iPad Competitors seem to come from everywhere. Of course, there are all the best Android tablets that recently showed off at CES, and Windows and Blackberry seem to be gearing up for a fight on the tablet stage. But can they really compete?

Apple doesn’t seem to be concerned at all. Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer, claimed that many of the iPad’s competitors, including Android tablets, are “steamy,” meaning they’re not yet for sale. But what will happen when they become available?

Here are some strengths of the iPad along with the strengths of its competitors:

iPad Strengths

First, the iPad was really the first to come to the table when it comes to tablets. Since they were the first and have been wildly successful, they have a huge amount of momentum behind them.

Second, they have a great selection of apps. Apple did a good job of getting lots of companies to create apps for their devices, and now companies are lining up just to get their latest app approved on Apple’s App Store. While Android also has plenty of apps, it still doesn’t have as many as the iPad, by far.

Finally, the iPad’s competitors don’t have many of the features that the iPad does. For one, many of the tablets on the market now have smaller screens than the iPad, and don’t have an operating system optimized for tablet computing like the iPad.

Strengths of iPad Competitors

Even with everything Apple has going for it, Tim Cook and the folks at the company should probably be a little more concerned. Competitors to the iPad are coming fast and in waves, and they have some advantages that may make them viable alternatives to the iPad.

First, many of the competing iPads can be purchased and used on the networks of several different wireless carriers, giving them broader exposure. Lots of people are going to want to get a tablet in the same place they get a phone, and since the iPad is only available on AT&T (and now Verizon, though you have to bring a hotspot to use it), this could mean a boost. of sales of items like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, available from multiple carriers.

Second, while it’s true that many iPad alternatives run a smartphone operating system, that will soon change as many of the best Android tablets coming out soon run on Honeycomb, or Android 3.0, which is optimized for tablets. .

Finally, there’s a lot of variety in what’s on offer among the iPad alternatives, and some people will find options like having a device smaller than the iPad, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which measures roughly 7 inches by 4 inches. be better for them and easy going.

Conclusion

The iPad is still king, for now. But Apple better work hard to avoid all those iPad competitors!