Tablet vendors 'quake in fear' over iPad 2

There are, alas, no direct comments from vendors to back up the claim, but computer manufacturers quiver in trepidation over what Apple may announce early next year.

The cause of all their collective spinal shivers and hair-whitening? The iPad 2.

According to Taiwanese newswire DigiTimes, the launch of the next iPad is "expected to seriously weaken" other vendors' media tablet propositions.

Samsung and Toshiba have, of course, already got their tablets out of the door, and are undoubtedly hoping buoyant Christmas sales from anti-fans and anyone who thinks the current iPad is too expensive.

But that leaves dozens of vendors who won't be releasing their tablets until 2011 - Rim, Motorola, Acer, Asus, LG to name but five - and are likely to go bang up against iPad 2.

Worse, if Apple plays true to form, having established a high end foothold with the first iPad, it will push the second-gen product downmarket, as it did with the iPhone 3G. The new model, then, will be lighter, cheaper and more functional.

It's likely to be a proposition only the most Apple-phobic of tablet buyers will be able to resist with ease. We shall see. ®