With iPads at similar prices and the possibility of a $199 MS Surface, which that tablet seems to emulate, this Sony tablet looks like another Android failure. I don't understand why they think this was a good idea.
Sony has an entertainment division, music movies games, they have subsidized hardware before with Playstation, why are they not doing that here to put their tablet at a cost that is competitive in the market?
Exactly, don't understand the pricing at all, even if the iPad doesn't have the IR remote and microSD slot, they have Retina display and somewhat better battery life than this, this tablet would be more attractive with $100 cut in prices, and $50 increase on storage upgrade, or current pricing but with additional included accessories (the stand or the cover).
Most of the Xperia phones are properly priced, but electronic devices other than phones from Sony have overconfident pricing.
The iPad has a higher resolution display. Yup, that's it. The Sony tablet has IR remote and microSD slot, so you can go with the ceapest version and add 64GB later. The battery life seems similar. The Sony tablet is lighter. The Sony tablet is $100 cheaper than the iPad. Because you can add an SD-Card a $399 Sony tablet is comparable to a $699 iPad, that's a price difference of $300 - 70$ for the 64GB micro SD-Card results in $230 less money for a 80GB Sony tablet. Because it runs Android you can make full use of BT, connect any BT/USB keyboard, connect any game controler, ... Even if you compare it with the iPad 2, which is definately worse than this tablet, this tablet is still cheaper (micro SD)
The SD slot makes the two higher models the hidden idiot tax. Given that the article isn't very specific, it's possible that it's a SDXC slot. Which makes 64 or even 128GB cards possible for a lot less.
Its quite possible MS will sell the WART tablet for $200.... for a limited time. If I was in their position, I would do it. But MS is doing a lot of stupid things lately... so who knows.
The MS-tablet market share is easily under 1%. Them bitching "Our partners have done poorly in this market" is insulting and stupid as they have YET to release a dedicated TABLET OS and WP7 was never made to work on tablets. A full OS is not needed for tablets... for most people... most won't spend $1000 for an i5 tablet.
So... to build up market share quickly... you sell the 10" tablet at the same price as the $200 7" google and Kindle tablets / $250~300 ipad Mini.
- MS App store is crap - They have almost 0% market share - Few people are buying the Windows Metro Phone.
Look what happened to the HP TouchPad when it sold for $100! A device that every customer KNEW would have no future. They sold out within hours.
It costs about $240 to build a 10" tablet. The WART tablet is only SOLD in the MS-Stores all across the country... you know, all 21 currently open locations. (Apple had about 200 stores when the 1st iPad shipped, not including their Best Buy locations) - so its a bit of a joke. Ha, there isn't one in Dallas nor any near-plans to do so (Apple has 3 stores within a 20 min drive from me).
But, selling directly to customers means MS looses $40 per unit... like a console. If they are able to sell 1 million units before 2013 = $40million in losses... which is not bad. 1 million units in 2~3 months would jump start the WART/Win8 ecosystem.
At $400, only the fanboys will buy it. Nobody else in their right mind would.
I give it a 80% chance we'll see the $200 price... the losses is nothing compared to the long term. And if many of those customers buy 10 Apps or 50+ songs, it'll put MS closer to the black. Then they will raise the price to $300~400. Meanwhile, their partners get shafted... only MS can do this, not Acer, Dell, Asus, etc.
* I own an iPad... I like it. But the recent Apple lawsuit to ban the Samsung Galaxy S III has put Apple on my shit list. I WILL NOT be getting the iPAD4.
I think Microsoft might be giving Microsoft a discount on the Microsoft Windows RT license costs for the Microsoft Surface tablets. What do you think? Sound plausible?
I don't understand why people even consider devices that force installing cough itunes and restrict access even to the non-drm content on them.
On top of it, having to convert everything into idont formats, very comfortable eh?
As for tablets, the major thing one should care about is, the screen. And not some stupid "retina" buzz or resolution, but, COLORS.
Acer or Asus have higher resolution than Samsung's Galaxies, yet you won't seriously consider buying them if you see them next ot each other, the difference is THAT big.
Well Sony has no content network to sell through. SEN (Sony Entertainment Network formerly Qriocity) is just a third party service by omnifone under a Sony brand and is available at essentially no markets, they don't deliver any such services themselves and makes no money of content by selling it themselves basically. Sony are no Amazon and they don't have the majority of their staff in retail stores as Apple. They can't even compete with iTunes. Granted here in Europe iTunes can't really compete either as they don't care to deliver TV and movies or books properly, but Sony is worse and don't even deliver music. As a music business they prefer channels such as Spotify (which they own part of) and whatever competitors that are popular where you are from.
True this is just another Android tablet, but they got no services to tie to it. No retail stores, no digital book sales, movies, content or anything not even software. Not even the Playstation Mobile framework as a certified and exclusive thing. I'm sure they can deliver real and better tablets as they integrate that business into the handset division they are moving to Tokyo though. Sony might be a large company but they don't even make panel/displays for TVs any more or own any share of it and have divested out of it almost entirely and got rid of most of their production sites.
