As you may have noticed by now, the Apple iPad is by most estimates a smash success. Apple sold more than 1 million iPads in its first month on the market, and the sexy gadgets continue to fly out of Apple Stores across the country. And now that Apple has established a beachhead in the marketplace, it appears that consumers are increasingly coming to the realization that they need either an iPad, or something like it. According to a survey conducted by Boston Consulting Group, 50 to 75 percent of consumers worldwide will purchase such a device within the next three years, assuming prices migrate south to the vicinity of $150 or so. Of course, with the sweet smell of Apple's success hanging over the industry, other companies are getting ready to launch touchscreen tablet computers of their own. Samsung, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and AsusTek all have units in development and close to market.
Which brings up an interesting question. Is it better to lead the market, or follow it?
In Apple's case, it is clearly important (and most effective for the company) to lead the market. Touchscreen tablet computers have been around for a while, but Apple completely reimagined the idea, starting with a blank sheet of paper, and borrowing heavily from the super-successful iPhone. In essence, the iPad is an entirely new product. Companies that were considering putting out similar products at about the same time as Apple were forced onto the sideline -- waiting to see exactly what the iPad would look like and what it could do before making a move. Consider Samsung, which in January introduced its iPad-like E6 e-reader -- complete with 10-inch display, slide-out control pad, and the ability to download books from Barnes & Noble -- at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The launch of the iPad swamped Samsung's plans, however, and its introduction was delayed while the company considered adding a color screen, 3G wireless capability, and a better battery. The Samsung unit (since renamed the SNE-60) has still not been released.
When one strong company (like Apple) sets the pace in an industry, it makes sense to follow -- to wait to see where the market leader is headed, then fight as hard as you can to be #2. If you jump ahead of the market leader with your own product, and the leader heads a different direction, you might find that like Samsung you're stuck with a product that is overnight obsolete, and that you'll be playing catch up for months (or years) to come.
