PC sales off to slow start in 2011, ‘usurped’ by the iPad

By Aemon Malone April 6, 2011

PC sales are off to a sluggish start in 2011, brought on, in part, by the overwhelming popularity of Apple’s iPad 2. The consumer PC market is “being usurped” by Apple’s tablet computer, according to analyst Chris Whitmore of Deutsche Bank as reported by AppleInsider.

Whitmore does expect PC sales to rise this year, but not by as much as originally predicted. Whitmore amended his projection for PC sales from nine percent growth down to four percent. He increased his projected 2011 tablet sales from 40 million to 45 million. By 2012, Whitmore expects that consumers will have purchased some 70 million tablets — a healthy increase from an original prediction of 60 million.

And the vast majority of those 45 million tablets purchased this year will likely be iPads — 35 million according to Whitmore.

“We remain skeptical whether the likes of (HP), Dell, Motorola, Samsung and RIMM etc can close the competitive gap on iPad 2,” Whitmore wrote. “Specifically, iPad challengers must either undercut on price (negative margin implications) and/or offer a superior user experience.”

“In aggregate, we believe iPad will remain dominant with 70% market share. Our tablet unit estimate remains below Consensus due to our concerns that non-iPad tablets will underwhelm,” he added.

Whitmore believes that the iPad’s popularity has also severely undermined the demand for PC notebooks to the extent that close to one out of every three iPad purchasers intend to use the device as a notebook replacement.

While the consumer PC market may be underperforming, demand for PCs in the corporate world is as robust as ever and shows no indications of declining. Whitmore did note, however, that unfortunately for PC makers, corporate sales are not likely to increase enough to offset the slow start in the consumer market.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Mobile

This iPad just got a rare discount — save $100 at Best Buy

Call of Duty: Mobile on the iPad (2022).

The standard Apple 10.9-inch iPad rarely sees a deep discount but that’s the case over at Best Buy at the moment. Normally priced at $449, you can buy one for just $349 for a limited time. A hefty saving of $100, this is one of the better iPad deals at the moment and worth checking out if you want a new tablet or you’re keen to buy someone a great gift. Here’s what the Apple 10.9-inch iPad has to offer.

Why you should buy the Apple 10.9-inch iPad
The Apple 10.9-inch iPad is a pretty good tablet for anyone who wants something straightforward and useful. It has an attractive 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone support so it looks great with whatever you’re doing, whether you’re browsing the internet, watching videos, or playing a game. It’s powered by the A14 Bionic chip with a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU which is why the Apple 10.9-inch iPad easily joins the best iPads list for anyone seeking a great mid-range example. It’s easily capable of playing many games through Apple Arcade as well as being snappy when it comes to looking up YouTube videos and similar.

Mobile

Best iPad deals: Save on iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPad Mini for the New Year

iPad Pro 2020 Screen.

There's a tablet out there for almost everyone, with designs available to accommodate anything from kids to creative professionals. The Apple iPad is one of the most popular tablet lineups, with the best iPads offering a wide range of options and capabilities. If you’re in the market for a new iPad, there are some great iPad deals worth shopping right now. In fact, not only are iPads some of the best Apple deals currently taking place, but some of the best tablet deals as well. We’ve rounded up what we feel are the best tablet deals to shop at the moment. They include iPads, iPad cases and covers, and iPad accessories, so read onward for more details.
Apple iPad 10.2 (9th Gen) 64GB Wi-Fi -- $249, was $329

Apple's A13 Bionic chip is no M1 or M2, but it still offers 64-bit architecture and neural engine support for excellent performance. In other words, this 10.2-inch iPad is incredible value. It has a 10.2-inch Retina display, 64GB of storage, supports Touch ID and Apple Pencil (1st Gen), and it's size, plus all-day battery life make it an excellent choice for anyone with an on-the-go lifestyle.

Mobile

Apple accidentally revealed a big iPad Pro display upgrade

The iPad Pro (2022) sitting in the Magic Keyboard.

iPad Pro 2022 Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple is already past its usual upgrade cycle for the iPad Pro after the previous model was released in October 2022. Latest reports hint at an announcement now set for "early May" this year where Apple will unveil the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models, even though a proper event seems unlikely. Despite Apple's suggested lack of fervor, these purported new iPad models are expected to bring significant changes, especially to the display.