Large as Tablets IPad, Looms Hit the Market

Apple Inc. wasn't at the Consumer Electronics Show, but the Movado Bold company's influence was felt as mobile phone and computer makers showed off dozens of tablet computers.

Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Dell Inc. and others touted new tablet computers at the event this week.

When the iPad debuted Coach Outlet, "every major device maker had to rethink what they were doing," said Mary Lou Jepsen, chief executive of Pixel Qi Corp., which makes low-power computer displays for laptops and tablet makers such as Toshiba Corp. and Notion Ink Design Labs Pvt. Ltd.

At CES, Motorola unveiled a Xoom tablet using Google Inc.'s Android 3.0 software that will debut later this quarter; Google said the software was built specifically for tablets. Similarly to the iPad, it uses larger screen sizes relative to smartphones to display additional information, such as an email inbox while reading a message, a larger home-screen layout and richer animations.

Samsung is releasing a WiFi-only version of Coach purses its popular seven-inch "Galaxy Tab," rivalling the base-line iPad, and a smartphone-sized Android-based media player, competing against the iPod Touch.

The unveilings come as Apple has seen tremendous success with the iPad, which starts at $499, launched last April. Wall Street analysts estimate Apple sold 13.5 million of the devices last year. They say a new updated model that will likely launch in coming months will help Apple sell as many as 30 million units this year.

While Apple dominates the market share for tablet computers, the overall tablet market is growing fast. According to research firm iSuppli, the tablet market will more than triple to 61 million units this year from last year.

Some analysts are skeptical about the flood of new tablets. In a report Friday, Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu said he was concerned tablet expectations may prove too high.

Tech companies are also paying attention to the availability of applications and content as well as how they work with other devices and services. Vizio Inc. said it focused on making sure that the look and feel of the interface of its new tablet was the same as on its televisions and Blu-ray players. It singled out features like the vast selection of applications and a feature that lets users begin watching a movie on one device and finish on another.

Tablet makers face the challenge of how to differentiate themselves from the iPad.

One way has been to come up with a different sized tablet. When Samsung first debuted its seven-inch Galaxy Tab, it emphasized how it was small enough to fit into a coat pocket.

Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Telecommunications America LLC, said the Galaxy Tab's development was influenced by consumer surveys rather than the iPad, but acknowledged comparisons are inevitable.

Meanwhile, Dell is trying to differentiate its tablet from others using Android by rolling out new home-screen software that can access music, movies and photos without opening separate applications, and acts very similarly whether run on a desktop computer or a tablet.

Dell acknowledges Apple established the tablet market, but is striking its own direction. "We're spending less and less time thinking about what's going on power balance in Cupertino," said Ed Boyd, who heads Dell's design efforts.

Motorola said it didn't take design cues from the iPad.