days of a trial before returning it and sticking it to Apple. You'd be surprised. Just try getting it away from me now. I never really use my laptop anymore... well, not directly. I use it now mostly as a media server. Want zsh? There's oodles of ssh apps that will allow you to connect to your Linux server to satisfy your shell tooth.

In other words, what I really is a tablet computer, not just a locked-in box that dishes up any trinkets and baubles that Apple cares to sell me.

Not so much. What you really is closed minded, like I used be.

Re:Heh

[hairyfeet]

While I'm sure there are a few geeks like you that can figure out a way to do something constructive with it, the reason I've seen for the crazy sales of iPhone 4 (even after all the phone problems) and iPad living by a college is explained in this video. Sadly talking to many of the college kids I had almost that exact same conversation. Hell my 67 year old dad is talking about getting an iPhone 4. when I pointed out he can't even figure out how to text with his Samsung and got him to admit what made the iPhone 4 so appealing to him, it was the other contractors have it and he doesn't want to be out of style.

You know, we really should give old Steve Jobs a hell of a lot more credit than we do. While one could argue the success of the early Apple was due to Woz building damned good designs, with the new Apple Jobs took a company that was DOA and thanks to his marketing brilliance made them the "must have" product. Hell even when he puts out a boner like iPhone 4 they sell by the semi load! I swear that man could put a fricking brick in a box and have a million selling hit, give credit where credit is due. Sadly even though the tablets in TFA will probably have nicer hardware, more features, and be cheaper to boot, they will most likely all bomb hard. As we saw with MSFT and first tablets, then HTPCs, then Vista and Zune, what you are selling doesn't matter as much as how you sell it and that seems to be something these companies don't get, while Steve has built an empire on it. So here's to you Steve, I bet you could sell ice cream to Eskimos.

Useless prediction

[BadAnalogyGuy]

I'm just going to go ahead and call it.

2011: Year of the soap bar

Re:Useless prediction

[Moridineas]

Tablets are going to be popular and then they'll be gone like Betamax.

Why do you believe that?

Re:Useless prediction

[Anonymous Coward]

"Tablets are going to be popular and then they'll be gone like Betamax."

Why do you believe that?

Because like most people on Slashdot, he mindlessly rejects that people are getting value out of a product that he has decided he hates because he can't install Linux or Apache on it. Every time someone says iPad, at least 500 Slashdot users blow a gasket and start ranting about how the machine is useless to them and therefore there is nobody in the world who is correct about it being a good purchase. Heaven forbid that some of us like the app store and don't give a shit about the lack of flash on the device.

Those of us who bought them and make regular use of them will continue to happily use them. Mine could in no way replace my work laptop, but it wasn't bought to do the same things as I do on my laptop. In fact, it was bought to do all sorts of things that I don't do with my laptop, and as far away from a desk as I can manage. In fact, sitting in a recliner or on a sofa is one of the most common ways I use my iPad. Sitting in an airplane seat is another place I'd rather have an iPad.

Re:Useless prediction

[BergZ]

Binarylarry's reasons almost certainly have to be more than just "Apple hate" because he didn't even single out the iPad.
He has declared that all tablets are just a fad.

Another overblown bit of hype

[Sonny Yatsen]

I'm seriously waiting for this tablet hysteria to die down. In 2007/2008, it was netbooks and nowadays we barely hear a peep about them.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[frontwave]

The BBC called the iPad "a glorified toy", but the numbers are there: 4 million units in less than 5 months. I just try to look at the business market. Tablets are for hardware vendors what 3D is for TV now: an opportunity to raise profits. The mobile market is where people make money now

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[Sonny Yatsen]

I'm not saying it's not going to sell. I'm saying I'm waiting for the breathless superlatives to die down.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[matty619]

I don't think its going away. I think in a couple years, the current ipad will look like a cruel joke, but the form factor will most definitely thrive, and schools will probably be the deciding factor on winners and losers. Make a tablet cheap enough to loose, rugged enough to survive a year in the hands of a 4th grader, and open enough to to become everything to everyone, and it will become ubiquitous.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[Nursie]

That's mostly because they stopped selling the good ones. The attraction went away when they got bug (11+ inches), and stopped using solid state storage. At that point they were just cheap underpowered laptops.

