Lenovo Skylight also delayed to better compete with iPad?
By Thomas Ricker 
posted April 13th 2010 7:34AM
posted April 13th 2010 7:34AM
This isn't the first time we've heard talk of competitors delaying products to see what the boys from Cupertino are up to. Last time, it was HP making some last minute pricing and feature adjustments to its Slate. Now we've got DigiTimes' sources claiming that Lenovo is holding up its Linux-based Skylight smartbook -- pushed from April to July -- for very similar reasons. Specifically, "control is not able to act as smoothly as the iPad." Guess even a 1GHz Snapdragon can't fix a poorly implemented UI.
damn ipad....
@futurerheza - I dont think its the A4 itself, but the engineering in the OS, etc. Everything needs to work together synergistically (is that a word?). I dont own anything apple, but it seems when you control everything, everything works the way you (apple) likes it to.
Oh well. Time for White Castle!
@snowrid3r
They're not delaying it because of a need to compete with the iPad. The UI was probably lousy to begin with. How does this thing compete with the iPad? It looks like a netbook and it certainly isn't a tablet. These companies have no tablet strategies. Why are they even building devices to compete with the iPad except to show that they can.
Lmao at that last line.
The truth is that Flash won't save the competition from the success of the iPad (horrible name...God why Apple?)
People couldn't care one lick about Flash....
"People couldn't care one lick about Flash...."
...except when they go to a website that isn't one of, what, four or five mainstream news and media conglomerate sites and realize the folly of Apple's poor decisions.
Don't get me wrong: if there's a better way to stream video and produce live content, I'm all for it. But stonewalling Adobe was definitely not a good first step in a peaceful transfer of power.
@Leindurstit
People keep saying that but lol if that were the case then why the hell are they buying these things?
I bought the iPhone fully aware that it doesn't support Flash.
I would buy an iPad but
1) iPhone OS 4.0 is out for it yet
2) It has to be connected to another computer to be activated or w/e
The 2nd part is the most difficult to ignore. Steve Jobs said that it was to replace netbooks.
Well a netbook doesn't need to be connected to a computer in order to be functional.
So to me Apple FAILED in that regard and until they fix that one issue I won't be buying an iPad.
However that doesn't change the fact that the iPad is a great device and damn near perfect
@TheLondonExchange
"Steve Jobs said that it was to replace netbooks."
He's wrong on that one imho, netbooks and tablets are 2 different kind of devices. One can not fully replace the other.
"Well a netbook doesn't need to be connected to a computer in order to be functional. "
Same as the iPhone? Well, my non-apple-phone also doesn't have to be connected to a computer to be activated or functional :p
@TheLondonExchange
I absolutely love this. You 'setup' the iPad ONE TIME.
Genius, you know why they want you to plug it in to your computer? To transfer all your iTunes Apps and Media onto the device!!... Why wouldn't you want to put that stuff on your new tablet?? After that you can operate independently of the Desktop/Lappy.
Seriously, the Apple Haters are starting to sound like FoxNews now with these braindead talking points.
As for the software upgrade, whatever, get an iPad and get the update in 6 months. You know... cuz its still in Beta? Just like iPhone OS 4?
@Wesscoast
Are you serious wesscoast?
You're absolutely stupid. I'm one of the biggest Apple Supporters around here...
@Wesscoast
"Why wouldn't you want to put that stuff on your new tablet??"
You nor Apple have to tell ME what I want and what I don't want. I'll decide for myself what content I would place on my iPad (if I had one), thank you.
@MaTdg
That's why you shouldn't buy one right then?
Go enjoy your inferior android tablet with its horrible ui and probably really slow web browsing.
@ wesscoast
Apple should have created a system where iTunes remembers what stuff you've purchased and allows you to redownload those apps, movies, songs, etc without having to be connected to your PC.
Lastly it has internet access thru WiFi or 3G. Why can't it be activated that way. Instead Apple wants the user to plug it into a computer.
The only reason I can see it needing to be plugged into your main computer is to but the songs in your iTunes library that are not purchased from iTunes. But Apple should work on allowing cloud storage of that as well so someone can take their entire library with them and download it onto the iPad from wherever.
A USB port and HDMI out would be nice as well. Shocked that Apple didn't put a USB port at least...
@TheLondonExchange
who's telling you that the iPad needs to be connected to a computer? it definitely does not. you can load apps directly through the app store.
