GPS World

Tag: tablet

  • Tablet Users Will Help Shape Future Mobile App Market

    Between 2010 and 2011 the global installed base of app consumers increased by 104%, according to a report released by  mobile research specialists Research2guidance. While the installed base of smartphones increased by nearly 274 million, tablets were the fastest growing segment. The number of new tablet app consumers increased by 58 million. As a result, tablet owners now constitute 8.6% of the installed app consumer base.

    Based on Q2 projections for tablet shipments in 2012, the installed base of tablet users is set to increase more than 150% by 2013.  As tablet users become a larger and larger app downloading segment, their app behavior and preferences will have an increasing influence on the app market – illustrated already in the growth in the number of apps and stores devoted to them.

    Installed base of tablet users to increase more than 150% by 2013

    During 2011, apps in the Apple App Store for iPad grew 180% to more than 140,000 apps by the end of Q4 2011. While this cannot be easily quantified for Android as tablet apps are not separated out, the growth of niche stores and niche store categories focusing on Android tablets reflects their growing presence. For example, Archos Appslib focuses completely on Android tablet apps, while other stores like Android Tapp has a dedicated category.

    Several studies have shown that tablet users exhibit different behaviour towards app downloading/usage and mobile browsing than smartphone users.  Based on the breadth of use cases for gaming, ecommerce, digital publishing and the enterprise – tablet user growth is likely to have a marked effect on consumption in these areas.

    Tablet apps for the enterprise market

    In the enterprise, for example, tablets have already been largely implemented at upper levels of management and are quickly working their way throughout organizations – according to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook in 2012, 92% of Fortune 500 companies are testing or deploying iPads. As more and more use cases are developed and penetration increases, so too will the number of apps being developed for enterprise tablet users. While Apple has already carved out a niche section for iPad and iPhone Business users called “@Work”, other players like Lenovo and Cisco are trying to do the same for Android Business users.

     

  • Mobile Device Operating System Wars: Android vs. iOS vs. Windows Mobile

    Following up on my” Mobile Devices Galore” column a couple of weeks ago, one predominant question I hear reverberating across all industries with geospatial apps on mobile devices is “what is the mobile device operating system of the future?”

    After years of relatively benign evolution, the mobile device market (smart phone, tablet, handheld) is changing really quickly, and it’s really making geospatial users think hard about which device and operating system to deploy.

    I think it’s safe to say that if there were enough apps available for the Android platform, Android would clearly be the geospatial operating system of choice. There are a myriad of smart phones and cheap tablet computers running Android that consumers are eating up and geospatial users are salivating over. Unlike Apple with their iOS, Google will license Android to almost anyone so hardware manufacturers like Samsung are flocking to Android. One would think this might be déjà vu for Apple a la Microsoft Windows.

    However, the fact is that there’s not much in the way of geospatial apps for Android, yet.

    Almost all geospatial apps in existence today are built for Windows Mobile, but most people I’ve spoken to aren’t convinced that Microsoft is committed to Windows Mobile. The follow on to Windows Mobile 6.5 called Windows Embedded Handheld. You might think that Windows Phone 7 is the follow-on to Windows Mobile 6.5, but the problem is that apps have to be re-written for Windows Phone 7 while the software development environment for Windows Embedded Handheld is the same/similar as/to Windows Mobile 6.5. Following is a video explaining Microsoft’s mobile device strategy for Windows:

    Almost all geospatial apps in existence today are built for Windows Mobile, but most people I’ve spoken to aren’t convinced that Microsoft is committed to Windows Mobile. The follow on to Windows Mobile 6.5 called Windows Embedded Handheld. You might think that Windows Phone 7 is the follow-on to Windows Mobile 6.5, but the problem is that apps have to be re-written for Windows Phone 7 while the software development environment for Windows Embedded Handheld is the same/similar as/to Windows Mobile 6.5. Following is a video explaining Microsoft’s mobile device strategy for Windows:

    Dual Boot?

    We have a problem. We need mobile devices to support Windows Mobile, for now, due to the wide number of apps available for that operating system. However, we aren’t sure of Microsoft’s committment to Windows Mobile in the future and it seems Android has a tremendous amount of momentum, How many IT people have you seen with dual boot Windows/Linux? It makes me think about a dual boot mobile device…Windows Mobile and Android. But, that could get ugly pretty quickly since average consumer is not going to be interested in this. Without the benefit of consumer acceptance of what we use for a mobile device, we are back to where we started, stuck with a few niche suppliers that produce high-priced mobile devices specifically for the geospatial industries.