And also the netbook has now been done. We don't hear much about how amazing laptops are here on /. either, do we?

But I think they still sell a few of those.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[poetmatt]

things get a rush of hype, and then it dies down. It doesn't mean the product loses relevance, it means it doesn't keep getting pushed for hype by advertisers.

You don't think this hype actually comes from the public, do you?

No, it comes from advertisers and publishers, driven by the seller of said product. Consumers just carry the hype.

Netbooks are still around, but yes, you don't hear about em as being hyped so much. In a couple years? Same with tablet.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[bhartman34]

The fact that 4 million people bought one doesn't mean it's not a toy. It just means that 4 million people bought a toy.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[dubbreak]

I'd say netbooks aren't and weren't overblown, they filled and still fill a niche in the market that regular laptops don't and tablets can't.

Yup. For the service guys at my work netbooks have been a blessing. They can take them to the field easily to attach to in field equipment. They are light and rugged enough for field work and are so cost effective that it becomes possible to carry a backup unit that gets left in the truck or hotel in case of failure. For the stuff they do a laptop is overkill (in both processing power and size + weight) and for the cost of a decently rugged laptop you can buy a bunch of netbooks.

I almost bought my wife a netbook for her blog surfing (to replace the aging bulky laptop she currently uses), but I'm glad I waited as an Android based tablet fits her usage even better (and costs less). I'm holding on a bit before jumping as I haven't seen enough reviews yet, but something like this $168 china sourced Android 2.1 tablet would probably suit her perfectly. I'm waiting on seeing some reviews before I pull the trigger on that particular one. At that cheap it's I can justify some risk.. but I'd like to read at least one review to mitigate the risk of it being complete junk.

I'm excited about the proliferation of low cost tablets. There are a lot of usage scenarios that they suit better than any other form factor (just as there are niche uses for netbooks). Let's face it, most people don't need the power of a full blown desktop or laptop. As a software developer that likes playing with media (RAW photos, movies etc) I DO need the horsepower, but for people like my wife or situations like my coworkers that just need to run configuration applications a netbook or tablet fits the bill perfectly.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[Albanach]

In Q2 2010, PC makers shipped a combined 82.5 million devices. HP and Dell combined to ship over 25 million computers.

Over the course of a year, that's 330 million PCs. Assuming each one has a life span of four years, that puts 1.32 billion PCs in use.

Apple have achieved great sales numbers with the iPad. I've no doubt that they created a new market segment (though one that would likely have been created anyway). It's still useful to be able to place that 4m number in comparison with the billion plus computers already out there (and able to run Flash too!).

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[Anonymous Coward]

The iPad is an *excellent* toy. My sister has one and loaded it up with educational materials for her kids. We decided to order take-out one night from a place we hadn't tried yet. I searched for the place on the iPad then passed it around so everyone could look at the menu and order what they wanted. My friend used his as a portable video player to show movies from his last vacation. It's not something I'd carry around with me like one does a cell phone, but I've seen how convenient it can be.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[morgan_greywolf]

I think that the tablet is basically just a specialized form of smartphone. These gadgets have been predicted to replace the personal computer, and things are moving in that direction with smartphone GPUs, wireless graphics, etc.

