Apple's tablet leader has no real competition - yet

Well, it's been a few months since we first wrote about tablets being computing's hottest ticket in 2011, and speculated over which new devices would be challenging Apple's dominant iPad for orders, particularly from the business scene.

However, according to tech reviewer Richard Waters in the FT, none of the wannabe iPads is up to much against Apple's doyen of the still-nascent tablet marketplace.

For a start, there's Samsung's Galaxy Tab. In the world of smartphones, Galaxy is becoming a force to be reckoned with - a desirable Android-based gadget to challenge the iPhone's dominance. But in its tablet form, Waters dismisses the product as "software-challenged".

Motorola, never far away from trends in communications technology, has put its promotional force behind a nifty tablet named Xoom. But again there's a reason Waters gives for why this is not yet challenging iPad, and it's an obvious one: it's too expensive.

Then there's Research In Motion (RIM). If you don't recognise the name, that's because they're known only for their leading product, BlackBerry. But whereas BlackBerry is both forerunner and serious rival to iPhone in the business smartphone marketplace, RIM's tablet offering, the PlayBook, is condemned by Waters as "misbegotten". He points out that the decision to tie PlayBook to the BlackBerry is a source of confusion, leaving the device some way to go before it challenges the iPad.

But if one thing is certain, someone will go that way. It's inconceivable that Apple can meet the projected huge demand for tablet devices all on its own. The market is yet young. It took a few years for smartphone rivals to get within sight of the iPhone, but now they're hot on its heels.

And there won't be just one winner in this market. One of the long-term winners will be the tablet that best integrates the services expected by mainstream business IT users, such as our clients for IT support in Bristol. That manufacturer won't necessarily have the sexiest device, but they're sure to make plenty of sales.