Apple’s iPad killing PCs sales at schools
With children in the U.S. heading back to school, new data indicates that sales of Apple’s iPad have surpassed those of traditional computers for the first time in history.
Charlie Wolf, an analyst with Needham & Company, indicates in a note to investors that the iPad is “cannibalizing” PCs sales in the K-12 market. Further, he states, without a doubt, a large part of iPad sales represented market growth.
Apple Insider reports Mac sales remained steady at about 520,000 units but PC sales on the whole declined by 265,000 units from 1.90 million to 1.64 million units. Analysts believe no other conclusion can be drawn except that the iPad is starting to eat away a significant portion of PC sales in the education market.
Additionally, for the current quarter, iPads have been sold at twice the rate of Macs to students and schools. Wolf doesn’t see this trend slowing anytime soon, believing the trend will move into sales for the personal, residential, market.