The writing's on the wall: laptops and PCs will be replaced by smartphones (and tablets) as everyday computing devices for most of the public.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[shadowrat]

I work in an industry where we have historically bought US$3k+ touch screen devices to be the basis of kiosks. To our clients, the ipad is a miracle. It completely surpasses the hardware they were used to at a fraction of the price. From my perspective the ipad is every bit the piece of killer hardware the hype says it is and more.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[Dutchmaan]

I'm not so sure. The ipad/tablets are just taking the place of netbooks. In my opinion netbooks were just underpowered and cramped laptops. The ipad/tablets remove the cramped aspect of the netbook and slap on a touch based gui. It seems to me that it's just the natural evolution of the netbook, taking it's shortcomings and addressing them. So I suppose if netbooks were a toy to you, then by all means, believe that the ipad is a toy as well.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[uncanny]

I'm not so sure. The ipad/tablets are just taking the place of netbooks. In my opinion netbooks were just underpowered and cramped laptops. The ipad/tablets remove the cramped aspect of the netbook and slap on a touch based gui. It seems to me that it's just the natural evolution of the netbook, taking it's shortcomings and addressing them. So I suppose if netbooks were a toy to you, then by all means, believe that the ipad is a toy as well.

At least with netbooks you could put whatever you wanted on them (performance permitting) , upgrade them, etc... I might be interested in an iPad if they could run linux.

Re:Another overblown bit of hype

[bhartman34]

I'm not so sure. The ipad/tablets are just taking the place of netbooks. In my opinion netbooks were just underpowered and cramped laptops. The ipad/tablets remove the cramped aspect of the netbook and slap on a touch based gui. It seems to me that it's just the natural evolution of the netbook, taking it's shortcomings and addressing them. So I suppose if netbooks were a toy to you, then by all means, believe that the ipad is a toy as well.

You're missing one of the important aspects of netbooks. They run real operating systems (i.e., not phone OSes). They don't limit you to whatever the manufacturer (be it Apple or anyone else) wants to sell you in their app store.

I'd also take issue with the idea that removing the keyboard eliminates the "cramped aspect of a netbook". You can rip out the steering wheel in a car to get more space, but have you really gained anything? Typing on a netbook may not be a dream come true, but it's a damn sight better than "typing" on a piece of glass.

Another difference that can't be overstated is the black box problem. With an OS like iOS, you don't have any access to anything under the GUI, and the GUI itself only gives you the most shallow of access. Even those applications that do give you folder access on the iPod (and, presumably, the iPad) have to be run from the desktop.

Now, is this all some people need? Sure. There are a lot of people who can get by never having to type a long document, or do content creation on their devices. But these people aren't using their iPads for work. They've got real jobs that require more horsepower. They're using their iPads as toys.

Doubt it

[Darkman, Walkin Dude]

I think apple is riding on its marketing success with the iphone which rode on the marketing success of the ipod, and the other manufacturers are just chasing to keep up. In terms of utility I don't find tablets all that great, unless maybe someone comes up with a colour, solar powered, ruggedised ebook reader, then I'll buy two. I'd call it a pad fad until then. I know there will be hundreds of comments detailing all the wonderful uses they have found for the tablet, but I can't think of many my laptop doesn't do a lot better.

Re:Doubt it

[riegel]

I think apple is riding on its marketing success with the iphone which rode on the marketing success of the ipod.

Or perhaps people like devices that pack a lot of functionality into a small footprint.

I'm old but I loved the walkman because it was small. I loved the iPod because it was small, I love my iPhone because it is small, and I love the small size of the iPad.

Re:Doubt it

[Abcd1234]

In terms of utility I don't find tablets all that great

A little contrast: I'm a programmer and a power user, with, god, 15 years of Linux under my belt. I recently replaced my Palm TX with a 4g Touch, mainly for use as an ereader and music player, and yet suddenly I find myself using it instead of pulling out my laptop for certain things. Want to check my email? Browse my RSS feeds? Look up a wikipedia article? (Yes, I admit it) Check Facebook? All these things work great on my touch. But it's often that I really wish it had a larger screen... the instant on, always connected convenience is awesome, Safari is an impressive piece of work, and the high-res display means the touch is decent for web browsing, but a larger screen would be perfect. As such, I can conclude that I would likely find myself completely replacing my laptop with a tablet for idle internet noodling if such a device was available to me.

'course, as always, I'm going to wait a hardware generation or two before I take the plunge. But I can definitely see a tablet filling a niche in my day-to-day life.