@TheLondonExchange Get over the name. Does it really make you lose sleep at night?
@Wesscoast LOL. You're a joke. Just because Steve told you what to put on your waste of $500 and you follow his orders doesn't mean everyone wants to do the same thing.
iSheep.
@tonicboy
For me, the big iFailure came in the form of no file management. If Apple just had a central documents folder/browser that every app could access, it would fix much of my issues with the iPad. As it is, though, since I can't really do much on it workwise, I don't think I'll be buying one.
@TheLondonExchange
Success cannot be measured by the preorder, line-waiting crowd. Apple always has that. Whether or not the iPad has the legs to keep up sales has yet to be determined. I couldn't wait to get an iPhone, but I'm waiting on the iPad. There is a good reason for my waiting too. I'm not paying for Apple's development time, a net-anything without a camera, nor am I going to support their hostile attitude toward Flash. In the long run, Apple will have to improve the iPad to capture the market that they are aiming it at. They may do that, and they may change the landscape of the internet by running out Flash. But they haven't done it yet, and until the do, I'm waiting for the first company that does a Tablet right. Until then, my laptop gives me the best internet experience available, including webchats, Flash, free content, speed, etc. . . .
@TheLondonExchange When you get an iPad from the Apple store, you can get it activated before leaving the store and never have to attach it to your PC unless you want to transfer music and videos (which make sense to be transferred over cable due to file sizes). As for apps, the app store remembers which apps you have bought so you can just re-download them for free over the air.
@canarsieville
Let me turn that around for you: methinks YOU are the sheep here, being brainwashed by Adobe that you have to put up with crap technology that sucks all-round and has brought the web nothing but pain and misery, for playing some stupid video on a webpage.
I for one am delighted that finally some big company steps up and tries to end the abomination that Flash on the web is. The sooner Flash is completely wiped from the internet, the better. Steve Jobs has nothing to do with that, years of frustrations with Flash on Linux already more than did the job.
@canarsieville
LOL, who's the sheep? You people mindlessly hate whatever Apple puts out, regardless of the product's merits. They could produce the perfect device that has everything you want and you'd still hate it, for no other reason than because Apple made it. I've never seen a group of people get their panties in such a bunch over... machines. Why don't you guys take that stick out of your ass and relax?
@TheLondonExchange
"That's why you shouldn't buy one right then?"
Exactly.
"Go enjoy your inferior android tablet with its horrible ui and probably really slow web browsing."
We'll talk again when notion ink's adam is released ;)
@Leindurstit Try 50 and climbing...
@drange
yeah let's forget animations, templates, logos, menus, viewing angle that flash does besides video. did steve jobs tells you HTML5 uses more CPU than Flash and is not GPU accelerated ? you can simply do a basic test on your computer and check for yourself. go fap to steve jobs itard
@TheLondonExchange
Please provide evidence of Steve Jobs saying the iPad replaces the netbook?
@drange "Let me turn that around for you: methinks YOU are the sheep here, being brainwashed by Adobe that you have to put up with crap technology that sucks all-round and has brought the web nothing but pain and misery, for playing some stupid video on a webpage."
What you're saying is foolish and typical from an iTard. Like it or not Flash is a standard. If it performs so poorly than web devs and distributors can choose to stop using it in lieu of other technologies like HTML5 and Silverlight. It shouldn't be Apple's decision to cripple the web for you. If Flash is so terrible than websites/apps will stop using it.
Apple isn't a hero for releasing a half-assed product that can't view ALL of the internet. If that's fine with you then keep sheeping.
@tonicboy Your point?
@canarsieville "Like it or not Flash is a standard. If it performs so poorly than web devs and distributors can choose to stop using it in lieu of other technologies like HTML5 and Silverlight."
Not really, while silverlight performs better it's just another closed plugin. Doomed to become flash 2 in the future. HTML5 is a good solution for the future but atm it isn't finished yet (both standard and implementation in the browsers). Big company's can't just dump flash for silverlight or HTML5 right now because they would exclude to many visitors.
"If Flash is so terrible than websites/apps will stop using it."
It's not that simple. IE6 is bad right? Why do so many company's still use it then? Same goes for flash.
I blame this on the iPad, if only Apple hadn't released it.
@Kwame Nkrumah
Except that if not for the iPad announcement we wouldn't be seeing all of these tablets on the way. I don't have one, but I'm holding out for a real tablet.
