Posted on 07/24/2013 9:28:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
It wasn't long ago that Apple fans were slapping each other on the back and crowing about how, one day, Apple would be known as "the iPad company." The theory was that iPads were such a mega-hit new product category that iPad sales would continue to grow at astronomical rates until, eventually, they might even eclipse sales of the iPhone.
You don't hear that theory much anymore.
Why not?
Because, despite the launch of a cheaper iPad last year--the iPad Mini--the growth of Apple's iPad sales has screeched to a halt.
Because, despite the launch of a cheaper iPad last year--the iPad Mini--the growth of Apple's iPad sales has screeched to a halt.
In the June quarter, Apple's iPad sales dropped a startling 14% year over year, to only 15 million units.
Even after adjusting for channel inventory, iPad sales to consumers dropped 3% year over year.
This in a tablet market that is projected to grow about 50% this year.
So, what's going on?
Well, part of the issue is a tough comparison with last year: The iPad with a retina screen launched in the June quarter last year, and this triggered a nice jump in iPad sales in that quarter--to 17 million units from 12 million in the prior quarter. That set a high bar for this year's June quarter.
But that's not the whole problem.
The larger problem, arguably, is that Apple is trying to maintain premium pricing in a market in which competitors are increasingly selling high-quality iPad alternatives for significantly lower prices.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
RE Broker in the field replying on my I-pad. Lots of good products on the market. As long as apple keeps developing the product I’ll buy. Using all apple across platforms, pad, desk, phone. Operations interchangeable and a lot of RE apps.
Used htc phone for two years with droid worked great. So enjoy the choices and have some fun.
Same thing that happens to all Apple products: they became appliances. Apple doesn’t deal well with any market that has become appliances, because their prime draw is being hip and cool, which also comes with a markup. Which is great when your product is the first popular entry in the field, it’s not so good when there’s mature competition that’s feature rich and cheap. While there will always be people who want to buy the fancy cool toaster there will always be more people who want to buy the non-ego stroking toaster that just toasts your bread for 1/2 the price.
“The iPads that everyone bought 3-4 years ago are still good enough.”
I still use my iPad 1.
Don’t need anything else.
Cool. I got it for my mom who’s in her late 70s because of the reasons you stated. I’m having fun using it myself.
Just as computers and displays were really getting to where multiple windows (small w) were a real productivity boon, along comes this full screen everything nonsense carried over from tablets to screw up the computer desktop. Thanks, Microsoft!
+10 Had to buy my wife a new laptop and of course it only came with Win 8. Knew nothing about it, did not care, XP for me all the way.
What a joke this operating system is. Everything I laughed at the silly graphics oriented Mac systems was here in full bloom. I could not even figure out at first how to shut the damn thing down. Finally a bit of searching got me an add on that restores the Start function a bit.
Hard to believe they did this just because they have a hardon for the tablet market.
“RE: windows 8 turned out to be only tablet-friendly and infuriating for Laptop users who still needed to get work done and could not find anything anymore
Windows 8.1 is supposed to solve the problem...”
That is sort of a decades old business model, but people have come to expect better.
I NEVER run out and get the latest new thing, having been trained by Microsoft to be wary.
Instead I wait for the new things to get market tested.
To date, 2 excellent Android smartphones (HTC Evo) have made me comfortable that an Android tablet would probably be just fine, too.
RE: They will struggle along, but barring some miracle, I would not be surprised if Apple is gone or close to it in five year’s time.
OK, as an Apple Stock Trader (not professionally), I am interested in understanding what’s wrong with the company since Steve Jobs died. What’s wrong with them now? Have they lost their innovative spirit? Are they resting on their laurels? Why do you say that?
and multiple displays
I work all day with 3 monitors on TWO computers (total 6) and control all of them with one keyboard and mouse
I could not get anything done if I had to use one full-screen app at a time.
It is like being in DOS again
I even carry a USB connected 2nd monitor with my laptop to client sites. Search AOC USB monitor on Amazon. They’re great, light and cheap.
There really is no way to have multiple windows on a Windows 8 machine?
Wow, I use two 30” monitors side by side, with the main window on the right and the toolboxes and palettes on the left, with Filemaker, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator open in different windows that I can toggle to.
I’m on a Mac, but if I ever switched there’s no way I could use full-screen only apps!
Ed
I haven’t played with it, but what I’m hearing and have seen on this thread is that it really wants to full-screen apps.
Hopefully someone more knowledgable will chime in.
Microsoft IS dead. It just takes a while to burn through $40B or so.
They just took a $900M charge on discounting the Surface.
Ballmer needs to go.
Samsung is just a machine. They are the modern definition of effective corporate execution.
Hard to say how it will go, and I hope I'm wrong; I began my 30-year career with their products and still have a warm spot in my heart for them. Apple has a lot of cash to buffer itself in a very volatile and constantly changing industry, but that is a finite quantity. And, in the past, when Apple found itself behind the 8-ball, it was Steve Jobs who pulled them out. And now he's gone.
What happen to iPads?
Women should quit having abortions and have more kids?
Thanks for the reminder. I haven’t used my Kindle much in the last year. I forgot about rooting it. It’s now got Jelly Bean and I love it!
My husband wanted us to get iPads, but I wanted experience on both the iPad technology and Android technology because of my business. So he got the iPad (which I set up for him so I would know the technology) and I got a nice Android phone because my cell was on its last legs. That way I would get the experience of both and when the next version of the iPad came out, I would get one for me.
Well, it ended up that I could do so much with my android phone that I never felt the need for an iPad. The things I can’t do on the phone I can’t do very easily (or at all) on the the iPad either! I still need my laptop because I do technical things with it.
In the meantime, my husband only uses the iPad for Pandora and web surfing!
Why do you think that? When I go to a business meeting these days, you are hard pressed to see professional workers who don't bring tablets to work with them. These days they are almost an essential business tool. While it is considered rude to bring your laptop to the conference table, tablets are welcome as you can pretend to be taking notes while you are checking your email.
Tablets are not quite up to the laptop level in functionality but you know they will get there soon. Eventually, they will be so cheap that most people will have multiple tablets - one for the car, one for the office, one for the bathroom at home, etc. All synced to the cloud so that once you edit a document or download a book on one, it will be replicated instantly on all your other devices.
As for Apple, they might not sell as many as the competition but they are making much more margin on each one. So their total profits in terms of dollars far exceed their competitors, even though unit sales may lag behind.
As a businessman, I value profit dollars more than I value market share.
Have you looked at the win8.1 feature that allows you have up to 8 different programs showing on the screen at one time. Yes, it is somewhat dependent on the size of the screen but I can easily view and switch between 4 on my 20” desktop monitor.
Also, to answer your question I am an executive in a global software development company.
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