Re:Doubt it

[syousef]

I'm a programmer and a power user, with, god

I've heard that fanboism could take on almost religious fervour, but that just takes the cake! ;-)

Wrong

[SkankinMonkey]

I thought 2011 was going to be the year of Linux on the desktop?

Re:Wrong

[wjousts]

2012 will be the year of the Linux tablet! You heard it here first!

Notion Ink's Adam

[sverrehu]

What? No mention of the Pixel Qi -based Adam? This is the one I'm waiting for.
http://notionink.wordpress.com/
http://www.notionink.in/

I doubt it.

[PhilipTheHermit]

Tablets have traditionally been used in realms like manufacturing and maintenance, where they replace the clipboards technicians used to carry around. They're useful for activities in which you're running around collecting data (i.e. checking inventory in a warehouse) or going through checklists (i.e. doing maintenance checks on an aircraft's engines). But how useful are they as general-purpose computing devices?

We already have desktops and laptops, which are much better at general-purpose computing than tablets.

We already have smartphones for our mobile computing needs.

We have e-Book readers for carrying books around with us. They're getting programmable too.

Someone tell me: what do we need tablets FOR? What can they do that our other gear doesn't already do more effectively?

They don't seem that useful to me, compared to the alternatives.

 

Re:I doubt it.

[The Phantom Mensch]

They are computers for folks that don't do "general purpose" computing. Folks that want to browse some websites, check their facebook and e-mail, carry their photos around and play some games. All without waiting for a general purpose OS to boot or worrying about a virus protection subscription. If a general purpose computer is for folks aged 13-70, iPad like tablets are for the 9-90 year olds.

They're also a good secondary device the rest of us for low intensity after hours computing like the above mentioned activities. The size and screen resolution make them better than smartphones for this, and the instant-on Android/iOS applications environment make them better than netbooks for this.

Re:I doubt it.

[EkriirkE]

I've owned only tablet (convertible) pcs for about 6 years now, in tablet mode the only good uses I use that for are

• web browsing
• video
• reading
• drawing
• many games*
• presentations/demos
• the swiveled screen in laptop mode was handy for sharing my non-projected screen

*I had a toshiba tecra m4 that had a nifty little arrow-key joystick button on the corner which was awesome for RPGs using the pen for mouse. right now i use a smaller fujitsu lifebook which lacks these - when it dies i will look for another one with the thumbstick on the screen bezel

Re:I doubt it.

[ceoyoyo]

So 100% of what the average person would use a notebook for.

Pixel QI Screens

[captrb]

I almost don't care about the operating system of a tablet, as long as it is well supported, as I suspect that in the future many tablet applications with be HTML5-based. But I really really really care about the screen. I want a Pixel QI(OLPC) style screen that works in light emitting and non-emitting mode, so that it can be used as a normal tablet, as an e-reader, and viewed in full sunlight.

Year of the Tablet? Not even close.

[IndustrialComplex]

This is old news. The 5th Dimension called this years ago in their song when they sang,

'This is the dawning of the Age of the Archos.'

Clarification

[Sonny Yatsen]

I'm talking about the hysteria going away, not the tablets themselves. I thought I made that clear, but apparently not.

Serious question to tablet owners

[grasshoppa]

What are you using your tablet for? I have never understood what problem a tablet is trying to solve.

I could see if it was a replacement for something like a notebook ( which I carry around daily ), but current tablets don't do that; the input method is clunky and unwieldy, I can still work significantly faster on my plain old notebook with a pen than a tablet.

So what's it good for?

Re:Serious question to tablet owners

[crunzh]

I use mine to watch video and surf on the train when commuting. Better at this than a netbook. Its instant on, good battery and easy to use when not have much space and a bumpy ride.

Re:Serious question to tablet owners

[zero0ne]

Enterprise system administrator here.

_IF_ we had wifi setup in our building I can see a HUGE use for this in my daily activities.

