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iPad Drives Apple to Third Place Worldwide, First in North America for Mobile PC Sale
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That is an excellent point. How can 1 "pc" be defined (as in this survey an iPad) as a "pc" when it relies on a "pc" to activate it?!
That point really annoys the ____ out of me...thankfully I had an 8 year old WINDOWS PC that would activate it because my 3 YEAR OLD MAC would not! Yup...you read that right...my 3 year old Mac would not support iTunes 10 because I didn't have the latest Mac OS...so Apple wants me to upgrade my entire _____ing Mac just so I can activate my new iPad?! Totally lame. 100% lame. Not to mention the risk of the upgrade...new "features" I do not want, new versions of iLife that I do not want, risk of corruption/data loss during migration/upgrade. Again, lame.
Activation The Final Frontier. You can write a book now.
Arg...round and round we go.
So all those advertisements for years regarding the Touch as playing games, apps, videos, music, surfing the web, etc. is nowhere near related to what the iPad does? The Touch clearly was Apple's aim to get some kind of "mobile computer" status...it didn't work although the Touch is a nice little item.
It's too bad people on this board can't realize that "personal computer" has been changing its definition for over 25 years and it will always redefine itself as soon as some "norm" appears. Right now, however, the "norm" is not a tablet or an iPad. Yes, I have an iPad and like it, but it falls very short of the current (and my) personal computer definition that MOST of us understand. Posting hyperlinks to Wikipedia or other places that narrow the definition down to CPU and RAM and the like does not negate what the average person on the street defines as a personal computer. Asking them to give an example, an iPad or tablet would rarely come up. When an iPad or tablet does pop up 75% or more of the time then I would suggest the pure definition has crossed over into mainstream definition.
Exactly. And while an iPad is designed to be a secondary PC, it can easily be used as a primary PC depending on a person's requirements.
My mom has an iPad. I activated it for her, and I update it whenever she comes to visit. This is the exact same situation as when she owned a laptop.
Would you like my Apple Tech case to make you feel warm and fuzzy? Actually it wouldn't really help you because they would likely ask for your full name and stuff to confirm who you are...and I ain't giving that out here. Maybe I should post a picture of the free OS upgrade Apple sent me after I called and yelled that my $800+ iPad won't work on my 3 year old $1200 Mac!
1)My statement about iTunes 10 on my 3 year old Mac Mini is 100% true. Read the fine print on the bottom of the iPad box on WHAT MAC OS IT SUPPORTS AND WHAT iTUNES VERSION...or go to the Apple website.
2)"so frigging what?" Ummmm...try telling that to mom or sis who gets an iPad for Christmas but doesn't have a computer (or computer with iTunes) to use the damn thing. What about all the kids who will get one this year for Christmas when they open it at Grandma's house...and guess what...Grandma doesn't own a computer...so the kid will need to wait till he/she goes home to use it. Lovely.
So here we go...it's not a "pc" but it's now classified as a "secondary pc"
You folks amaze me. You have an answer for everything. Next you're going to tell me that you bought a new Honda Accord but every now and then you have to call a tow truck to start it because, well, that's just normal.
And what is the definition of a personal computer? How should iPad be changed in order to fit that definition?
Of course they would mention the most common and/or famous example. But that still doesn't mean that only the most common type is the only version possible.
You are ignoring or misunderstanding what I wrote. It's not an opinion whether or not an iPad competes in the same market. It's a matter of economics. It doesn't matter if you or Apple choose to call it a personal computer or not.
It has been shown that iPad sales are taking away from laptop sales. They are competing in the same market. Sales of the iPhone and iPod touch have not been shown to significantly take away from laptop sales. So they are not competing in the same market.
It has nothing to do with what you "feel" the definition of PC should be.
Sure, let's do that:
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/
Mac system requirements
* Mac computer with USB 2.0 port
* Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
* iTunes 9.1 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download)
you were saying?
