I was thinking about this for a while now, and then this article on Tech Crunch kicked my thoughts right into the place.

Do you remember when iPhone first generation came out how all manufactures rushed out to make look-alike copy? It was crazy, in less than 6 months there were touch phones everywhere. Of course, all of them were utter rubbish in comparison with iPhone and I am not talking just hardware. Yes, hardware was way crappier than iPhone's (dragging screen lagged, click was laggy), but software was horrible as well. Interfaces were ugly, not touch-friendly and above all, it was that App Store with hundreds of sweet Apps that sealed the iPhone as the leader.

Remember that? OK.

So then Apple kicked out iPad.

Where are the knockoffs? Where are the attempts to mimic a successful product? I know there are few "tablet" like computers out there in the world, but none are at the same mental level as iPad (they either can do too much, or can do too little). No one rushed out their device in order to steal part of the cake that Apple generated.

And then there is this Tech Crunch article sealing the whole year off. If you believe them, there will be no iPad competitors out this year. Ain't that strange? Apple is soon to announce iPad 2, and competition is still working on their first generation devices!

You wanna know why is that, in my super humble opinion?

It is because execs of those other companies believe, deep down, that there is no market for TABLET computers. There is only market for iPad. Dig that? Apple has through clever marketing created new market - but not market for tablet computers, they have created market for iPad. For that EXACT device. It is iPad that people want, not any tablet. I bet that if a better tablet computer saw light of day tomorrow, better in specifications / weight / memory / CPU speed / ... that it would not sell at a rate of 1-unit-every-3-seconds as iPad was.

The world (at large) does not want tablet computers. Yes, you geeks reading this might want to see Google's tablet, or Samsung's, but you do not form mass of buyers. The world at large wants iPad, and only iPad. Not tablet computer.

And that is why companies are slow to release their attempt at tablets. They just do not believe they will sell their magical device.

And you know what? They are right.

For the fun of it, I just went to see how are other search engines doing. Yes kids, there are other websites that do search, other than Google.

Lycos: it is horrible.
Altavista: oh please, put this site out of its misery.

But look at this - www.ask.com. Now look at it carefully.

The search box is pointing at the noun Ask making me believe that you should click it in order to ask the site your question! After all, the whole idea behind Ask is that you should construct your query in form of a question. Combined with the fact that the main search button is identical in color with the rest of the site so it melts right it, it further enhances the feeling that the red Ask logo is the main action button.

But of course, it is not.

All the design elements point in one direction, the site wants you to go the opposite way.

I have no sympathy for the "other" search engines. Seeing ridiculous fails that they are I am really glad Google killed them all.