Project Report On Research Methodology

Topic Tablet PC Industry

Submitted to Prof. Balasubramaniam

Submitted by

Monil Shah Piyush shah Sandeep Mulik Paras Haria Hemang Gandhi Dharav Gandhi Gaurav Jawanjal

Roll no .226 Roll no . 227 Roll no. Roll no . 193 Roll no. 187 Roll no . Roll no .

Introduction

A tablet computer, or a tablet, is a mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen rather than using a physical keyboard. It often uses an onscreen virtual keyboard, a passive stylus pen, or a digital pen. The term may also apply to a variety of form factors that differ in position of the screen with respect to a keyboard. The standard form is called slate, which does not have an integrated keyboard but may be connected to one with a wireless link or a USB port. Convertible notebook computers have an integrated keyboard that can be hidden by a swivel joint or slide joint, exposing only the screen for touch operation. Hybrids have a detachable keyboard so that the touch screen can be used as a stand-alone tablet. Booklets include two touch screens, and can be used as a notebook by displaying a virtual keyboard in one of them. A tablet may run on a specially designed Operating System (OS) such as Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) or RIMs QNx or, a PC/Smartphone OS like Windows 7/8, Android 2.2 (Froyo) and iOS 4, which may be modified. A tablet uses processors based on ARM or Intel's x86 architecture. Tablets provide touch based user experience with a screen size convenient enough for web surfing, content consumption and entertainment. Moreover, portability, ease of use and wireless connectivity 'on-the-go' all combine to make the tablet an even more attractive buy.

History of Tablet Pc
Most people think of the tablet computer as being a recent invention, in reality they are the result of many years of development and evolution. That being said the tablets that are appearing on the market these days are quite a bit different than the early versions. While tablets have a long history their future is open to debate. The history of tablet computers goes back a lot further than most people realize. The first one was actually built in 1888 and used a stylus to capture hand writing. There were numerous other tablets built over the next few years that relied on a pen for data input. Except for a few specialized uses like allowing deliver drivers to collect signatures they really never took off. Nonetheless the technology that went into them played an important role in the ultimate development of the current generation of tablet computers. The first appearance of what we would think of as a tablet today came in the early nineties. For the most part these were more like early laptops than they were like the current tablets. These tablets for the most part were developed into laptops mainly because nobody could figure out a good way to enter data into them that didn't use a keyboard. The addition of the keyboard created the shape of the laptop as we know it today. These early models did however serve to prove that there was a market for a portable computer and this led to the development of other technology.

The next step in the history of the tablet was the development of the PDA and ultimately the smart phone. Most of the technology that went into the current generation tablets has come directly from smart phones. The real leap forward was the decision to put an operating system on the smart phone, this truly made them portable computers. From there it was hardly a huge leap to realize that putting a bigger screen and more computing power on a smart phone would have a variety of uses. This is basically what Apple did when they brought out the iPad which was the first of the real tablet computers. The iPad has proved to be surprisingly popular given that when it was introduced nobody was entirely clear on just why you would want one. After all they do basically the same thing as a smart phone or a laptop. This has raised some questions about the future of the tablet. The iPad has sold well but the tablets offered by other companies have not.

Current Industry Scenario

The evolution of the tablet PC is due to the fact that consumers want something more portable than a laptop, more powerful than a netbook, and more comfortable than a smartphone and a Tablet PC could very well fill all of those needs. In 2010, Apple iPad set off a benchmark for Tablet PC on a global scale by selling more than 15 Million units in a single year. Thus virtually compelling all other major consumer electronic manufacturers to introduce there products in the market. Worldwide Tablet PC market size in 2010 was nearly US$ 9 Billion and it is anticipated that Tablet PC unit sales will cross 100 Million Units by 2015. In 2010, US and Western Europe together holds 75% of Tablet PC unit sales share but they are gradually losing their share to China and Korea. Latin America Tablet PC unit sales and market size will keep on growing year on year but due to aggressive growth by China its market share worldwide will decline year on year. India, Australia, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa and Middle East Tablet PC unit sales and market sizes will keep on increasing year on year (2010 to 2015). In this digital age Tablet PC is expected to drive massive demand for digital content and services. Telecom service provider is likely to benefit most from it in the same way as they gained from smartphone boom. This is demonstrated by the fact that sales of the 3G iPad make up as much as 40% of total iPad sales. Internet traffic and location based services will increase tremendously thus creating a market for Internet service provider. This will further create a market for online paid content industry.

