Analyst: IPad Rules Holidays; Rivals Are “Not Ready for Prime Time” Players

This holiday season the iPad was pretty much the go-to device for consumers looking to gift a tablet. In a note to clients this week, Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair said recent retail checks point to significant end demand for the iPad.

“Even with a handful of tablet competitors hitting the market, the iPad remained the only game in town in our holiday checks largely because many of the tablets hitting the market are junk for lack of a better word,” he wrote. “They are underpowered, poorly constructed and largely not ready for prime time.”

Evidently, Blair wasn’t too impressed by Samsung’s Galaxy Tab.

Anyway…

The holiday season is always particularly kind to Apple, but this year it may have been even kinder than usual. In addition to the iPad’s continued momentum at market, Blair observed stronger than expected holiday sales of iMacs, MacBook Pros and the new 11-inch MacBook Air.

Sounds like Apple’s December quarter is shaping up to be another blowout.