iPad propels Apple into top five PC vendors as netbook sales idle

Canalys today released its quarterly worldwide PC market data, highlighting Apple’s jump into the top five PC vendors. The iPad captured approximately 6% of the portable PC segment in Q2 2010, with over 3 million units shipped during the device’s first few months on the market. Conversely, growth in the netbook market continued to slow, as vendors struggled to deliver new product innovations.

‘Apart from the “Apple effect”, the iPad owes its success to a lack of advancement in other portable computing segments, such as netbooks,’ said Canalys Vice President and Principal Analyst Chris Jones. ‘To capture share moving forward, PC makers will have to take the netbook to the next level or go after new customer segments with their own pads.’  

Many manufacturers have announced the launch of pads for later this year. Canalys expects the pad PC market to reach 12.5 million units in 2010, growing to 66 million by the end of 2014. Due to its first-to-market advantage, Canalys anticipates that Apple will continue lead the market through at least 2011. As more vendors enter the market, however, there will be a period of experimentation with a range of various models aimed at both consumer and enterprise customers.

‘The key to creating a great user experience on a connected mobile device is ensuring that the hardware and software work together in harmony,’ said Jones. ‘Platforms such as Android, iOS, webOS and possibly BlackBerry, as well as Chrome, MeeGo and Windows, are likely to battle it out in the pad market over the next three years.’

‘As the number of consumers with multiple devices increases, it will also be important for pads to seamlessly integrate with existing equipment,’ said Canalys Senior Analyst Natalie Spitz. ‘In addition to synchronization capabilities, vendors should be prepared to take a strategic look at content – all-important, but often overlooked.’

Though some overlap will be inevitable, Canalys forecasts that pads and netbooks will continue to coexist in the portable PC market for some time. As the pad represents an additional luxury purchase to a certain extent, customers may eventually choose between the two devices, causing the netbook market to soften as vendors develop their pad offerings. Canalys expects pads to overtake netbooks by 2012.

‘With the growth of smart phones and mobile devices with all-day battery life, consumers have become accustomed to a world of always-on connectivity,’ said Spitz. ‘It’s only natural then, that these same consumers would demand similar features across all of their portable computing devices.’

The proliferation of mobile devices – and their impact on the market – will be just one topic covered at the Canalys Channels Forum, EMEA’s largest, independent channel event, to be held from 5-7 October at the Hotel Arts in Barcelona. This two-day, invitation-only event will feature senior one-to-one meetings, business-savvy keynotes, research into industry and channel trends, and expert-led debates among an audience of more than 700 executives from top vendors, distribution management, leading SMB resellers and Canalys analysts. More information about the event can be found at www.canalyschannelsforum.com.

About Canalys

Canalys specializes in delivering high-quality market data, analysis and advice to the world’s leading technology vendors. It is recognized as a key provider of continuous advisory services and confidential custom projects for marketing managers and strategists within blue-chip IT, telecoms, navigation and consumer electronics companies. It has unrivalled expertise in routes to market for all kinds of high-technology products and services and provides worldwide market data and trends analysis.

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