Internet-Ready Tablet PC Build-To-Order Tablet

Internet-Ready Tablet PC

Build-to-Order Tablet PC

The proposed product is a tablet PC that can be custom-configured to the specific needs and preferences of customers, including support for always-on Internet access through advanced electronics. The proposed new product will be also based on the existing base of microprocessors that Samsung is using in their tablet PCs and also rely on a customized version of the Google Android operating system. This new product will be differentiated from the best-selling Apple iPad and Samsung tablet PCs by having a high degree of configurability and customization possible. The existing generation of tablet operating system is capable supporting greater device customization and configurability than existing vendors' product strategies and production approaches allow for (Watson, 52). The proposed product will also for greater levels of customization of tablet PCs including support for EV-DO chipsets that allow for any device to be connected to the Internet continuously (Vittore, 34, 35).

New Product Definition

Apple created the tablet PC market with the introduction of the iPad, which continues to serve as a foundational element of the company's long-term product strategies. In 2012 research firm estimated that Apple has sold 106 million iPad units in 2012 alone with the shipments of the iPad Mini becoming an increasingly larger percentage of total sales (Tofel, 1). Based on these metrics and the fact that the iPad often sells over 500,000 units a month on average, there is significant opportunity for a build-to-order tablet PC.

Where the existing iPad and Android-based devices fall short is in the area of customizing the screen for either typing or writing, and in the area of configuring always-on networking. Only through a very expensive program subscription to at&T or Verizon can an iPad be configured to always be connected to the Internet (Vittore, 36).

The proposed new product will include a stylus-based interface in addition to one that can be typed on. The stylus-based interface electronics can be purchased at the same cost or even lower than touchscreens from certain manufacturers (Wolfe, 17). Giving customers the option of having a touchscreen vs. style-driven interface is critically important for those users who may not know how to type that well or find that writing cursively is more efficient for their needs. This option alone differentiates the proposed new products from every tablet PC available today.