Android Tablet Shipments totaled approximately $ 30 million in the fourth quarter, IDC announced today. And the number (total market) jumps 50 million if you throw in the Apple iPad.
"There is no question that Microsoft is compressed in the race to compete for the long term," IDC analyst, said today in a statement, trying to start Microsoft tablet perspective.
In fact, it is probably positive statement that can be made at this time.
Then this: "Reaction to the surface of the tablet business with Windows RT was cut at best," said IDC. Cut in this case amounted to 900,000 units delivered "in the channel."
So how does this compare with other major suppliers enter the market? Amazon shipped about 4.7 million Kindle Fire tablets in the fourth quarter of 2011, when the $ 199 tablet debuted.
And Asus, which makes Google Nexus 7 tablets, 3.1 million shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012, quarter after the debut of the Nexus 7. Many, if not most of them are without a doubt the Nexus 7.
Add to that the market stood at IDC reported today (Amazon shipped about 6 million last quarter and Samsung almost 8 million) and it is clear that Android tablets are not only leaving a greater presence market, but are still eroding from Apple.
This leaves Microsoft, for the moment, like an echo in the midst of a boom in Android.
How to earn Microsoft on Android? Lower prices would help.
"We believe that Microsoft and its partners to quickly adapt to market realities smaller screens and lower prices," says IDC.
And what about long term? "In the long term, consumers may grow to believe that tablets with high-end computing systems, desktop operating worth a higher premium than other tablets," said IDC.
This could indeed be long.