Update a ticket? use the tablet to update it while you are on the PC dong the work. without one, I usually forget by the end of the day as I just want to leave.

Need to re-image a PC using Altiris / KACE / OPSI / other home grown app? go to the site, log in, and queue up the jobs / tasks necessary for that asset.

Those are just the ones that come to my head.

Hell, regarding tickets / work done, you could create a area for the user to sign his name after you complete the work so that if they ever try to come back at you and say you didn't do it right or it was never completed, you have their sig right there!

Re:Serious question to tablet owners

[hoggoth]

I sit in my big swivel chair in the middle of the room looking at a giant projection screen at the front and have a pretty girl in a mini-skirt come up to me with an iPad to sign some workflow forms, all while I bark commands at my friends stationed around the perimeter of the room.

It doesn't get better than this.

Year of the X

[koterica]

Can 2012 be the year of the not-saying-"the year of the ___"-anymore? Please?

Re:Year of the X

[EkriirkE]

2012 is already the year of the Apocalypse. Therefore, 2013 will not be a year of anything.

iPad Mini... or Nano?!

[e065c8515d206cb0e190]

And if you actually make it really tiny, you could call it the iPad Shuffle

No, Apple is not

[SuperKendall]

I know some people have tried to spread the RUMOR that Apple is making a 7" tablet, but I just don't see it happing. Size is too weird being in-beteen the current iPad and the Touch.

Frankly to me a 7" tablet makes no sense. Part of what makes the iPad really nice to read or browse is the size. What makes the iPod Touch and iPhone so nice is portability.

A 7" tablet is what you make when you get engineers driving specs: "Well how can we make it priced around the iPad with quality parts", or "How to we make it light enough to hold for a long time". Rather than thinking about how easy the final result is to use they optimize for cost or weight without thinking how it will really effect people using the device.

The iPad optimized for readability and features, the Kindle optimized (very well) for long term use and dedication to reading. The smaller tablets coming out (including the Samsung), I just don't know how they will fare.

If anyone will succeed at all it would be Samsung, they are the ones to watch for sure.

Does transitivity hold?

[bobdotorg]

If I put Linux on my tablet.

And put my tablet on the desktop.

Would that make 2011 the year of Linux on the desktop?

Getac E100

[flyingfsck]

Here you go: www.getac.com It is not solar powered, but it is direct sunlight readable and rugged.

Re:Mixed feelings

[zorro-z]

Before anyone comments, I know that the iPad OS was a big part of its success.

Yes they do

[SuperKendall]

I could see if it was a replacement for something like a notebook ( which I carry around daily ), but current tablets don't do that; the input method is clunky and unwieldy

I had no problems typing notes on an iPad at a conference. It's much easier to type on them directly than you seem to think.

Tablets are great for travel, much lighter and better battery life. They are also good for more casual use around the house, like quickly looking up things or in the kitchen.

Larger version of I-Pad

[darth_borehd]

I heard apple is coming out with a larger version of the I-Pad as well. The Max-I-Pad.

Android better have a non-contract tablet

[rsborg]

If Android is going to really "flood the market" with tablets, it better revise it's decision to require a carrier contract to allow Market access. What use is a tablet that doesn't have the biggest storefront available for that OS? There's no way they're going to compete with Apple on price if they require contracts... I already have a contract for my smartphone, I can't afford a 2nd one just for data on a non-primary device.

Because it fits IN a notebook!

[hellfire]

A traditional laptop basically requires you to unfold the setup, and sometimes plug in peripherals depending on if you like trackpoints or trackpads or neither (I personally hate both, traditional mice for me). An iPad requires you to hit the screen power button and viola, it's on and everything is there you need. I'm directly interacting with the electronic book page or web page. The motions feel nature and are easy to learn.

Also an iPad is more about getting information and content out, not putting information in. Touch screens work fine for writing short specific messages. Keyboards will be better input devices until touchscreens become as accurate and fast as keyboards, and some people even buy keyboards for their iPad. And even if you did have a physical keyboard, you could just whip out the iPad and check the scores or read the news without it so many times it's optional.

