The Surface 2 is going to go on sale on October 22. Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V) is going to release its Windows RT tablet on October 22. Few people are going to be talking about either of those events, however, because Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is launching its new tablet computer, the iPad 5, on the same day.
Rumors that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) would set the iPad launch date for October 22 began to circle around the Internet this morning. With Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V)’s release dates on the same day, the choice makes sense for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Apple aiming at competitors
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is facing more trouble in the tablet market than most of the others it operates in. The firm’s problems stem mostly from budget Android tablets, but there is a reason that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is aiming at Windows tablets with this release. Windows tablets are not all that popular, but Apple has not forgotten the 1980’s.
Windows won the race for the PC for many reasons, but the arrival of Office was one of the major ones. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) lost the personal computer because it wasn’t what people used at work, so they weren’t used to the system. The major competitor for Apple in the tablet space isn’t Android, it’s Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad sales have been down this year over last year, and the tablet space appears to be getting saturated in the United States. Apple needs to hit enterprise to really boost sales, and Microsoft is a real challenger in the space. The biggest competitor is not the cheap Android tablet, it’s the high-powered Windows model.
Apple iPad release
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is due to release at least one new iPad on October 22, but there are few enough rumors to go on. The device is likely to have a 64-bit processor like the iPhone 5s, but few other rumors about the company are available.
The iPad 5 is going to be the best tablet Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has ever released. It probably won’t be better able to take the enterprise market than the Surface Pro 2, but it should make some moves toward that goal. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is going to have to do some serious software development. Apple needs software for enterprise, and that’s going to be a major theme in the company’s development in the coming year.