Sony's entertainment companies don't make any money from hardware sales or Sony services basically so there future has to be to make hardware and sell consumer electronics and they have to find ways do design there stuff well, which they should be able to do. But don't expect them to try to take over markets and grow. For example the Optiarc division had only 400 employees but they decided to close it to. The only notable production Sony it self has today that one can instantly think of is Li-ion battery cells. That's some 2800 people. Also another thing that comes to mind is their semiconductor business that produces CMOS (Image) sensors that has some approx. 7300 employees. Despite that Sony isn't as industrial as other Japanese conglomerates. Sony's largely contract manufactured TV's aren't exactly going particularly well either. They are cutting everywhere they can and sadly can't be expected to do much in terms of new products, or to develop any new digital services of their own. Expect them to be very Japan oriented and develop for the Asian markets instead of trying to compete in western markets. I'm sure they can develop great phones and tablets for those markets though. But they are turning less of a production and market leading company and will try to do what they can make money on. They don't have the economics to spend from some cash reserves or anything like that.
$399 for this tablet isn't horribly out of line if we ignore the fact that it is already a better version of a $349 high end remote. Honestly, this is the first Sony tablet that I can see having the potential to draw in a group of *very* loyal customers. $399 isn't a bad price for this tablet period, the additional functionality it has seriously has me considering it(waiting on reviews of course).
I use my iPad a lot in the living room. A click of the button and within a second or two, I'm on the internet looking up something. Having the remote build-in is quite handy.
Since I am no longer in the market for an iPad4... this tablet is higher on the list. BUT, I will have to wait for a newer version. I already have a 1024x768 display, I must have HIGHER resolution. Like 1920x1080 at the very least.
* I own an iPad... I like it. But the recent Apple lawsuit to ban the Samsung Galaxy S III has pissed me off! NOT be getting the iPAD4.
I needed to fill out Temporary Custody Agreement recently and saw a document management site that has lots of sample forms . If others are looking for Temporary Custody Agreement too , here's a <a>"http://goo.gl/GrqQf0"</a>
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stm1185 - Friday, August 31, 2012 - link
With iPads at similar prices and the possibility of a $199 MS Surface, which that tablet seems to emulate, this Sony tablet looks like another Android failure. I don't understand why they think this was a good idea.Sony has an entertainment division, music movies games, they have subsidized hardware before with Playstation, why are they not doing that here to put their tablet at a cost that is competitive in the market?
Malih - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
Exactly, don't understand the pricing at all, even if the iPad doesn't have the IR remote and microSD slot, they have Retina display and somewhat better battery life than this, this tablet would be more attractive with $100 cut in prices, and $50 increase on storage upgrade, or current pricing but with additional included accessories (the stand or the cover).Most of the Xperia phones are properly priced, but electronic devices other than phones from Sony have overconfident pricing.
UpSpin - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
The iPad has a higher resolution display. Yup, that's it.The Sony tablet has IR remote and microSD slot, so you can go with the ceapest version and add 64GB later. The battery life seems similar. The Sony tablet is lighter. The Sony tablet is $100 cheaper than the iPad. Because you can add an SD-Card a $399 Sony tablet is comparable to a $699 iPad, that's a price difference of $300 - 70$ for the 64GB micro SD-Card results in $230 less money for a 80GB Sony tablet. Because it runs Android you can make full use of BT, connect any BT/USB keyboard, connect any game controler, ...
Even if you compare it with the iPad 2, which is definately worse than this tablet, this tablet is still cheaper (micro SD)
Zoomer - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
The SD slot makes the two higher models the hidden idiot tax. Given that the article isn't very specific, it's possible that it's a SDXC slot. Which makes 64 or even 128GB cards possible for a lot less.SonyS - Sunday, December 30, 2012 - link
The Sony tablet is better than the iPad with many better features and more capabilities.UpSpin - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
The $199 MS Surface is nonsense. And nobody said such a thing, except some dubious blogs who interpreted too much in too little.Belard - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
Its quite possible MS will sell the WART tablet for $200.... for a limited time. If I was in their position, I would do it. But MS is doing a lot of stupid things lately... so who knows.The MS-tablet market share is easily under 1%. Them bitching "Our partners have done poorly in this market" is insulting and stupid as they have YET to release a dedicated TABLET OS and WP7 was never made to work on tablets. A full OS is not needed for tablets... for most people... most won't spend $1000 for an i5 tablet.
So... to build up market share quickly... you sell the 10" tablet at the same price as the $200 7" google and Kindle tablets / $250~300 ipad Mini.
- MS App store is crap
- They have almost 0% market share
- Few people are buying the Windows Metro Phone.
Look what happened to the HP TouchPad when it sold for $100! A device that every customer KNEW would have no future. They sold out within hours.
It costs about $240 to build a 10" tablet. The WART tablet is only SOLD in the MS-Stores all across the country... you know, all 21 currently open locations. (Apple had about 200 stores when the 1st iPad shipped, not including their Best Buy locations) - so its a bit of a joke. Ha, there isn't one in Dallas nor any near-plans to do so (Apple has 3 stores within a 20 min drive from me).
