Counting Tablets, Apple Is Third in Global PC Sales

Apple is now the third-largest PC maker in the world, according to research firm Canalys, which has decided to include tablets like the iPad in its definition of a PC. Cupertino shipped 11.5 million Macs and iPads in the fourth quarter of 2010, vaulting it into third place in global shipments, ahead of Dell and Lenovo and behind Acer and HP. While the industry’s PC sales grew 19.2 percent from the same period in 2009, Apple’s PC sales grew a jaw-dropping 241 percent. The catalyst for that growth: The iPad.

“Each new product category typically causes a significant shift in market shares,” said Canalys senior analyst Daryl Chiam. “Apple is benefiting from pads, just as Acer, Samsung and Asus previously did with netbooks. The PC industry has always evolved this way, starting when Toshiba and Compaq rode high on the original notebook wave.”

And to those who contend that the iPad and similar devices shouldn’t be tallied in the same category as laptops and desktops?
“Any argument that a pad is not a PC is simply out of sync,” said Chiam.

[Image credit: Gizmodo commenter Ahubbuch]

http://www.realestateactive.com/ Michael Real

People now can stop debating that Apple is number one in PC sales if the iPad is counted. It seems it fall short of two notches and definitely not the most sought after PC in the world.
Anonymous

“Any argument that a pad is not a PC is simply out of sync,” Chiam said. “With screen sizes of seven inches or above, ample processing power and a growing number of applications, pads offer a computing experience comparable to netbooks. They compete for the same customers.”

http://www.reuters.com/article.....EK20110126
Anonymous

hmmmm. Interesting if slightly slanted spin on the news. Dell must be really happy being classed as 4th then. I assume you own an acer or an HP device and are truly proud of their winning positions.
Anonymous

So, basically Zuckerberg was right after all…
Anonymous

How can the iPad be considered a computer when it requires a traditional pc before it can be used? Or to sync music/photos with?

Look at apple.com/store the iPad is on the same plane as the iPods, iPhones and Apple TV – all devices dependent on being synced with computers, while the mac’s are listed on a different plane.

iPads a great and revolutionary device but at this stage its not a full computer. IMHO I think apple knows this and it is why its an i-Device not a mac device.
http://www.davidafenton.com/ DavidAFenton

Sync with a PC still “required” but one or two software updates and iPad will be truly standalone
Anonymous

You’ve heard “Apple would be number one” in regard to U.S. sales. This would be the first time they’d be in the race for global sales, which is indeed a new watershed moment for them. At the rate they’re growing, HP’s lead isn’t impressive.
Anonymous

iPad I feel like a laptop, electronic reader, does not look like computers.Netbooks run a desktop OS, not a mobile OS like the iPad. I believe the iPad is NOT a PC because of this and the fact that it depends on PC to set up and operate.

P.S.10 iPad features you MUST know about the iPad
GeorgeS

@RIDave:

The iPad needs to be “synced” to a computer only ONCE, when it is first activated. That could be done at the store when it is bought. After that, one can download music, photos, movies, etc, directly to the iPad, just as with the iPhone. The only other major limitaation, as I understand, it, is for major OS upgrades, which require suing a computer. OTOH, major upgrades to the computer’s OS requires using an external device, like a DVD drive or network.
GeorgeS

“Netbooks run a desktop OS, not a mobile OS like the iPad. ”

Is the VOlt an automobile? It doesn’t run an internal combustion engine. Your definition of “PC” is antiquated. A far better definiotn would relate to howw the device is USED, not what OS it runs.

BTW, a PC without an optical drive may not be able to be updated on its own, either. It may need to be networde with another computer.
http://blog.macb.net macbeach

Some of these companies (the ones still in business) are going to reap the ultimate reward of tying their fate so closely to Microsoft and Windows.

Counting Tablets, Apple Is Third in Global PC Sales

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