@Kwame Nkrumah Are you joking or serious? Because of Apple they are trying to make this product better. There have been plenty of tablets in the past only issue they all sucked before the iPad.
@Kwame Nkrumah Yeah, or at least if they hadn't done such a great job implementing a pretty, functional, and snappy user interface. Damn fuckers!
@Kwame Nkrumah
I blame this on the black cat that crossed my path this morning. He looked...shifty...
@Kwame Nkrumah
yeah stupid iPad, making companies work harder to have more competitive products. competition sucks, man.
@Kwame Nkrumah
It was a joke guys, take it easy.
With everyone delaying their products, can anyone beat the iPad?
I sure hope so.
With everyone delaying their products, I hope they come up with enough fixes to beat the iPad.
they are ducking into their holes but in the end its not gonna help...
i hope part of the delay improvements include switching to a capacitive screen. i think engadget is generally too hard on resistive screens, but capacitive would be nice for occasionally entering text and such
@billobob i was talking about the u1, not skylight, sorry
LOL like the iPad is much to compete against.
@Tohe No one can as of yet.
Lets face it. Most of the competition is crap.
Bitter tears.
@SCXFAN Yea dude. Most of the competition that's out there is crap... AKA joojoo.
What else is out?
But we haven't even gotten to the part where the first gen ipad starts failing or catching fire in reasonable numbers and apple denies it for like 18 months and then just releases a version 2 ipad and refuses to do anything more about the 1st gen ipad....
That will be when the fun starts.
@savagemike Honestly what are you smoking? There is a reason why they are #1 in customer service.
@savagemike
Sorry, did you say Apple or Sony? I get confused sometimes...
@dxdragon Get off it. I've purchased Apple products before and their customer support was awful. Lost me as a customer.
I find it strange how anti-competition/choice Apple fan boys are. Sigh.
@Aku
Uh, from this article, Lenovo is against competition, not Apple Fanboys.
RTFA NOOB!!
:P
This is why the majority of companies fail. They set a time and it keeps getting delayed.
At least when Apple say they will have something it turns up and on time no matter what the state of the software, iPad has no stocks, clock or weather. Just release the damn thing and update it later. People want to be able to hold it and feel it and use it. 3 months isn't going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. They are not going to compete with Apple's ecosystem in a competitive way.
The best these companies can do is to release the product as quick as possible because there will always be something better around the block and they've lost their 15 minutes by then.
@palindrome
"At least when Apple say they will have something it turns up and on time no matter what the state of the software, iPad has no stocks, clock or weather."
Uh, you may have noticed Apple just doesn't talk about the future. They talk about things they've done. The only reason they even talk about things like the iPad pre-launch (besides the FCC thing with the iPhone) is to get developers the tools to start building great apps.
Think of that, Apple was working on the iPhone (originally the iPad, actually, then they tried a handheld version due to hardware costs) for years and years.. as all these butt ugly phones kept coming out and guys like RIM made fortunes.
If you can have brilliant ideas like Apple AND have a poker face like Apple, you can deliver unforgettable Keynotes that fanboys will gush over and watch 4, 5 times and subscrible to on iTun..er.. anyway as I was saying... to their credit they have INCREDIBLE discipline to STFU about their great ideas, until the day they're ready to announce.
To be honest, I know people think I'm a Courier hater, etc, if you go back to the Engadget Show with Ballmer, he quite obviously scratches his eye and winks at Josh when he talks about "someone should make something like the Courier" so I know its comin out... but you can see, Steve Jobs would never do that. And Apple would NEVER release infantile Help Wanted Ads linking to Engadget saying "Look at all the cool stuff we're releasing this year"
See how the showmanship works? Apple does the opposite of almost every other big name tech company, that can't wait to bust a nut
@Wesscoast Exactly, I don't understand companies that seem to want to announce asap but then delay and delay, and finally ship and underwhelm. It's like the they are so excited about the features and doodads that they forget to release the damn thing. They are modelling the initial iPhone release, six month announcement then deliver. But that only works for fantastic products. This is going to be very forgettable in about 6 months.
And that other company announced the wepad have got it all wrong. August release date announce now.... LOL. Look at the JooJoo, they probably made more money on hype than actual product sales. A lot of tech companies seem to be managed by techies too who don't really have a concept of what it takes to sell something to the average consumer.