And what about iTunes's system-requirements? Well, the latest version seems to require:
# Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 processor
# Intel, PowerPC G5 or 1.0GHz PowerPC G4 or faster processor is required to play Standard Definition video from the iTunes Store
Mac OS X version 10.5 or later
In short: you are still full of crap.
And how many are those? If someone bought an iPad to someone who does not have a laptop or desktop, they would of course pre-activate the device for that person. And after that, it can be used without ever hooking up to a computer.
And that somehow proves that it's not a computer? You are making stuff up as you go along.
I'm not going to get into the definition.
I don't think people would name a brand per se...I think the average person on the street would say "a personal computer is something with a keyboard, mouse, monitor and allows me to run programs, surf the web, print stuff, store stuff, and is upgradeable". Roughly. If they were asked to differentiate between mobile and desktop pcs, then it would likely be more of a clarification on the physical-ness such as weight, battery life, built in keyboard, etc.
I've spent too much time here already today, kids.
I think we can all agree to disagree. It's not like we're defining ram modules or chipsets.
Disagree. Proves that a company that cares about its products and how people use those products can be successful, and beat cheaply made inferior
products. That's my view anyway, but then i'm not always trying to run apple down.
Was that a serious post or satire?
If real, then your jealousy is palpable. I'll wager you don't derive half as much *enjoyment* from any of your high-tech devices as iPad owners do from theirs.
I never said that. In my opinion, it is a PC.
I didn't say that either. I said it's designed to be used as a secondary PC. A laptop can be a secondary PC. Netbooks are also designed to be used as secondary PCs.
1)My 3 year old Mac Mini does not have that OS...it has 10.4.1 if I remember correctly...whatever the last version was before the new OS in October of 2007. Therefore, the latest iTunes would not install. Therefore I had to call Apple and yell.
2)How much off topic can you get regarding my comments? Nothing in your above quote has anything to do with what I wrote. I'm not going to bother wasting another post with you. Love the accusations. Keep up the good work!
That's because you do not have one. You are just making stuff up as you go along.
And iPad has those. It has a keyboard, it has a pointing-device, it has a screen... And before you start to complain: laptops do not have mice or monitors, they have those built in, just like iPad does.
I've spent too much time here already today, kids.
You were shown to be full of crap, so you take your ball and go home.
Classy
you yelled at them because you weren't running the required software to support the hardware? Your computer supports the software required to use the iPad, but if you choose not to run that software, that's your problem, not Apple's.
You are making stuff up as you go along, and when you are called out, you whine.
Fine...and all I'm saying (as others have here) is that in order for you to use the iPad out of the box, you have to connect it to a personal computer. Period. End of story.
That does not bode well with a lot of people...especially the folks that get one as a gift. Then there's the confusion/pain that even if I bought one for my sister who has no computer (she does not and she's 37), I could just activate it (whatever the term is) with my pc...uh oh...but wait...now it's synced with my iTunes. Or is it? I dunno but it certainly might be if done by a non-techie...like my dad activating it for my sis.
Sure, almost all computers you buy today require some type of serial # activation...but my brand new Windows 7 or XP box does not force me the PHYSICALLY connect it to another machine. At worst it gives me 30 full functional days to use my computer and activate it (a serial #) via telephone or internet. I've done it both ways for years on various systems I've built from scratch. Real easy.
Again, a major disappointment is that you get an iPad, open the box, and before you can do a single thing, you have to connect it to a personal computer (Windows or Mac only remember and that has iTunes installed) and do it's thing. And yes, believe it or not, there are a LOT of people that do not use iTunes...so downloading and installing that is yet another step...regardless of how easy it is.
It's continuous comments like yours that would get your a$$ handed to you in the face-to-face conversation. Keep up the great work on the accusatory comments...good thing you're not discussing this in a bar.
Sure. That's all true. No one is arguing any of that. Obviously, it's not that big a deal as evidenced by the record sales.
What everyone is arguing is that none of that has anything to do with whether or not an iPad is a personal computer. And, on topic, that whether or not you choose to call it a PC has nothing at all to do with the fact that it competes in the same market as laptops.
