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Apple constantly sells "every iPad they can make", so when they give shipment numbers, that's pretty much the same as sales numbers.

Mostly, but not always.

Apple's sales numbers include all the sales into non-Apple retail stores. That doesn't mean end user sales are the same.

In the most recent earnings call, that was reflected in analyst questions about iPad sell-through, because it seemed that Apple inventory was piling up:

"So then the comments on iPad being just slightly within the range of four to six weeks, which seem to imply a fairly significant slowdown sequentially in sell through, can you comment on what’s driving that expectation? - analyst"

False. Unlike Samsung...Apple ships on a sales order. They do not list internal movement of stock from location to location. iPads are currently being shipped to consumer from the factory for US customers. Apple does not list inventory to their stores either.

Apple products are also sold through retailers, and those sales figures do not always reflect end user sales.

For example, again in the last earnings call it was revealed that in the previous quarter, Apple had reported sales of 2.6 million more iPhones than were actually bought in that time period by end users:

And so what that did was, it increased sell in over sell through by 2.6 million units. - Tim Cook

This was Apple's explanation as to why their iPhone sales in the most recent quarter were down far more than should be expected just from people waiting for a new model. As it turned out, it was because there were millions of as-yet unsold iPhones aleady in store inventories.

In general, store sales equal end user sales most of the time. Yet there also periods when even Apple's end users sales do not equal store sales.
 
Expect the Asus share of the market to jump substantially in the next quarter to account for Nexus 7 sales.
Did Asus or Google release any sales figures. I've seen the stories about it selling out but haven't heard how many actually sold.

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I agree this data is somewhat outdated in that the Nexus 7 proves a decent Android tablet can be made so Apple's grip on the tablet market may soon loosen up a bit. It will be interesting to see how marketshare shape out for the last half of the year.

But your Microsoft argument is a bit "chicken or egg." Frankly, I think most Windows developers became such not because MS was good to them, but because it is the default computer OS. Even now they still own 85%. You go where the money is.

By that same concept devs flocked to iOS, and Android was 2nd string, not because they preferred Apple to Google, but because iOS had incredible growth and the iOS App Store made quite easy for a dev with a good idea to literally become an overnight millionaire.

I don't think Win 8 is going to be widely adopted b/c Win 8 for the PC isn't something the business world is going to quickly install. They are going to hold onto Win 7 as long as they can for stability. The tablet race is really between Google and Apple. But if Apple does come out with an lower cost 7" in the next few months, then it's really "game over." Google isn't making money on Nexus 7 so it can't lower the price further.
Where I work we haven't even upgraded to Windows 7 yet. A few months ago on Dell's quarterly conference call Michael Dell admitted as much and said the transition to Windows 8 would be slow.
 
Yes...it was the Nexus Q. Google may do well to cut their losses and cancel that albatross.

Well, everyone who pre-ordered the Q is getting it free, and Google just decided to go back and add features. That was the number 1 complaint, 299$ for the few features it had. It is a nice evolution to the Google TV project though and just shows how these platforms (Android/iOS) can be used for much more than just tablets/smartphones.
 
Remember kids: This is "SHIPMENTS". Not "SALES". Boxes sitting in a stockroom count.
You are right what Samsung is concerned. Apple however is giving out sales to end clients AND stock sitting on shelfs.Seperate. The 17, x million are sold. On top of that, Samsungs numbers are a big guess, nothing solid.
 
Well, everyone who pre-ordered the Q is getting it free, and Google just decided to go back and add features. That was the number 1 complaint, 299$ for the few features it had. It is a nice evolution to the Google TV project though and just shows how these platforms (Android/iOS) can be used for much more than just tablets/smartphones.

I think it's pretty awesome looking device. But I don't think Google going back to the drawing board is going to help it. I'm not sure you can even call it an evolution to GTV. Even that is sort of a rudderless ship. If they come back with something more in line with ATV or Roku (cost-wise as well) it'll just be another ran. Like I said I really like the look of it but I'm still scratching my head as to what Google was thinking with that thing.
 
People always mention this. Do you think retailers would keep accepting a product that just sits? If you go into a store, you can find ipads on the shelf too. This isn't like HP and their fire sale where retailers were genuinely angry.

You wouldn't think so, but you'd be amazed at the weird stuff that happens in retail/wholesale.

