Analyst: Apple iPad owners outnumber Amazon Kindle’s

“Apple’s iPad has surpassed the estimated ownership base of the Amazon Kindle, according to a July 21 analyst report, and it could exert considerable long-term pressure on the e-reader—as well as erode Amazon.com’s leverage with publishers,” Nicholas Kolakowski reports for eWeek. “‘Last night, Apple stated it has shipped 3.27 [million] iPads since the April product launch, surpassing our estimate for an installed base of [around 3 million] Amazon Kindles to date despite supply constraints,’ Marianne Wolk, an analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group, wrote in a co-authored research note to investors.”

Kolakowski reports, “‘As [Apple’s] supply constraints ease, Apple iPad shipments should ramp and it could ship as many as 12-15 [million] iPads in 2010—a compelling base for publishers to consider,’ Wolk wrote. ‘At these rates, the iPad should dwarf the installed base of Amazon’s dedicated Kindle eReader. Thus, Amazon could see its share of eBooks diminish as Apple’s iPad continues to gain traction.'”

“Apple sold 3.27 million iPads in the third fiscal quarter of 2010, contributing to its total revenue of $15.7 billion and a net quarterly profit of $3.25 billion,” Kolakowski reports. “Analyst firm iSuppli predicted in a July 20 research note that Apple would ship 12.9 million iPads in 2010, followed by 36.5 million in 2011 and 50.4 million in 2012.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Note: Amazon’s Kindle was first released on November 19, 2007; 32 months on the market. Apple’s iPad was first released on April 3, 2010; through June 26 (the end of Apple’s reporting period), that’s less than 3 months on the market.