I'm living in the now....
my android/blackberry device can be activated 'solo' and used without a computer. that may change but we are where are now...
funny?
maybe to you but not to me, my productivity on an ipad compared to a desktop/laptop ias miniscule..
again I'm talking real world here, where people use machines as tools, not accessories...
You can have it activated in the store. Once it's been activated, you can use it without ever hooking it up to a computer.
Oh, I didn't realize that PowerPoint, VB and macros are required in order for device to be called a "computer"
iPad has Pages, Numbers and Keynote, why don't those count? And you claimed that iPad can only be used for consuming media. I showed that you are utterly, 100% wrong. Go on, be a man and admit it.
Those have nothing to do with the definition of "computer".
So, I guess laptops are not real computers either, since desktops are faster, and they have better keyboards, pointing-devices, more RAM, more expansion-slots....
Why don't you go use expedia right now, and stop wasting our time with your inane comments? Because by jove, you are making no sense!
The nearest store is an hour away, never go there.
Not saying they need to be but basic office productivity (we aren't talking SAS here) is a key function, in my view and I suspect a lot of other people's of a portable computer.
iWork is just about useable but suffers with non native office support, but keyboard and mouse are vital for productivity apps at the moment.
I didn't say it can 'only be used for consuming media' I said that it was good at that and not much else.
speed has nothing to do with it...you have no real clue.
Stop being obtuse. I'm talking about a PERSONAL COMPUTER by today's standards. google TV built into a Sony TV or Blu Ray player can do more than your c64. No one is calling those things a personal computer.
PS3 could run linux.
No it wasnt a personal computer. It was a game console that ran linux. If you manage to get linux running on a calculator does that mean its a personal computer too?
I already explained to you how already. GoogleTV can do all those things too btw. Now if Sony sells a gazillion TVs and BD players with gtv built in, are we going to count those as computers too?
Many people who own cars find that they can replace having a car by using a bus. Does that mean a bus is a car? Even apple does not claim ipad is a computer.
Lots of the posts here are in the end about whether Apple should be allowed to be #3 in mobile computer sales world wide or only #8, but that is quite missing the point. The point is really how much Apple has sold, and how that compares to everybody else, and how it affects everybody else.
But first, anyone armed with a pocket calculator should be able to look at the numbers and see that they are wrong. Apple 6.3mil = 12.4%, Dell 6.1mil = 11.0% - that does NOT add up. Something is clearly wrong here. It looks like they included iPads in some calculations but not in others. Shoddy work.
Now lets say Apple sold 4.3mil iPads + 2.0mil MacBooks (we can't say for sure, because of the shoddy work of this market analysis). 4.3mil is almost 8 percent of the number of PCs sold (whether iPads are PCs or not). An iPad costs more than the average cheap netbook, and the more expensive ones cost more than many notebooks. So Apple made a very good amount of revenue from iPads. And 4.3mil iPads surely mean that some notebooks have not been sold. So whether these iPads are mobile PCs or not, someone has produced a product that will stop many from buying a laptop, and the number sold is eight percent of the total number of PCs sold. That is quite damaging for the rest of the industry.
And now everyone can go on arguing whether iPads are PCs or not. It doesn't really matter, because it doesn't change how much Apple has sold and how much everyone else has sold.
No, you are talking about a personal computer by your own standards. A lot of definitions include the term "general purpose" to describe a personal computer, which would eliminate your blu ray player.
On the topic of this thread, they would not count at all, since this study is talking about the mobile PC market. In a market analysis of the entire PC market, it would only be counted if people were choosing to buy GoogleTVs instead of desktops for the same use cases in significant numbers.
People do not choose to buy buses when they are looking for cars in significant enough numbers to include buses in an analysis of the automobile market. SUVs, minivans, and station wagons would be appropriate to include in an analysis of the market, because people buy them instead of cars for the same use cases.