• Computerworld, Monday, July 26, 2010 1:10 PM

Even before Apple rivals have had a chance to debut their iPad alternatives, Computerworld's Jonny Evans is declaring the software giant king of the tablets. "Apple has already won," he writes. In slightly less stark terms, he adds: "Apple has stolen the tablet/netbook industry to the extent competitors face a pretty tough time in even manufacturing their 'iPad killers'."

In other words, component suppliers -- of everything from flash memory to displays -- unable to keep up with Apple's demand won't have any time or resources to devote to its rivals. For one, LG Display CEO Kwon Young-soo recently told Reuters: "Demand (from Apple) keeps growing and we can't meet it all." The one exception, says Evans, are those "spookily similar products from Samsung, which also makes components." Meanwhile, research firm iSuppli just increased its forecast for iPad sales by 82% to nearly 13 million units this year.

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