    I can dream about dual boot, but I doubt it will happen.

    Which Mobile Device Operating systems will survive and flourish?

    Earlier this month, technology research firm Gartner, Inc. issued a report detailing the results of their research on tablet computer operating systems. While it’s not completely indicative of smart phone and handheld operating systems, I think it’s a very good indicator of where things are headed.

    Following is a table summarizing the results of their research by operating system.

    Worldwide Sales of Media Tablets to End Users by OS (Thousands of Units):
    OS 2011 2012 2013 2016
    iOS 39,998 72,988 99,553 169,652
    Android 17,292 37,878 61,684 137,657
    Microsoft 0 4,863 14,547 43,648
    QNX (RIM) 807 2,643 6,036 17,836
    Other OS 1,919 510 637 464
    Total 60,017 118,883 182,457 369,258

    If you’d like to read a detailed article about their results and report, click here.

    Is Apple’s iOS really going to continue to dominate?

    I wish I would have bought Apple stock a few years ago. Apple is a serious cash machine, earning more profit than even ExxonMobile, thus becoming the most profitable company in the world.

    However, with their closed system, it smacks of the Mac vs. Windows battle of 20+ years ago of which Apple clearly lost. Can a closed operating system like iOS maintain its dominance? I doubt it, I really doubt it. Apple has been on a great run, but even from the table above, one can clearly see that Android is projected to grow faster.

    While I’m reasonably sure iOS isn’t going to be a long-term dominator, I’m not so sure about Android vs. Windows Embedded. As we saw with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer going from zero to hero in a short period of time, Microsoft has the ability to focus a tremendous amount of resources to tackle a market if they choose. They could do it with Windows Embedded, if they choose.

    Thanks, and see you next week.

    Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GPSGIS_Eric

  • Mobile Devices Galore

    Few, if any, technology products reach a worldwide audience hotter than mobile devices. I’m talking about smartphones, tablets, handhelds, and even notebooks to some extent. When’s the last time you bought a desktop computer?

    As I mentioned in my March 23 Geospatial Solutions column, at the GIS in Action conference I asked a Google presenter if he thought the mobile phone is going to be the primary mobile device people will carry. He said, “No, it’s going to be the tablet computer.”

    The competition certainly seems to be between the smartphone and the tablet, or maybe a hybrid version of the two. From a geospatial user perspective, we’ve been showered these past few months with tablet device offerings.

    1. Kindle Fire. The most significant tablet computer introduced since the iPad two years ago. Its low price has opened up the tablet market to a new level of adopters. Kindle Fire is the poster child for the many, many Android-based tablets on the market from Sony, Samsung, Motorola, LG, ASUS, etc.

    Salient features: Wi-Fi, Android operating system, web browsing, less than US$200. It’s all about the low price.

    Oops: Doesn’t run the latest Google Android operating system.

    Geospatial apps: ArcGIS for Kindle Fire

    Adoption: 5+ million sold since its introduction last fall.

    Kindle-Fire-2012

    2. Apple iPad. This product started the new revolution in tablet computing. Apple’s proprietary style may hurt it as competition from Google Android devices heats up.

    Salient Features: The defacto standard for tablet computing. Apps, apps, apps, and more apps. Shares the same operating system as the iPhone and iTouch.

    Oops: One trick pony. There is only one iPad. Google will license Android to almost anyone. Closed Bluetooth so you can’t interface to external instruments (GPS, laser rangefinders, etc.).

    Geospatial apps: ArcGIS for iOS, iCMTGIS, iGIS, GeoJot, GISPro

    Adoption: 75+ million sold since its introduction two years ago. The latest iPad sold 3 million units in the first three days it was available.

    Apple-iPad-2012

    3. Windows-based tablets. Acer Iconia Tab Series, Samsung Series 7. Windows-based tablet computers at near iPad prices.

    Salient Features: Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. GIS software compatibility.

    Oops: Battery life, expensive.

    Geospatial apps: Take your pick. Virtually any GIS app designed for Windows XP/7 will run on these tablets.

    Adoption: Weak. Although Microsoft has been promoting tablet computers for 10+ years, they are getting beat up in the tablet market, at least with the general public. The Windows operating system still has a lot of value with professional users due to software/workflow compatibility. Be on the lookout for Windows 8 and Microsoft Office apps (optimized for low power, etc.) as Microsoft tries to leverage the power of Windows and match the appeal of the Ipad.

    Look for more coverage on smartphones and handhelds soon.

    Thanks, and see you next week.

    Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GPSGIS_Eric