The iPad is a success. Sure, we have known that for a while — ever since the doors opened the first morning that it was released and people were ripping other people’s fingers off to get a hold of one — but the iPad now appears to be such a success that it is making people turn away from more conventional forms of technology in favor of Apple’s tablet.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Best Buy CEO Brian Dun claimed that the iPad has cannibalized sales from PC based laptops by as much as 50 percent.
“People are willing to disproportionately spend for these devices because they are becoming so important to their lives,” Dun said. “We are really positioning the company to be the place where people can come and see the best of the connected world.”
As the holiday season approaches, Best Buy will continue to heavily stock the iPad, as well as other mobile gadgets, including a wide selection of smartphones and the Amazon Kindle. Best Buy also has plans to create an area in most of its stores to set up demos for the Microsoft Kinect and the Sony Move, as well as other video game accessories, further putting an emphasis on gadgets rather than larger ticket items such as 3D TVs, which have seen a large decline in sales from last year.
“It’s a very different environment now,” Stephen Baker, the chief electronics analyst for NPD said. “The real cool stuff now will be the tablets, e-readers and probably the higher-end digital cameras.”
Ya right that crap ANDROID ROCKS
The lack of Flash support, even if it's a crappy technology, limits the widespread usefullness of the iPad.
All our websites are iPad capable but we do use flash from time to time (wish we didn't… as it's too slow)
See the world's Largest Residential Airpark, Spruce Creek: http://www.7FL6.com
http://www.flyinrealty.com
Also he said Laptop sales. What about Netbook sales? I have an IPAD myself it gets used for surfing the internet and playing a couple games on. It is an overpriced toy. I would rather have a netbook over and IPAD anyday.
I agree, I also think that they did not factor in netbook sales growth.. As when i just bought a netbook 2 weeks ago from BB (Yea i was too impatient to wait for one in the mail).. All the netbook were sold out.. I was lucky to get the last samsung netbook.. As i was peeking in the cases looking for what they had in stock.. Guess what the only thing under the cabinets were IPADS… That tells me netbooks are out selling IPads.. (There were alot of ipads too.. and more people were looking at netbooks then were at the 'apple booth' they had set up.. So i think this guy didnt count in other factors.
For those who check mail, browse the web and shop online shopping it’s a perfect replacement for that laptop. In fact any tablet is, not just the iPad. However, I’m in favor of the iPad. :)
Tom, wifi printing will be available in the upcoming November update. As far as the USB, the camera connection kit does make a USB device accessible to the iPad, however, while some devices work with it, many do not, from what I’ve heard/read/experienced. I guess it would all depend on what device you have in mind. Which would that be?
I agree with what Trip said: the stock plummeted and there needs to be a reason to why it has so it’s easy to blame the iPad.
Reasons why I don’t think the laptop will be replaced by the iPad:
The first is that a lot of schools have some form of internet security (like Cisco Clean Access) that are required to access the school’s network. Some schools will bypass this with the device’s MAC address and some won’t; an iPad isn’t worth the box it came in if it can’t access the web.
The second is that are you honestly telling me people are tying fifteen page papers on the iPad? Seriously? Yes, most computers have computer labs but I’m much more apt to sit in my dorm then in a lap (at least that was the case when I was still in school). Also, it’s tough to write a paper at three in the morning when the lab is closed.
The third ties into the second with the same work-around and that deals with not having access to MS Office and more importantly Power Point which a lot of classes require.
The fourth is that my Asus Eee PC was cheaper than a iPad but it has flash memory, a USB drive, built in camera, an optical drive, great battery life, can run Windows and Office, has flash memory, supports all web-based applications and can actually be used as a computer.
People are shopping less at Big Box retail chains because people don’t want to listen to some high school kid who gets paid $9.00 a hour who knows nothing about what they’re talking about trying to sell them a computer. People are getting informed and buying their items online where they are cheaper and you don’t have to deal with anyone or even leave your house and you don’t have to deal with, “Why you should buy CDs, Virus software, a case, etc.”
evil tampads!
since Best Buy stock plummeted right after iPad’s release, it’s a convenient claim for stock holder consumption…i have both and the iPad is barely adequate as a productivity tool, and nowhere near adequate as a laptop replacement, but it’s awesome as a toy for recreational media…the MLB At Bat app is worth the price of the iPad alone…
Well said Trip. I love my iPad, but I have no illusions as to its usefulness as a productivity tool. It’s the best way to consume media currently, and apps like MLB At Bat are stupendous.
does the ipad have a usb i can plug my accessoirs into?..or wifi to print wirelessly
Barely adequate? Illusions to its usefulness? I beg to differ, gentlemen. In the realm of school alone, I’ve been able to download all EIGHT of my textbooks to my device, compose all of my papers, write my notes from class lectures, record them if I’d like, do all of my internet research on the go AND walk into class with nothing BUT the tablet. No pens, no books, no handouts (after scanning them and downloading them to the device as well).I look forward to finding out what ELSE this thing can do!!
Sounds like a clumsy sales pitch to me. I'll stick with my Asus.
Nice article!
Reading through these tips also helped me much to buy my first laptop: http://www.howtobuythings.com/computer
Think branding… People buy things because they like the brand. It could be the most horrible product known to man but if it has a Brand behind it and there are people who only look at the sticker on the box then it will sell. I read somewhere that Apple is in the top 10 (if not #1) of recognized brands today. All the kiddies who watch ICarly know what computers the actors are really using and it is not a Pear. Best free advertising in the world.
Jobs is brilliant but stuck in his own world. I for one do not like his world of DRM and locked devices.