Laptop Thoughts: Mom Wants and Gets an iPad 2

"Why should I buy an Android tablet for my mom? Android tablet manufacturers still can’t answer that simple question with conviction. So guess which tablet we bought mom for her birthday?"

It seems that everyday consumers, when given a choice, continue to opt for an iPad/iPad 2 in large numbers. These consumers buy functionality, reliability, and ease of use, and don't make their buying choices based on specs alone. Much of it is great consumer marketing, with Apple's advertising showing many of the things that consumers want.

And the competitors. Some of early Motorola Xoom advertisements were really sci-fi geek-oriented (will Motorola ever learn?). Samsung's GalaxyTab 10.1 ads revolve around 4G/LTE speed, while the everyday consumer says, huh? And RIM's advertising is (IMHO) horrendous: what, I also need a BlackBerry to see email? HP, on the other hand, seem to understand the consumer market better, displaying ease-of-use and functionality, so I'd suspect that their sales will ultimately reflect this knowledge. And the recent $50 price cut doesn't hurt.

Android tablet vendors and RIM: Mom is still waiting for you to explain to her why she should buy your product.