Another year has come to a close and with that comes a look back at the winners and losers in the consumer technology space during 2010. Here are CR4's winners for 2010:
iPad
There is no denying that the iPad has been a huge hit for Apple. Although the tablet
idea is nothing new, the iPad was the first tablet device that wasn't a
complete failure. Most of the iPad's success can be attributed to Apple's sleek
hardware design and successful marketing campaigns. Ever since its release,
competitors have been scrambling to bring tablets to market that can compete
with the iPad, and although others are finally starting to appear, none of them
are expected to be as popular.
Google Android
Android, Google's operating system for phones, tablets, televisions, microwaves,
and other devices has taken off in a big way during 2010. Android's market
share for smartphones went from 4% at the beginning of 2010, all the way up to
23.5% in October of 2010 -- making Android far and away the fastest growing OS
for smartphones.
Google went on record
during December to say that 300,000 Android devices are activated every day, and
recent reports indicate that Android accounts for 80% of all smartphones
activated on Verizon. Verizon's iPhone should cut into those numbers in early
2011, but Android will have no trouble continuing to grow its user base.
Kinect
Microsoft Kinect has only been on sale for 2 months and has already become a hit
with 8 million units sold worldwide in 60 days (Beating Microsoft's estimates of 5 million). The Kinect, which has been
highly anticipated since Microsoft unveiled a prototype over a year ago as a peripheral for the popular Xbox 360, takes
motion-based gaming the next level by eliminating the controller completely.
The Kinect's cameras and sensors work together to track the player's
movements in 3D. In contrast to the Wii and Nintendo's motion controllers that use
a wand and only track arm movements, the Kinect tracks full body movements
including head and legs. Nintendo's Wii has already seen a dramatic decrease in
sales since the Kinect launch.
Netflix
Netflix is far from being "new" in 2010, but this can definitely be considered
the year that they took their service to the next level and slayed most of
their competition. Originally a DVD rental by mail service, the majority of
their content is now streamed online with Netflix streaming built into most new
televisions, Blu-ray players, video game consoles, and other set top
boxes. While Netflix sees their
subscriber base growing, their previous #1 competitor, Blockbuster, filed for
chapter 11 bankruptcy this year and will be closing their few remaining stores.
Netflix has said they will be phasing out the part of their service which ships
DVDs by mail and focus solely on video streaming in the coming years.
Windows 7
Even though Windows 7 was released at the end of 2009, I have it included it in
the winners for 2010. After a number of failed operating systems, Microsoft
finally got something right with Windows 7 and the public has noticed with over
250 million copies sold so far. Add to that the unknown number of people who
run a pirated version of Windows 7 and its clear that the public is much more
accepting of the Microsoft's latest OS, especially compared to their previous
Windows Vista whose total sales are half
that number in a longer time period.
What new technology were you most impressed with in 2010? Check back next week for a rundown of the Worst Gadgets and Technology of 2010.
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