Before the year ends, I would like to take time to write about what I think the Gadget of the Year for 2011 is. Here are my guidelines for coming up with this year’s top gadget:
- It should be officially available in our local market this year. No gray market stuff.
- It’s something that a lot of people can really use.
- Being innovative is not really a requirement but it’s a plus
- It should make an impact in its field, not really in terms of market share but on how people adapt to it and companies react to it”¦ an influencer if you will.
Now you might have ideas out there but essentially, I think only a few gadgets would fit my guideline. So allow me to present to you”¦ Pinoy Tech Blog’s Gadget of the Year for 2011.
(Drumroll”¦.)
It’s none other than the Apple iPad 2.
Before you say. “œWhat a boring choice””¦ or “œIt’s just the slimmer version of the iPad 1″”¦ or “œIt’s so last year”, allow me to point out a couple of key things about the Apple iPad 2.
Still the top tablet
Yes the tablet is not new, and it doesn’t deviate much from the original iPad but right now, it’s safe to say that the iPad is still the top tablet in the market. That’s what made the iPad 2 special.
- When the original iPad was launched last year, nobody could beat it. More than a year has passed, a lot of tab.win2.cn/g9
- lets has surfaced”¦ a lot from Android actually plus RIM’s own PlayBook and the defunct HP TouchPad. However, iPad is still the hottest selling tablet out there so that made the iPad 2 impressive, it provided a successfu2.cn/g9
- l continuity to Apple’s tablet device despite not having the bells and whistles of other tablets.
It shaped how consumers think
Allow me to explain. Before, it’s just laptops and desktops. When the first iPad came, a lot of people still think that it’s too specialized, too gimmicky. Now on its second year, when tablets are really coming out, people now tend to think that it’s an important gadget in their life and would choose between owning a laptop and a tablet (something I would want to talk about in future posts).
The iPad shaped the tablet industry and consequently how consumers think about tablets. I often get asked, “œWhat tablet device should I get?”, even though they don’t own a laptop or PC yet. People now think that a tablet is all they need and they would skip on purchasing a laptop or a netbook. I think because of the iPad, people aspire to have their own tablet.
Hmm”¦ I just realized that we also chose iPad as our top gadget of 2010 even when all it’s capable of are just speculations at that time. It turned out to be true looking back in 2011. The iPad is a sure hit!
To share something based on experience, I was hanging out at Digital Hub at Virra Mall and in just 30 minutes I saw them sold 4 iPad 2’s. In a flight going back from Sabah, I saw at least three old folks within my area whipping out their iPad’s during the flight to play Bejeweled or Luxor or one of those oldies’ games.
Even at this point in time, we can’t see how the iPad 2 will slow down. In fact, it will be an exciting 2012 for the iPad if the rumors about its next iteration are true.
14 comments
Ill disagree..but not now.
Tom na… 🙂 Happy New Year PTB!
iPad 2 deserves to win though, but compared to the original iPad, iPad >>>> iPad2. Upgrade in hardware isnt the essence of real upgrade. iPad was already great, so iPad 2 [?].
i believe n9 should be in this place.
This one passed all the guidelines. And in fact, surpassed iP2, in my own opinion.
But then again, this is my opinion, and thats yours….
the problem with the N9 is that I don’t see it in a lot of people’s hands… hmm… i don’t know anybody who uses it… i haven’t seen it in people’s hands whenever i go outside.
I’ll agree that it’s the best tablet based on sheer numbers that have sold. No other tablet comes close. And for first time tablet users, iOS on the iPad 2 offers a near-perfect experience. It doesn’t matter that Android allows you to do more without paying for a peripheral or all, because with iOS, you don’t need to.
However the success it has had against Android tablets also due in large part to the wide selection of choices that Android has to offer.
Samsung alone has a slew of tablets, then there’s those from other companies like Acer, ASUS, HTC and Kindle, not to mention budget tablets from Ainol and Coby. In that sense, no Android tablet could truly stand out.
The iPad 2 has the advantage in that, once your decided on the iOS, your decision stops at the iPad 2. But if you decide to go with an Android tablet, you still have to choose from a wider selection of tablets from different manufacturers.
BTW, I’m not an Apple fanboy. I’d get a Samsung Tab 8.9 or 10.1 in a heartbeat but my girlfriend won’t let me.
true… no android tablet will really stand out because of competition among themselves. the closest siguro would be the kindle fire which is doing really, really good stateside. too bad the service and device is not available here.
People can still sideload apps on it, and its being sold locally on Sulit and Widget City. Heck, even if I had a Tab, I’d still sideload apps. Still, the Kindle is probably as successful as it is because of a combination of affordability, and the familiarity of the Kindle name even among the non-techie crowd that only cares about eBooks.
Yeah I agree but then again since this is a Pinoy site i think we should reconsider the gadget of the year. For me the gadget of the year of Pinoys is the Samsung Galaxy Y. With its price tag and capability i’m sure most of pinoys can know enjoy and afford a Smartphone experience less the gastos hahaha!
that’s not a lot. maybe sa mga students patok but the mass would still consider dumbphones. and how about older people who don’t like looking at a small screen? for a smartphone, medyo limited pa rin ang use nya. but yeah, it’s really popular here in the country.
May nakita akong mga tindera sa palengke yan ang gamit! Very popular and affordable indeed. lol:
Anyway kanya kanyang taste naman nakikialam pa kase ako whaha
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*more better
I disagree. Ipad2 didn’t bring anything new to the table. Ipad1 can do almost anything Ipad2 can. Ipad2’s camera is crap compared to android ones so that was never an issue. I think Ipad2 is the Top Overrated Gadget of the year.
I’d nominate Galaxy SII. It sent Iphones to the moon.
uhmm your reasoning is flawed… the s2 also didnt bring anything new to the table as the s1 can do almost anything the s2 can.
Thanks for your time sharing this informative post. I used tablet because it is more portable but i prefer use my laptops. But, I believe any gadgets is very helpful.