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iPad Is Destroying Netbook Sales

Hugh Pickens writes "Fortune magazine reports that sales growth of low-cost, low-powered netbooks peaked last summer at an astonishing 641% year-over-year growth rate but netbook sales fell off a cliff in January and shrank again in April — collateral damage, according to Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty, from the January introduction and April launch of the iPad. In support of Huberty's theory, she offers a Morgan Stanley/Alphawise survey conducted in March which found that 44% of US consumers who were planning to buy an iPad said they were buying it instead of a netbook or notebook computer. In related news, Apple announced that it sold its one millionth iPad last week, just 28 days after its introduction on April 3. 'One million iPads in 28 days — that's less than half of the 74 days it took to achieve this milestone with iPhone,' says Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. 'Demand continues to exceed supply and we're working hard to get this magical product into the hands of even more customers.'"

9 of 911 comments (clear)

  1. Re:welp. by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You can count me out of that crowd. I am in the crowd that said, "This horribly locked down and restricted computer will probably sell extremely well because of Apple's amazing abilities to market products and the average consumers lack of information on technical matters."

    What do you know, my prediction was spot on.

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  2. Re:After a month of daily use... by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Cool story, bro. Any more anecdotal evidence you want to throw my way in a sulking and pathetic attempt to dismiss the ipads success?

  3. Re:Hype-Cycle by geekoid · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "First there was no such device as a netbook. "

    Of course there was. You're being an imbecilic and pedantic Irritation. . They where purchased be a fuck load of non geeks. They are perfect for kids and school. They are great for the majority of users, and they were inexpensive.

    Sadly, the manufactures were pressured by resellers to make them bigger so that could make more money with the profit margin. This bumped the price up from 199.99 to 299.99 and up. The surpassed their price point.

    I'm costco was selling them like hot cakes. Costco is less geek mecca and more 30 something family shopper mecca.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  4. Re:Sigh by insertwackynamehere · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    The iPad hit 1,000,000. Confront it, or shut up. You can't explain away sales. Also making your post title "Sigh" makes me feel like I'm responding to some 9th grade emo Otaku who uses *sigh* in pretty much everything they say online.

  5. Re:After a month of daily use... by Wumpus · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    > no Flash support
    We are still fracking talking about this? Please.

    It's spelled F-U-C-K.

  6. Re:After a month of daily use... by SiaFhir · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    More likely, that million is mostly confused women.

    "Okay, so I bought this thing... now how do I install it on my underwear???"

  7. Re:After a month of daily use... by Paracelcus · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    As I see it, you pay $500.00 for a pretty, shiny toy with a closed OS designed for a telephone as opposed to a versatile open platform with more everything (RAM, Storage, USB, Etc) for $300.00.

    But, you get to prance around with your expensive toy and hold you're nose high in the air cause you've got an Apple!

    --
    I killed da wabbit -Elmer Fudd
  8. Re:1 million iPads vs 20 million Netbooks by nabsltd · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Compared to any given Netbook product this year, the iPad will outsell it by a wide margin.

    If you want to compare fairly, compare one iPad SKU (out of the 5-6 total...I don't keep track of every variation on vendor-locked products with no possibility for permanent expansion) to a single netbook SKU.

    Still, I'm sure Apple will sell a gazillion iPads, and many buyers will use them for a few hours each month once the original novelty wears off (and the lack of true features kicks in after similar products hit the market). The rest of us will spend our money wisely.

  9. Re:Whatever it taks! by Eli+Gottlieb · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Yes I am, actually. My Macbook Pro is a nice machine, but its batteries wear out so fast that I eventually decided to just get a Dell netbook with Linux instead of replacing the battery all the damn time (and having to triple-boot the MBP). I'm typing this on that netbook, which gets 4-5 hours of battery life after almost a year of use and can be used to program on Linux.