Although Apple’s new iPad 2 has practically sold out in most markets, Dell and Microsoft don’t appear too concerned about Apple’s recent success in the tablet market.
In an interview with CIO Australia, Dell head marketer Andy Lark said that the iFad was doomed in the lucrative business market. Lark argues that it would be good for rich blokes living on an island, but that it just doesn’t work in a diverse and open enterprise environment. Needless to say, Lark believes that Windows and Honeycomb are the way to go.
In related news, Microsoft exec Craig Mundie told a crowd in Sydney that he wasn’t sure whether tablets are here to stay. Mundie thinks smartphones will become a bit more important down the road, as they are becoming the “most personal computer”.
"I don't know whether the big screen tablet pad category is going to remain with us or not," said Mundie. "Mobile is something that you want to use while you're moving, and portable is something that you move and then use.”
Of course, the fact that neither Dell or Microsoft have managed to come out with a single competitive design in the tablet market might have something to do with their criticism.