Tablet PC was first coined by Microsoft in the year 2001. These PC had captive contact technology which can sense fingers on the screens. It also included palm recognition which prevents inadvertent palms or other contacts from disrupting the pens input. Features like multitouch capabilities can recognize multiple simultaneous finger touches, allowing for enhanced manipulation of on-screen objects. This industry has exceeded $5.4 billion and has revolutionized the face of computer technology with features such as touch screen, wireless connectivity, high resolution and portability. There seems to be a gradual shift from desktop PC to table PC. Research and development is continuous in this industry this results increasing and intense competition. Thus, neck to neck competition started in this industry. Apple iPad was breakthrough launch in the tablet industry as it gave a completely new dimension and became a prime mover in the world of consumer electronics. The Apple iPad is something in between its monumental iPhone and wildly successful Mac Book line. But the nearest competitor of apple iPad are tablet PC offered by different world renowned companies like ASUS, DELL, LG, TOSHIBA, HP, ACER, GATEWAY, FUJITSU, VILIV, etc., The latest offering of Apple iPad is that its just a modification of i-Phone with fully functional pad touch enabled and extremely user-friendly. Its height, width and depth are 9.56 inches, 7.47 inches and 0.5 inch respectively. It weighs around 1.5 pounds and has 1GHz Apple A4 chip processor. Some of the features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G enabled, audio & video quality, accessories and battery backup of 10 hours makes it stand out in the competition.

The competitors of Apple iPad has very similar offerings in their product like EXPOPC Slate has window based tablet, web browsing, streaming television and movies as well as apps and ebooks. Its screen measures 8.9, HD resolution and also has a webcam. HP Slate comes with windows 7 operating system, webcam, touch screen, kindle for PC applications and various video features. Dell Streak has 5 touch screen, android 2.0 operating system, 2 different cameras and many video chatting facilities. ASUS EEE tablet are netbook and a tablet with both touch screen and traditional keyboard, it is 1 thick and has 8.9 inch screen. Lenovo tablet PC named IDEAPAD S 10-3T is considered as most powerful hardware of all iPad rivals. It has a 10 touch screen, a traditional keyboard which allows 180 degree screen rotation, and thus this device is middle ground product between full tablets and notebooks. Notion Ink Adam supports 1080p high definition video on its 10 screen, it has 3 megapixel cameras with 3G connectivity and has multitasking interface as well.
The price of the tablet PC of different companies is given in following table:
Tablet PC Apple iPad HP Slate ASUS EEE tablets Lenovo IDEAPAD S 10-3T Notion Ink Adam EXPOPC Slate Price $ 499 $ 550 $ 450 $ 600 $ 350 $ 559

Indian Market

Table 2. India Tablet Market Shipment Estimates for November 2010-March 2011

The first tablet computer was launched in India in November 2010. Since then, the market saw a slew of launches from both MNC and Indian players. While models like Cisco's Cius and RIMs Blackberry Playbook tablets are focused on the enterprise user segment, the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Reliance 3G Tab are focused on the consumer segment. (Reliance 3G Tab manufactured by ZTE, retails at Rs. 12,999 per unit).

CyberMedia Research expects tablets to become the new battleground as major MNC and India vendors and operators race to capture a share of this emerging market.

"As telecom carriers started offering 3G services in India since early 2011, the enhanced connect speeds are expected to boost usage of data services by subscribers. For tablets to become a common man's device, the data usage tariffs for 3G services need to be brought down even further. Anirban stated. India Tablets Market FY 2011-12: New Brands Launched in AprilJune 2011

The first half of 2011 witnessed subdued sales in the India PC market on account of lower off take by the government, public and private sector. Lower consumer demand too added to this.

