Skip to main content

Small businesses have bought 2 million iPads

ipad-boxes-store-shelfThe iPad is open for business, apparently. While Apple designed the device primarily as a consumer consumption device, many small businesses have already purchased at least one of the tablets, according to a survey by Techaisle. The research company estimates that 2 million iPads have already been bought by companies with 1-99 employees. The adoption rate is higher for companies with at least 20 employees.

The most common uses for the device include demos, presentations, email, and Internet browsing. Larger businesses also use them as a tool when speaking with customers. Most of the businesses are using the iPad as a new gadget; it is not replacing PCs or other devices, says Paolo Puppoli, Techaisle.

“It is interesting to note that the early adopters of iPads among small businesses are those who have either transitioned or are transitioning to cloud computing environments,” says Tavishi Agrawal, Techaisle. ” These small businesses also have a higher average number of PCs and smart phones being used in their organizations.”

The research company believes that notebooks, netbooks, tablets, and smartphones will continue to coexist in the future as data moves into the cloud. Techaisle does not provide further statistics from its survey or the number of people and type of survey it conducted. Having said that, it is encouraging to see small businesses adopting a device like the iPad. If other manufacturers are lucky, this trend will continue and extend to all tablet PCs.

Editors' Recommendations

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
Apple may announce new iPads next month. Here’s everything we expect
The yellow iPad (2022) lying face-down on a green bush.

When it comes to Apple, we expect a new product refresh annually at this point, including for the iPad. However, that didn't happen in 2023. In fact, 2023 was the first year that Apple didn't release a new iPad model at all, which means we haven’t had new iPad releases since 2022.

It’s unclear why we didn’t see any new iPads last year. However, that should also be an indicator that we can expect some big changes for the next generation of iPad models, which are rumored to come out this year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has even said that we could see new iPads as early as March.

Read more
Apple’s new iPad Pro may not be as expensive as we feared
Two iPad Pro tablets next to each other against a black background. Both have Apple's Magic Keyboard case.

Apple didn’t release a new iPad last year, which means 2024 should be a banner year for the popular tablets. And now there's been word that the upcoming iPad Pro lineup, likely to include OLED for the first time, might not cost as much as we once feared.

According to a new report from DigiTimes, the upcoming iPad Pro models won’t see a dramatic price hike, as was suggested in December. Previously, it was reported that the 2024 11-inch iPad Pro would cost at least $1,500, while the next 12.9-inch model (which will have a larger 13-inch display) would start at $1,800. The current models start at $799 and $1,099, respectively.

Read more
The best iPads in 2024: the 5 best ones you should buy
The backs of Apple's iPad Air and iPad Pro, with the tablets place on a table.

Apple's iPad is undoubtedly one of the most popular tablets on the market right now. There are several different models to choose from, but no matter which one you go with, you'll be getting one of the best tablets out there. Still, Apple provides an abundance of choice here, and with so many different versions — and almost annual updates — it can be tricky to know which one is the best to get.

All of Apple's iPads are pretty great, and they're each designed with a slightly different audience in mind, so it's hard to pick a single one as "the best." That's why we've broken this list down by categories; after all, there's an ideal iPad for nearly every situation. Whether you're looking for the best overall iPad, the best iPad on a budget, something in the middle of the pack, or even the best small iPad, we've got you covered.

Read more