  1. As a general rule, shipment numbers are quoted because, for most hardware makers, that's the last time they have any direct insight into the state of the sales chain. For 'sales' numbers, they use analysts, just like the rest of us. (Apple is unusual in this regard because they have their own retail stores, and they have partnered with many other major chains for the 'store-in-a-store' model. This gives the a much larger and broader sample of actual *sales* numbers.)
  2. Most manufacturers don't keep a single, consistent product line for as long as Apple does. (For an example of this, look at the sheer number of Android phones Samsung has released since it first started producing them.) This makes it difficult for retailers to judge how many of something will sell, causing them to commonly over or under estimate demand. (Wholesalers often try to compensate for under-estimates, by ordering more so demand can be filled more quickly, but this can backfire if the 'under' estimate actually turned out to be an *over* estimate.)
  3. Many retailers have contracts with their wholesalers which allow them to return unsold products after a certain time. These still count as 'shipped', but will probably never be 'sales' unless they're sold at a significant markdown through an overstock retailer.
  4. Some wholesalers have agreements where they can recover some of their loss by returning the unsold devices to the manufacturer. This isn't as common as #3, but it happens. If there is a market for the items somewhere else, they can be sent there. (These are sometimes, but not always, counted again as devices 'shipped', depending upon the particular reporting rules in question.)
  5. With hundreds of thousands of retailers in the US alone, a few million (or even tens of millions of) devices building up and languishing in the supply chain doesn't mean that stores have thousands of them on hand. It means that many of them simply still have their original 35 or so, plus their second shipment of 30 or so which they *expected* to need, but didn't.

As you can see, it's not like Bob's Electronics Outlet says, "I want 100 more of Widget Q even though I still have 98 of the first batch in my store room." If you have 100,000 retailers, and they each order (on average) 50 devices, you're looking at 'shipment' numbers of 5 million devices. If they each sell (on average) 15 devices, you're looking at 'sales' numbers of 1.5 million, with 35 sitting on shelves and in store rooms gathering dust, and eventually getting lost behind other stuff. (I worked at CompUSA for a while, back in the PII/PIII days, and we once found a *new in box* 486 system hiding behind a massive stack of other inventory.)

Those 35 tablets don't take up significant stockroom space, so they could sit there, languishing, for quite some time before the retailer returns the inventory, or marks it down to try to recover some of their losses. Meanwhile, the wholesale supply chain might have twice as many of the device sitting there, originally ordered to fulfill the expected demand for the device.
 
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I think it's pretty awesome looking device. But I don't think Google going back to the drawing board is going to help it. I'm not sure you can even call it an evolution to GTV. Even that is sort of a rudderless ship. If they come back with something more in line with ATV or Roku (cost-wise as well) it'll just be another ran. Like I said I really like the look of it but I'm still scratching my head as to what Google was thinking with that thing.

There was nothing really wrong with it... except the 299$ price tag really. 99$ ? It was more than the AppleTV offered. 299$ though... I dunno what they had in mind when they announced it.

Nope, it's unfortunate, but going back to the drawing board isn't going to help. I'd really like to see either Google or Apple get their heads out of their behinds and finally bring an App platform to TVs. Sort of the Homebrew gaming/media console everybody always wanted. Make the hardware, OS and application store, let the 3rd parties in cheaply unlike the Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft console cartel.
 
Well, that leads to the question, "Why do people buy Android phones?"

A lot of times it's because they're cheap/free. When they are able to get a tablet and not have to deal with contracts and cell carriers, they choose what they truly think is better.

exactly but android fan boys hate to accept this fact..
 
The Nexus 7 was delayed indefinitely yesterday...not going to be much of a problem for the iPad.

Wrong Nexus. The Q was delayed.

Nexus Q:
GoogleIO2012-2222_575px.jpg


Nexus 7:
google-nexus-7-pictures-preview-0.jpg


Not the same thing.
 
There was nothing really wrong with it... except the 299$ price tag really. 99$ ? It was more than the AppleTV offered. 299$ though... I dunno what they had in mind when they announced it.

Nope, it's unfortunate, but going back to the drawing board isn't going to help. I'd really like to see either Google or Apple get their heads out of their behinds and finally bring an App platform to TVs. Sort of the Homebrew gaming/media console everybody always wanted. Make the hardware, OS and application store, let the 3rd parties in cheaply unlike the Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft console cartel.

The Nexus Q was garbage in so many more ways than just the price. It didn't come with a remote--you needed a tablet or android phone for that. There was also very little content it could play. It was a streaming box that depended on a lot of other devices to work correctly.

The Apple TV now does Netflix, HuluPlus, all your iTunes content, and several other "channels", not to mention AirPlay, which is the real killer app part of Apple TV. It is a much much much more functional box for 1/3 the price. Same situation for Roku. Buy one of those two and you are way better off than you would have been with the Nexus Q.

And I agree--I would like some apps to come to Apple TV, but with the recent addition of Hulu, I'm good for now. Love having the iCloud/iTunes access for all my Match and PhotoStream content, and it's also great for HomeSharing off of my PC downstairs. But I would love to see more video content apps on there that aren't present in Hulu or Netflix.
 
