Casualties Of The iPad Revolution

I thought I would start chronicling the likely fallout from the iPad introduction.

The obvious and first crater from the iPad carpet bombing is the Kindle and other eReaders: Poof!

There may be a place for low-cost reader software on dumber devices, like phones, but dedicated appliances like the Kindle will likely collapse just like other digital music devices did once the iPod came out.

Update on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 7:40AM by Stowe Boyd  

The largely unheralded Litl — which I have mentioned several times in recent weeks — is targeting a similar niche: the home computer. Alas, I think that niche is about to be 97.9% dominated by iPad, and the rest will be general purpose PCs, or some evolved TV settop boxes.

I really like what Litl has done with the OS, but their only hope is to take that software and make it an app, perhaps resident on the iPad or other, more capable devices. Or perhaps as a web service, accessible through the browser.

I have a Litl loaner at present, and I plan on writing a piece about the experience, but in short: it’s no competition for the iPad, and even if the Litl folks don’t want to be compared to iPad, they are stuck with that comparison. And at $699, Litl is more expensive, too.

Update on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 7:57AM by Stowe Boyd  

The Skiff, Joojoo, and other tablets either recently announced or in the works: they are dead.

I like the fact that the Skiff bends. I guess. But it’s not a big selling point for me.

Update on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 7:47AM by Stowe Boyd  

Oh, I think the Kindle is imperiled by the iPad. Expect huge price drop for that, now ancient-seeming, device.