This situation is expected to correct itself in the July-September 2011 quarter as the new academic year commences witnessing strong demand from the Education sector. Consumer buying is also expected to be higher in the July-December period of 2011 on account of 'festive' season buying. Demand from the domestic large and SMB enterprise segments is expected to remain healthy.

A 'wait-and-watch' buying sentiment may continue in the corporate sector due to the ongoing uncertain economic environment in the US, Europe and Japan. The other major development with a likely impact on leadership of the PC market was HP's announcement on August 18/19 to spin off its PC business. "HP's strategic rethink of spinning off its US$ 40 billion Personal Systems Group may be attributed to the rapid commoditization of the PC business in absence of any major differentiator, in the last few years. While this trend impacted every player in the market, HP's PC division recorded a significantly lower operating margin compared to its other businesses in the year ended July 2011", stated Sumanta Mukherjee, Lead Analyst, Computing Products, IT Peripherals and Channels, CyberMedia Research.

"HP also failed to leverage its US$ 1.2 billion acquisition of Palm in 2010. An unsuccessful attempt to promote devices based on WebOS not only denied HP a leadership position in the smartphones and the tablets markets, it also seems to have underlined the need for a strategic shift. Given this background and the fact that HP is still the global leader in the PC market, the call to spin off its PC business is a bold but necessary step in the right direction. It is likely to yield business benefits in the long run", Sumanta further added.

Impact on India PC market

While HP's top brand status will likely mean 'business as usual' at the moment, the global announcement would definitely play on the minds of local partners. As a result, HP's India partners could adopt a cautious approach, which may not augur well for HP before the impending festive season that typically witnesses the highest consumer PC sales in the year.

"While the spoils can be shared among Acer, Dell, Lenovo and Sony, Dell is better suited to reap the most of this opportunity because of their greater exposure to the consumer space. In the long term, both Microsoft and AMD could be impacted, since HP has been a major partner for both the world's No.1 software company and the No. 2 PC processor vendor. Whatever happens, Personal Computers are unlikely to die out in India in a hurry

Future prospects of tablet

SURVEY : Research group IDC is increasing its forecast for tablet computer shipments this year after seeing 2011 end stronger than anticipated.

IDC said Tuesday that it now expects worldwide shipments of 106 million in 2012, up from the previous forecast of nearly 88 million.

IDC says growth in 2011 was helped by the introduction of Amazon.com Inc.'s low-cost Kindle Fire, which it says raised consumer awareness for devices at all prices.

In the fourth quarter, Apple sold 15.4 million iPads, more than double the 7.3 million sold a year earlier. Among all manufacturers, IDC says 28.2 million tablet computers were shipped in the final three months of 2011, about 2.5 times the number a year earlier.

That's still small compared with about 93 million personal computers shipped in the quarter. With the number of users increasing, tablet PCs have good growth prospects and are also expected to foster new business models of content distribution, says research group Gartner. According to Gartner, consumers are increasingly using tablets as a companion device to the personal computer and mobile phone to access media and information.

"The market for tablets has good growth prospects. Globally, more and more companies are going to enter this market," Research Director at Gartner Sandy Shen said. In India, the number of tablet users are on the rise. A tablet has larger displays than mobile phones and usually have userfriendly touch interface. Apple's iPad is prominent in this category and many other entities including HTC, Samsung and Sony also have tablet devices. "Tablets foster new usage patterns that will enable different ways of user engagement with content and service providers and will lead to new business models of content distribution. Gartner's forecast late last year, worldwide media tablet sales to endusers would touch 63.6 million units in 2011 and is expected to reach 326.3 million by the end of 2015. The report, co-authored by Sandy Shen, noted that companies developing services for the tablet should explore the potential of webbased and app-based applications. Shen said tablet market is seeing consistent behaviour across demographics and as of now, mostly high-income people are using these devices

