Elmer-Dewitt reports, “‘April NPD data gives us the first sign of the degree to which the iPad cannibalizes iPod or Mac sales,’ he writes. ‘From the early NPD data, it appears that the iPad has a minimal cannibalization impact on Mac sales, and could be slightly cannibalizing iPod sales. Given the ASP (4x) and margin profile of the iPad, we see this as a net positive for Apple’s business.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple doesn’t just throw products onto the market without carefully looking at a wide of range of possible effects on sales. Surely they looked carefully at iPad and its features and how it would impact various types of users.
For example, we’re in the market to replace our aging 17-inch MacBook Pro units. We waited until the iPad 3G was released, so we could evaluate our next Mac purchases. That is still ongoing, but we’ll tell you that, for us, what used to be a slam dunk for large-screen MacBook Pros has changed considerably. MacBook Air has at least as good a chance to be at least some of our next Mac purchases as MacBook Pro now. And, since our iPads can so so much, we now only need Macs for certain specific functions (original graphics, live coverage, etc.) smaller screens and light weight are our key needs, not large screen desktop replacements. So iPad has changed our Mac buying plans rather dramatically from 17-inch MacBook Pros across-the-board to MacBook Air and/or 13-inch MacBook Pro (15-inch still has an outside chance) units.
This pattern of unbeatable sales and quarterly earnings that dwarf the competition, speaks louder than all the FUD and politics of phony outrage.
Recession or not, quality products and unrivaled product support and care will always trump the noise.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens this month and next, in the prime high school graduation period; how many parents will consider an iPad for their college-bound student instead of a laptop? And the iPad is far more versatile than a laptop/iPod combination.
My wife just got a 13 inch MBP, it’s a beautiful machine. Our first iPad (28/05) will live on the sofa to be used by the family as a pick up and play. Can’t wait
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”cool smile” style=”border:0;” />
My Mac purchase plan has gone from. MBP 13″, with a Mac monitor using the MDP to several iPads and a 27″ iMac
Somebody please explain Mr Jobs’ strategy of a low margin gadget (iPad) replacing even a single high margin portable Mac computer of any kind – MB, MBP, MBA, whatever.
Volume? Will the ‘revolutionary’ claim be enough when the actual use of an iPad is simply a larger (and awkward) screen than the phone or pod? Will iPad sales continue toward that 10 mil MDN target when word gets around that there’s really not a revolution of any kind going on here?
Queue someone whining about the stock being down today in spite of this report in 3…2…1…
I just replaced my 15″ MacBook Pro with a 13″ model because I wanted a smaller machine when I take it out of the house. But now that I have the iPad and LogMeIn, I haven’t taken it out of the house!
But the current iPod touch/iPhone is now one generation behind the iPad with the screen and A4 processor. I think the next gen iPod touches are going to get some serious traction if they have the rumored 960×640 pixel display, A4 chip and real world VOIP options with OS 4.0. All Apple has to do is have a built in mic standard.
It will be a phenomenal looking mobile gaming rig.
Camera and GPS would also goose the sales of the iPod touch as well.
Gene Munster is pretty reliable. Nice article with real stats.
Analysts are too granular when looking at Apple in the marketplace. They neglect to see that Apple’s products form a unified continuum with an accompanying “ecosystem.” Furthermore they fail to realize that comparing Apple sales to other mnufacturers neglects the lack of parity among products is a given arbitrary category. For instance maybe all iPhone OS products should really be counted as computers since they are vastly different than most products claiming to be smartphones. (An aside – iPhones are simply pieces of computing hardware; people who buy and use them are smart!)
@Nonsense, most reports have the ipad coming in at a low of 50% margin, not bad.
_______________________
on topic, I just got off the phone with a windows centric buddy saying he wanted to get his son a Mac for school, but couldn’t decide between an ipad and a macbook pro. Scarily similar to what MDN’s take was.
I think the main shift, when you think it through, will be from a MacBook Pro/external display situation to an iPad/iMac combination. At least that’s what happened to me, and I couldn’t be happier. The iPad is just a joy to use, it’s an optimal portable device. And the new iMacs are easily the best desktop computers ever made, so elegant and rock-solid stable. It couldn’t get better.
@Nonsense…
Have you actually USED an iPad?
Honestly, it’s a revelation!
I was a bit skeptical, but bought an iPad on Day One anyway, mainly to start using one from the beginning. I figured if I didn’t like it, I’d craigslist it and lose a few bucks.
I had no idea how compelling a thing it actually is to use! it’s probably the most transparent piece of technology I’ve ever used. If Apple would enable wi-fi syncing (grrrrrrrrrr) it would almost disappear.
I could absolutely see people opting for an iPad at $500 over an iPod touch at $300 (sure, memory is different, but iPad has much more going for it). My son wants an iPod touch, but he’s going to wait for an iPad and hopefully we’ll be able to get his school textbooks on it so he can stop carrying around a 30 lb backpack.
it all depends on what you need and want to do. I work in pro audio, so nothing short of an MacPro at work will cut it.
At home, I putter enough that I have a MacPro there as well. For portable use, I have a Macbook Pro. Do I see a need for me to own an iPad? Not just yet, but I can see the pathway to get there….
Not yet, but possibly soon.
What iPad is really cannibalizing is sales of the so-called “netbooks” (small cheap under-spec’ed laptops). iPad should help Mac sales long term, due to it’s “halo effect” for iPad customers who currently own a Windows PC; they are not going to buy an iPad instead of a Mac… they are going to buy a Mac instead of a Windows PC the next time they replace their computer.
I think it will also affect the iMac versus MacBook sales ratio (in iMac’s favor), because iPad will act as the mobile computer for many customers, and they will want a stationary Mac with the largest affordable screen as their “home base.”
iPod touch sales are no doubt affected by iPad. But Apple would gladly sell an iPad over an iPod touch. And it should not affect sales of media player iPods, such as iPod nano and shuffle. People will still want a separate small media/music player; I’m not going to carry an iPad when I go running or to the grocery store…
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
Where’s the beef? A home computer will still be the workhourse.
More memory, more power, more ability to run apps. The iPad won’t replace the home computer, even if you can add a keyboard to it.
@ Nonsense,
Thank you for not using a weird handle like everyone else but putting a brief precis of your rant in the Comment from line.
That one word, Nonsense, explained your whole rant so precisely that it was a work of pure genius.
@breeze
“This pattern of unbeatable sales and quarterly earnings that dwarf the competition, speaks louder than all the FUD and politics of phony outrage.
Recession or not, quality products and unrivaled product support and care will always trump the noise.”
Precisely. Thanks. You could copy & paste that in every topic on this forum AFAIC
I don’t have an iPad. I use a Macbook Pro for a lot of photo work. That is what I need and it works well for other things like web surfing, email, video.
I don’t see how it is a iPad or Mac decision. If you have an iPad don’t you still need a computer to dock it to? If that is the case, everyone needs a Mac as well. Pitty those would would dock it to a Windows machine. They will soon enough cross over.
Well, the iPad changed my computer buying decision. For years, I’ve been trolling along with my 12″ PowerBook G4, waiting for Apple to come out with a simulate size in their Pro line. This was the year I was FINALLY going to replace that baby with the 13″ MacBook Pro. Once I saw the iPad, however, I new that it would take care of my “traveling light” needs. SO I opted for the greater power but slightly less mobile 15″ MacBook Pro i7! Apple slam dunk!