Tablet PC prepares for September

Domestic manufacturers are afraid to repeat the mistakes of the Internet, they do not know what the consumer's demand is in the end of Guangzhou China Plaza, a GOME electrical door, a TV is broadcasting 999 yuan to touch the Tablet PC features powerful TV shopping programs TV Next to it, a promoter promotes GOME's custom-designed tablet computer to customers who are asking questions.

"I can not return it, or it can be replaced with a netbook." A consumer bought a touch tablet computer that he had just bought a few days ago and asked the salesperson. "In fact, the function of this tablet is not It's so strong. I've been here three times."

Although it is not known how GOME handled this matter, this episode seems to have failed to affect GOME's passion for selling on tablet computers.

“As of the end of August, Guangzhou Gome has sold 10,000 touch-sensitive tablet computers in two months. For every 10 computers sold, there will be one flying touch.” Wang Jingming, director of Guangzhou Gome Market, recently told the reporter of the “First Financial Daily”. Indicated. He stressed that tablet computers are an incremental market and have not impacted the sales of traditional laptops.

"However, we also hope that the Apple iPad can be officially sold to the domestic market soon. With the iPad's driving and guiding the domestic consumer market, I believe that consumers' buying behavior on tablet PCs will change from random purchases to active purchases." Ming Ming said.

In fact, Wang Yuming's statement and the above-mentioned return incidents represent the ambivalence of the domestic tablet PC industry chain, whether it is the “head soup” that competes for the tablet PC market, or wait for the market to wait.

"The whole domestic consumer electronics industry chain is afraid to encounter the netbook lessons of the previous two years again. We do not know what the consumer's needs are. So everyone follows behind Apple and waits for the iPad to be listed in the country." Senior analyst at iSuppli, a market research company Gu Wenjun said that consumer demand for tablet computers still needs guidance, so domestic tablet makers are anxiously waiting and hope that the iPad can detonate the domestic market.

To take an iPad ride to face the imaginary huge market, manufacturers who previously made MID (mobile Internet devices) and netbook products have turned to tablet computers.

"Many domestic tablet computer manufacturers and design companies have prepared a large number of purchases of Rockchip's chips." Relevant person in charge of Fuzhou Rockchip Microelectronics Co., Ltd., which once had monopolized the MP4 chip market, disclosed to the reporter that the company has launched two models for tablet PC products. Chips and chips are clocked at 500MHz and 660MHz. Currently, international and domestic first- and second-tier brands have become the company’s tablet customers. Even domestic telecom operators have begun to customize tablet computers, and are preparing to build home information machines to expand. Its 3G user base.

"The domestic tablet solution is basically Google Android operating system and ARM architecture chip, many customers have made a prototype, the market price is estimated at thousands of yuan." The above-mentioned responsible person said.

According to Gu Wenjun, who is familiar with Rockchip Microelectronics, according to the preliminary estimation of Rockchip's current tablet customer base, Rockchip starts from September and the monthly shipment of light chip PC chips may reach 1 million. Because, at present, there are about 250 domestic manufacturers and design companies of tablet computers, of which 80% are Rockchip customers. The rest is the customers of Taiwan's VIA, such as the hot-spot GOME touch tablet, using the VIA chip (ARM architecture).

iSuppli data show that the iPad, which was launched on April 3, has sold 4 million units so far, and is expected to sell 12.9 million units this year. This year, the domestic tablet market (excluding iPad sales) will reach 4 million units, and in 2011 it will reach 15 million units. .

"September or so, the domestic market will form a small climax of tablet PCs, because in September the iPad may be officially listed in the country." Gu Wenjun said. The newspaper’s news from Gome and Suning also showed that in mid-September China may officially launch the Apple iPad.

"Apple made us ready in mid-September, when there will be important events. We guess, it should be iPad China's listing." An insider of Gome said.

It seems that all the impulses stem from this news. Recently, the famous MP3, MP4, and even LCD panel makers, including the original Dao, Blue Devils, Smart Devices, ViewSonics and so on, have all announced new products for their tablet computers and announced that they will be officially launched in September. Although the prices of these products have not yet been formally announced, it is estimated by industry insiders that due to the use of Rockchip microchips, the price should be below 1,500 yuan.

"First-line PC brands have not yet made tablet PCs. Most of the listed PCs are second-tier brands and even third- and fourth-tier brands." Wang Yuming said.

Concerned about repeating the netbook, however, behind the impulse of the tablet computer manufacturers, it is their internal anxiety.

“The iPad will certainly drive the tablet market. It is estimated that there will be a small upsell in the domestic market for tablet PC sales recently.” Wan Qiang, general manager of Ankai Microelectronics, who launched the Qianyuan netbook solution at the end of 2008, always feels that the current tablet The function of the computer does not bring real value to the user, so the pulling effect of the iPad is very limited. After the domestic tablet computer forms a small sales climax, it will gradually recover calm as the Internet-based market.

“Whether or not the tablet PC market can flourish depends on the application. The entire industry chain is actually still in the search and trial period.” Wan Xiang revealed that although customers also use Ankai's chips as tablet PCs, the company has not yet used the tablet PC as a tablet PC. Product development direction.

Last year, Wu Xiaop, who switched from the netbook market to the tablet computer market, pessimistically stated to this reporter that he had already wanted to change careers because he really could not understand the development direction of the tablet computer.

In early 2008, Wu Xiao joined the netbook market. As the Internet bubble bubble burst, his company will directly convert the form of netbooks based on Intel chips and Microsoft XP to tablet computers.

"Text input is inconvenient and requires an external keyboard, which loses portability, and the user experience is very poor." Wu Xiao said that he is not optimistic about the Tablet PC based on Android and ARM architecture, because it can not achieve the computer function, grab only Big screen smartphone market.

Our reporter tried a touch tablet at Gome. It also feels that the computer input function is generally slow. However, if you look at an e-book, play a stand-alone game, or watch a movie, it is still good. Therefore, Gome Electric also sells touchpads and tablet PCs as an optional accessory. Compared to the expensive iPad, the use of the touch-sensitive tablet has a lot less to use. However, this tablet price is only one-sixth, or even one-seventh, of the iPad, which is its greatest advantage.

"Tablet PCs just make up for the vacancy of PCs and mobile phones, and it is an incremental market." Gu Wenjun pointed out that if tablet computers rise in the country, they should impact the market of e-books. For the country, tablet prices that are already on the market and will be available soon appear to have advantages over e-books, and they are more powerful.

Perhaps based on the above reasons, Hanwang Technology, which made a fortune on the e-book, rushed to launch two tablet PCs with Intel Atom processors and pre-installed Windows 7 and Windows XP operating systems in late May.

In spite of this, all questions and concerns may have to wait until the iPad is listed in the domestic market.