Survey proves good future prospects for signature tablets in retail

EHI is a scientific institute of the retail industry. The 550 members of EHI include international retail companies and their industry associations, manufacturers of consumer and capital goods, and various service providers. In a survey among big retail companies with more than 117,000 cashier systems in use, 49 % answered that they are investigating into using digital signature tablet such as Wacoms STU series. Another 8 % are already using digital signature solutions. The survey covered companies in Germany and selected other European countries. The interest in solutions for digital handwritten signature recognition is quite high. The main advantage of integrating signature tablets into the payment process is in the complete digitalization. Each slip can be captured and stored digitally rather than printing, collecting and archiving and transporting them to a central point. If needed, each transaction can be found easily with just one click. For Wacom, this is a very positive outlook. The market bears a very good potential for our products, mainly because of economical and ecological aspects: digital signature solutions make workflows much more efficient and reduce costs. This guarantees a fast return on investment. Wacoms STU signature tablets can be integrated into every system, be it small or really large.

Future for android tablet market

The tablet market is gaining momentum in terms of launching new ones and also generating considerable revenue from it. Thus it is progressive that the new tablets are giving an edge to the market with their advanced features and specifications. A report presented by International Data Corporation (IDC) revealed some interesting statistics about the raise in the tablet market and how it is progressing with considerable margins! The worldwide shipments of tablets increased by 88.9 percent on the sequential basis. Moreover, through the second quarter of 2011, 303.8 percent of it rose. The second quarter of 2011 saw a considerable rise with the likes of Apples iPad 2. Similarly RIM re-entered the tablet market and all of this gave Android based tablets a back seat. A representative of IDC said, Looking forward to the second half of 2011, IDC expects Android to cede additional market share in Q3 2011 dropping to 23% before it starts growing its share again in Q4 2011 going up to 25.9% and beyond. In addition to continued demand for Apple iPads, IDC expects many consumers sitting on the fence going for $-99 TouchPads as a result of HPs decision to end production of its tablet product. IDC expects close to a million TouchPads to ship into the channel before the end of the year. Now, with media tablets also there amongst the many tablets who are making news, there are speculations as to how will it survive or make a place for itself in the tablet market! Media tablet shipments grew at a solid pace in the second quarter, led by continued strong demand for Apple products, said Tom Mainelli,

research director, Mobile Connected Devices. We expect major vendors to offer their current-generation black-and-white eReaders for less than $100 by the holidays, Mainelli said. Were also expecting Amazons much-rumored, colour LCD-based device to ship later this year. Because we expect it to run a customized version of Android that ties its use to Amazons content services, we expect the device to more closely resemble Barnes & Nobles Color Nook than Apples iPad 2. As a result, our current plan is to count it as an eReader, and that will also help drive shipment numbers. Just to remind the readers about the credibility of Android based media tablets; one must not forget that these media tablets run on light weight operating systems such as Apples iOS and Googles Android OS. They are capable of numerous applications and are not focused device like the e-reader!

The Tablet of the future

How will the success of the iPad affect device design in the next 5-10 years? Some clues can be found in new report by research and advisory firm Gartner. In the report,iPad and Beyond: What the Future of Computing Holds, Gartner research director Angela McIntyre describes numerous computing prototypes that are already in development by various manufacturers to predict how consumers and businesses alike will likely change their gadget habits within the next decade as numerous devices are designed increasingly similar to todays tablets. Media tablets will instigate change in computing form factors, writes McIntyre. Modular designs will enable tablets to take on new functions, becoming the cross-platform controller and brain for hybrid consumer electronics and computers. The report lists examples of cross-function tablet devices already in labs and going through testing, based on Gartner research, without revealing what companies or design firms are considering producing them The prototypes mentioned in the report include:

Phones that use a docked tablet as a screen for videoconferencing Home media systems that come with a tablet for controlling the TV and accessing the Internet

Washing machines that allow users to start the machine or change settings through a tablet from another room in the home