I pretty much doubt Samsuck will never have many tablets as iPad. Remember how Eric was the Apple board a while back and he back stabbed them by releasing new Chrome, OS and phone? They never reveal the table idea to Eric so that's why it will never be successful, IMO.

Samsuck? How long did it take you to come up with that one Don Rickles?:rolleyes:

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The Nexus 7 was delayed indefinitely yesterday...not going to be much of a problem for the iPad.

Way to have your facts straight
 
I don't think Surface is going to take down the iPad.

A) The RT version is not full Windows 8
B) The Pro version is not going to be cheap
C) People may not like Windows 8.
D) People increasingly don't like Windows in general.

I don't think the Surface is the home run people think it's going to be.

To add to point A, I think 2 versions of what looks to be the same OS is going to cause confusion and annoy customers. People will see its 'Windows' and buy it, then wonder why x86 apps won't install on the RT version.

B) is pretty much spot on, the Pro surface tabs are looking around ultra book prices, so it might kill that market/

C) I work in IT, we've all got different opinions about our preferred OS's - no one is considering Windows 8 - we've all tried it and then reformatted back to XP/7

D) not too sure about this, people might not like windows but the move to a different OS is a big leap for some. That said the transition is not probably easier thanks to the Metro desk.
 
To add to point A, I think 2 versions of what looks to be the same OS is going to cause confusion and annoy customers. People will see its 'Windows' and buy it, then wonder why x86 apps won't install on the RT version.

B) is pretty much spot on, the Pro surface tabs are looking around ultra book prices, so it might kill that market/

C) I work in IT, we've all got different opinions about our preferred OS's - no one is considering Windows 8 - we've all tried it and then reformatted back to XP/7

D) not too sure about this, people might not like windows but the move to a different OS is a big leap for some. That said the transition is not probably easier thanks to the Metro desk.

So what you're saying is the average Joe is too stupid to see the word PRO on the box?
 
So what you're saying is the average Joe is too stupid to see the word PRO on the box?

Yes that's what I'm saying. The average buyer in PC World will just see Windows and buy it. Sadly I have experience with most levels of computer users and average should read below average.
 
Well, that leads to the question, "Why do people buy Android phones?"

A lot of times it's because they're cheap/free. When they are able to get a tablet and not have to deal with contracts and cell carriers, they choose what they truly think is better.

You're pretty much spot on. There aren't any free iPhones with cheap $40-50 monthly plans. Most of them are nearly $100 per month or more and there are still a significant amount of people who will never pay that much for a phone. A key ingredient to Androids "dominance"
 
Now i have to say although Apple seems to have just 70% marketshare on paper, i never ever saw another tablet in the real world out there. Like in the park, on a bus, in a cafe or whatever. I see alot of ads but i believe Apple is closer to 90% marketshare.
 
"This size isn't sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion.
...
Can't wait to hear the workaround on this one

Clearly IOS works on smaller devices or the iPhone wouldn't sell. The question is whether you could just scale down the size of the iPad while keeping the same resolution (probably makes icons too small for people with larger fingers like myself, which is Jobs' point), or whether you would need to redesign the layout, which would be inconvenient for app producers.

Maybe the market is now well enough established that a 7" device could be produced despite it being be unusable by some users? "Fingers too big? Buy the standard iPad, sir!"
 
Now i have to say although Apple seems to have just 70% marketshare on paper, i never ever saw another tablet in the real world out there. Like in the park, on a bus, in a cafe or whatever. I see alot of ads but i believe Apple is closer to 90% marketshare.


I've seen quite a lot of them. In fact, I've been surprised at how many Nooks I've seen.

Even if Apple have 90% marketshare, keep in mind that 10% is about the OS share of Macs.

That is to say, Samsung has 10% of all tablet sales. Apple has 70% according to the report. 10% is not a small chunk.
 
Microsoft Surface, c'mon faster...
Its ad on YouTube has over 6 million views :O

People do love a good train wreck.

As for these numbers have to take them in context. How exactly are these groups getting their numbers and what are they counting. Shipments to the channel, end users etc. because shipped to a reseller doesn't mean it sold. And number of devices that go into the hands of a user and stay there are more important than boxes in a stockroom collecting dust

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I love seeing Apple's big chunk of tablet marketshare. Its amazing that these competitors can't give Apple a good run for their money.

That's Apple fav trick. Make what they want how they want and convince folks to buy it. The textbooks thing to lure in schools is one of many tactics. Having the kiddies use iPads at their annual summer thing is another. 'look what junior made on an iPad' is better and cheaper than any ad campaign. And so on

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A limited quantity selling out does not mean that the Nexus 7 is selling well. Remember the Kindle Fire?

Or the HP Slate. Sounded so great to read that they sold out of preorders in like a week. Until we found out they only had like 5k units. And they would have to wait a good six months before they could produce any more.
 
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