But, selling directly to customers means MS looses $40 per unit... like a console. If they are able to sell 1 million units before 2013 = $40million in losses... which is not bad. 1 million units in 2~3 months would jump start the WART/Win8 ecosystem.
At $400, only the fanboys will buy it. Nobody else in their right mind would.
I give it a 80% chance we'll see the $200 price... the losses is nothing compared to the long term. And if many of those customers buy 10 Apps or 50+ songs, it'll put MS closer to the black. Then they will raise the price to $300~400. Meanwhile, their partners get shafted... only MS can do this, not Acer, Dell, Asus, etc.
* I own an iPad... I like it. But the recent Apple lawsuit to ban the Samsung Galaxy S III has put Apple on my shit list. I WILL NOT be getting the iPAD4.
Zoomer - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
Given reports that WinRT licensing would be in the mid teens; a $199 surface wouldn't be very possible.Alexvrb - Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - link
I think Microsoft might be giving Microsoft a discount on the Microsoft Windows RT license costs for the Microsoft Surface tablets. What do you think? Sound plausible?medi01 - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
I don't understand why people even consider devices that force installing cough itunes and restrict access even to the non-drm content on them.On top of it, having to convert everything into idont formats, very comfortable eh?
As for tablets, the major thing one should care about is, the screen.
And not some stupid "retina" buzz or resolution, but, COLORS.
Acer or Asus have higher resolution than Samsung's Galaxies, yet you won't seriously consider buying them if you see them next ot each other, the difference is THAT big.
Penti - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
Well Sony has no content network to sell through. SEN (Sony Entertainment Network formerly Qriocity) is just a third party service by omnifone under a Sony brand and is available at essentially no markets, they don't deliver any such services themselves and makes no money of content by selling it themselves basically. Sony are no Amazon and they don't have the majority of their staff in retail stores as Apple. They can't even compete with iTunes. Granted here in Europe iTunes can't really compete either as they don't care to deliver TV and movies or books properly, but Sony is worse and don't even deliver music. As a music business they prefer channels such as Spotify (which they own part of) and whatever competitors that are popular where you are from.True this is just another Android tablet, but they got no services to tie to it. No retail stores, no digital book sales, movies, content or anything not even software. Not even the Playstation Mobile framework as a certified and exclusive thing. I'm sure they can deliver real and better tablets as they integrate that business into the handset division they are moving to Tokyo though. Sony might be a large company but they don't even make panel/displays for TVs any more or own any share of it and have divested out of it almost entirely and got rid of most of their production sites.
Sony's entertainment companies don't make any money from hardware sales or Sony services basically so there future has to be to make hardware and sell consumer electronics and they have to find ways do design there stuff well, which they should be able to do. But don't expect them to try to take over markets and grow. For example the Optiarc division had only 400 employees but they decided to close it to. The only notable production Sony it self has today that one can instantly think of is Li-ion battery cells. That's some 2800 people. Also another thing that comes to mind is their semiconductor business that produces CMOS (Image) sensors that has some approx. 7300 employees. Despite that Sony isn't as industrial as other Japanese conglomerates. Sony's largely contract manufactured TV's aren't exactly going particularly well either. They are cutting everywhere they can and sadly can't be expected to do much in terms of new products, or to develop any new digital services of their own. Expect them to be very Japan oriented and develop for the Asian markets instead of trying to compete in western markets. I'm sure they can develop great phones and tablets for those markets though. But they are turning less of a production and market leading company and will try to do what they can make money on. They don't have the economics to spend from some cash reserves or anything like that.
BenSkywalker - Monday, September 3, 2012 - link
I can think of a very good reason to buy one-http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.a...
$399 for this tablet isn't horribly out of line if we ignore the fact that it is already a better version of a $349 high end remote. Honestly, this is the first Sony tablet that I can see having the potential to draw in a group of *very* loyal customers. $399 isn't a bad price for this tablet period, the additional functionality it has seriously has me considering it(waiting on reviews of course).
SonyS - Sunday, December 30, 2012 - link
I just got one and everything is functioning great, but I haven't got the remote working yet.Belard - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
I use my iPad a lot in the living room. A click of the button and within a second or two, I'm on the internet looking up something. Having the remote build-in is quite handy.Since I am no longer in the market for an iPad4... this tablet is higher on the list. BUT, I will have to wait for a newer version. I already have a 1024x768 display, I must have HIGHER resolution. Like 1920x1080 at the very least.
* I own an iPad... I like it. But the recent Apple lawsuit to ban the Samsung Galaxy S III has pissed me off! NOT be getting the iPAD4.
B3an - Saturday, September 1, 2012 - link
Just give in and get a superior Win 8 tablet. You always bitch about MS, when Apple are clearly WAY worse.TraceyHardie - Sunday, July 3, 2016 - link
I needed to fill out Temporary Custody Agreement recently and saw a document management site that has lots of sample forms . If others are looking for Temporary Custody Agreement too , here's a <a>"http://goo.gl/GrqQf0"</a>