Point-of-sale systems that retail staff use to enter customer orders or data from anywhere in the store (similar to how Apple stores use iphones today)

Tablets docked in car dashboards to replace navigation devices, in-car music and video systems, and car-interior temperature and other controls

Wirelessly connected at-home healthcare systems, such as a bloodpressure-reading bracelet device, oximeter, and a bathroom scale that together sync with a tablet to help analyze a users health and send data to a doctor

Tablets that replace digital signage in retail environments Two tablets that can hinge their screens together to be opened and read like a traditional book

McIntyre also predicts that tablets, and not just smart phones, will become more like digital wallets, replacing the need to carry physical currency or identification. She suggests that identity will be vouched by voiceprint (speech verification) or software that can analyze an individuals keystroke patterns. Multi-touch tablet computing could also spur PC usage in new markets, namely among people who have had no training or desire to learn how to type using a traditional keyboard, the report suggests.

Analyzing this statement, it could be possible that very young children could use tablets earlier than previous generations began using PCs, opening up new potential consumer and educational markets. In addition, people in resource-challenged communities without previous access to PCs with keyboards or typing training could learn to use tablets with instinctive gesture controls more easily and quickly than learning to use PCs in the past. Of course, all of these concepts are currently just theory. Whether the inventions and innovations discussed in Gartners report will become widespread will depend on how well their makers market them to their desired audiences. And then, only the real-world habits and tastes of consumers and businesses will truly affect which directions tablet and other device design will take by 2016 or 2021just as the popular iPad had likely inspired many of the prototypes mentioned in Gartners new report.

Your Tablet in five years

Folding tablets. Solar-powered slates. Apps that automatically install -- and delete -- themselves based on your location. Superslim, flexible devices that fit in your pocket like a sheet of paper. Not all of these concepts will survive the leap from research to retail, but many will ship before you know it. Here are some of the most intriguing tablets and tablet apps that tech visionaries are developing. The sheet tablet Newspapers and magazines are foldable. Why not tablets? Well, one very good reason is that they contain various nonbendy components such as processors, memory chips, and batteries. But ongoing innovations in nanotechnology, including nanowires made of copper, could lead to flexible newsreaders similar to Innovation+Bermer Labs' futuristic NewSSlate prototype, which unfolds like a sheet of paper. Combine that effort with research into using DNA strands to construct processors, as well a Stanford University nanotech project to build bendable batteries out of paper, and suddenly the foldable tablet doesn't seem so far-fetched.

 Tablet-laptop convergence Tablets and laptops are on a collision course. Both genres are growing thinner and lighter -- witness the Apple iPad 2 and MacBook Air, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and Series 9, and a host of upcoming, Air-like Ultrabook notebooks. Meld lean laptops with finger-friendly desktop operating systems -- specifically the gesture-happy Lion OS X 10.7 and forthcoming Windows 8 -- and a harmonic convergence can't be far off. The Lenovo IdeaPad U1, a combination of Android tablet and Windows laptop, may be a sign of things to come. And don't forget Google's Android and Chrome OS operating systems, two mobile platforms destined to merge in the future. Tablet ringing? Answer with the stick phone Here's a clever idea from designer Antoine Brieux: the HTC Stick Phone, a slim and sleek basic phone that fits inside the HTC Tube Tablet, another Brieux concept. The tablet-phone combo could be a boon to users who'd rather not lug around two mobile devices. Besides, why carry a smartphone that duplicates the capabilities of your tablet? Indeed, the Stick Phone may find a receptive audience -if it ever ships. Origami original

The clever Feno concept may be a laptop, but its fold-tastic design would work for tablets, too. The Feno's display has an additional hinge that allows the screen to fold in half and wrap around the

keyboard. A tablet version could have a detachable keyboard, perhaps, or even a third screen fold. And if you're fretting that a foldable screen might mar the view with a visible crease, there's good news. Researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology are working on a flexible OLED display capable of folding without the dreaded crease.