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"Getting a strong Intel backing here could be an important advantage," says MKM Partners analyst Tero Kuittinen, who sees the Nokia tablet as part of an array of mobile computers.

via Nokia Aims a Tablet at Apple: Exclusive | Technology | Financial Articles & Investing News | TheStreet.com.

No doubt Nokia's tablet plans preceded the launch of the iPad--product cycles being what they are.  And the relationship with Intel is certainly a big part of this push (vs. on the handset side where Intel has no cards to play).

However, the elephant in the room is what software will run on this Tablet.  Any discussion on competitive potential of iPad competitors must include a view on the software/platform and ecosystem that tablet will rest on.

This is not a hardware business.  In fact, the hardware is designed to get out of the way.

The hardware is so understated — it’s just a screen, really — and because you manipulate objects and interface elements so smoothly and directly on the screen, the fact that you’re using an iPad falls away. You’re using the app, whatever it may be, and while you’re doing so, the iPad is that app. Switch to another app and the iPad becomes that app. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what is.

source: http://db.tidbits.com/article/11152

according to a report published Monday. ComScore reported that Google's share of smartphone subscribers rose to 9%, compared to 3.8% at the end of November. Meanwhile Apple's share fell 0.1 points to 25.4%, while Microsoft's share fell 4 points to 15.1%.

via Google's share of mobile market grows: report - MarketWatch.

Seems Google's gain is Microsoft's loss.

BlackBerry, saw its share rise 1.3 points to 42.1%, according to the data. The number of owners of smartphones rose 21% in the U.S. in the three months ended in February compared to the prior period.

Apple also revealed that more than a million applications were downloaded from the App Store for the iPad. Apple's iBookstore saw over 250,000 books downloaded on the first day alone.

via AppleInsider | Apple sells more than 300,000 iPads on launch day.

Consider that with 300k devices sold, that amounts to 3 apps and nearly one book per device--in one day.  Or an attach rate of 4 content items per device (per day).

iPad Apps, iPhone Apps, Deals and Discovery at App Shopper - Popular Recent Changes for iPad.

Far higher growth than the iPhone at launch.

The product is getting in depth coverage from CNBC, Fox News, The NY Times, The LA Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Dave Letterman Show, The Jimmy Fallon Show, and practically every local news station and newspaper around the world.  Not to mention prime time product placement in ABC’s Modern Family as well as a cameo in the most memorable Jay-Z moment at the 2010 Oscar’s.

And Apple has only spent to run one ad (which itself went viral on YouTube).

(credit: Jason Schwarz newsletter (subscription only))

Apple’s official carrier in South Korea, KT, revealed yesterday that iPhone has now surpassed the half-million (500,000) sales mark. This makes South Korea, a nation with 47 million total mobile subscribers, number 8 globally in first year iPhone sales.

via iPhonAsia.com » Blog Archive » iPhone passes 500K sales in South Korea.

There have been several chauvinistic campaigns in Korea that attempted to undermine iPhone’s success. Yet, ironically, these well-funded initiatives may have backfired

Goldman Sachs: “Evidence that the structural competitive issues are starting to weigh on its growth prospects. We estimate that RIM’s U.S. business declined 15% [quarter-on-quarter]—the second q-o-q decline in a row, and the first [year-over-year] decline. While RIM attributed that to an inventory reduction at a North America customer, we think the magnitude of the decline points more to lower demand at Verizon as a result of its endorsement of Android; our checks showed a dramatic reduction in the number of RIM [models] at Verizon last quarter and better sales for Motorola’s DROID than for RIM at many Verizon stores.”

via RIM Reactions: Goldman Downgrades to 'Sell' - MarketBeat - WSJ.

RIM remains the best feature phone company out there.  Too bad that feature phones are not going to survive against mobile computers.

I think the iPad is the most important launch in Apples history -- bigger than the Mac, iPod or iPhone. More than that, I think its the most important cultural phenomenon of this generation. Its bigger than technology.

via The iPad Era dawns.

Amen.

"Apple has blown through the barriers with the iPhone, and the same thing is going to happen with the iPad," said Kendall Collins, chief marketing officer for Salesforce.com. "This will be huge for business, and a major new category that will be a catalyst for many different aspects of the industry."

link: Business customers eager to try Apple iPad

Well, at least part of the answer appears to be that Google is sharing advertising revenues with carriers that use Android, according to multiple sources who are familiar with the deals.

via Android’s Secret Sauce? Google’s Advertising Rev-Share Deals With Carriers | mocoNews.

This must be why AT&T replaced Google search with Bing on its Android phone and gutted all Google services as well.

3:1 split between LG and Samsung. No word on timing for this production, but I doubt it's longer than one year.

My estimate is 6 million 2010 and about 15 million for calendar 2011.

Samsung Gets Big Order for iPad Displays