With an iPad you are getting an extra level of physical convenience that is quite real. If that's not for you that's fine, it's not meant for everyone. Tablets are suddenly the en vogue because when the iPad was first released, all the other tech companies said "me too!" Now these same companies are saying "shit we are losing laptop sales, we better get our asses moving." I can't speak to say if other tablets will offer a total package that is useful and competitive with the iPad. Right now we can only say what the iPad does vs everything else.

Re:Rumor!

[clang_jangle]

That's no capsule, it's a suppository!

Butt seriously, considering that worldwide mobile phone sales totaled 269.1 million units in the first quarter of 2009, 4 million iPads isn't that big a deal. I know an awful lot of people, and only two of them own iPads.

Huge success? Really?

[erroneus]

I think it is too early to call them a huge success. The Yugo, by this standard, was a huge success of a car. After all, a lot of people bought them and at one time, there was a LOT of them on the road.

Before we start calling this a success, we should wait to see if people are still using them in another year... or a couple more years. A successful product is one, like the palm pilot. That gadget was wildly successful. It was in many pockets, briefcases and hands for a very long time... some people are still using theirs. (Personally, I didn't think it would catch on...I was wrong)

So far, I know three iPad owners. Of those three, exactly 0 of them are still carrying it around with them. That's right. They carried them around for about a month before I no longer notice them carrying it. Do they still play with it? Maybe... maybe at home. They certainly don't bring it to work with them any longer. That sampling is certainly not large enough to establish a trend, but it is certainly within my expectations.

Give me one I can use out doors

[Shivetya]

I don't care if it is the same size or not, but when trying both an iPad and Kindle outside its laughable.

The first company to deliver a e-paper quality screen in color is going to rake in the money.

I want a tablet that a) I can use in all lighting conditions, but will accept needing a light source b) will not be horribly put out money wise if I drop it/it walks

Serious answer

[dazedNconfuzed]

1.5 pounds, smaller than a sheet of paper, no unfolding & setup, instant on, always connected. What's not to solve?

Key thing most miss: it's not an outright computer replacement. It gives you about 80% of what you need a computer for, anywhere anytime. You don't have to drag around the mass storage, bulky input devices, larger screen, etc. you need for about 20% of your use. To the contrary, by putting 80% of what you do on a tiny superduperportable tablet, you're freed to leave a big bulky powerhouse computer behind, rather than trying to cram everything into a compromise notebook shell.

Re:There are some things to work out yet...

[ceoyoyo]

"Solving the input problem. Virtual keyboards are virtually awful. Maybe integrate a snap-on BT keyboard?"

The iPad will work with pretty much any bluetooth keyboard you care to use. If you buy the adapter it will also work with many USB keyboards.

"Easy to use on the couch? Have you tried it? Will someone make Chumby-style beanbag 'covers' for tablets? If only they had a cupholder, perfect!"

Yes, yes, and I'm pretty sure someone already does.

"Screen size is in opposition to portability. Show me the folding or pull-out screen, something like a windowshade. Is this technology anywhweres near production? Well, I guess I'll be waiting a while."

No. Yes, I guess you will. Meanwhile the rest of the world will be enjoying their tablets that are the oppressive surface area of a sheet of paper.

Re:Apple offers more than red and blue

[BarryJacobsen]

Apple is coming out with a easy to swallow capsule.

Red or Blue??

Silver, charcoal, purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red and pink. ;-)

I think you mean Chrome, Charcoal, Grape, Blueberry, Lime, Lemon, Tangerine, Rose, and Bubblegum.

Re:Rumor!

[BarryJacobsen]

I know an awful lot of people, and only two of them own iPads.

I know an awful lot of people and none of them live in China. There can't be that many people in China...

Sorry, but...

[mcgrew]

2012 is the year of my retirement eligibility, AND the year the Mayan calendar comes to an end.