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Topic: Apple

Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

Summary: Nielsen is confirming what many tech watchers already knew: Apple's iPad and Android tablets are eating into PC and laptop usage. However, other devices are likely to take sales hits too.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

Nielsen is confirming what many tech watchers already knew: Apple's iPad and Android tablets are eating into PC and laptop usage. However, other devices are likely to take sales hits too.

According to Nielsen, Apple continues to rule the tablet roost. No surprises there. The most notable item in Nielsen's blog post is the devices that are being used less frequently because of tablets.

This chart tells the tale:

If 20 percent or more of Nielsen respondents say they are using a device less because of a tablet that's a dangerous zone. Using that assumption the following devices are likely to see sales declines going forward:

Portable gaming consoles: Do you buy that new Nintendo 3DS or go up in price and buy an iPad? The tablet impact on gaming consoles is unclear. Twenty two percent of respondents use their portable gaming consoles less, but 26 percent use it more.

  • Portable media players: Apple is already seeing this with its iPod units.
  • E-readers: Chances are low prices will mitigate e-reader cannibalization.
  • Netbooks: I was surprised only 23 percent of folks say they are using a netbook less.
  • Laptops: 30 percent are using laptops less because they have a tablet.
  • Desktops: 32 percent are spending less time on desktops because of a tablet. Tablets and laptops are a double whammy on desktop sales.

Aside from netbooks---where 5 percent of people dumped the device for a tablet---very few see tablets as a replacement.

Also: Nielsen: Tablets pushing owners to spend quality time with smartphone

Topics: Apple, Hardware, iPad, Laptops, Mobility, Tablets

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76 comments
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  • Common sense tells me that:

    Portable media players are clearly at risk, except very small mp3 players.

    E-readers will be at risk, because as tablet prices drop, the price differential will compress. Nobody buys monochrome PC type displays any longer regardless of price. New types of tablet displays and low cost will render e-readers mostly obsolete.

    Netbook stats do not surprise me. The trend is towards greater portability, but if you prefer/need a physical keyboard, tablets generally will not do. Therefore, netbooks or very small form factor notebooks (11 inches) will be popular. Historically, compact/light notebooks have commanded a large price premium that most buyers were unwilling to pay. With that no longer the case, a large percentage of notebook buyers will opt for smaller and cheaper notebooks/netbooks.

    Laptops/desktops: A lot of users simple do not need everything these offer. Significant declines will happen.

    Portable gaming: Production volumes of smart phones and small tablets as well as frequent performance increases, PLUS the large number of game developers selling their games at a very affordable price level, will make it VERY difficult for Sony and Nintendo to compete. Kids will have smart phones that also act as excellent media players as well as portable gaming devices. I would not want to be a Nintendo share holder at this point in time. They may end up becoming a SW company only.
    Economister
    Reply Vote

    • Call the men in the white coats

      <ul><i>[Nintendo] may end up becoming a SW company only. </i></ul>
      I want them to get into the smartphone business. Then, in addition to the people we now see walking down the street who appear to be talking to themselves (with bluetooth headsets in), we will see people talking to themselves <i>and</i> making strange wiggling motions.
      Robert Hahn
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

        @Robert Hahn I merely want to see the iPad start stealing market share from Windows devices in any way possible. There's just too many of those freaking Windows devices around and they're ge<a href="http://www.tran33m.com/vb/">t</a>ting on consumers nerves and they definitely want something simpler to use. If Apple sells about 50 million iPads this year, that should put quite a bit of a nick into the high and mighty Microsoft hege<a href="http://vb.maas1.com/">m</a>ony and revenue stream. Then the great Mr. Ballmer can begin about talking again of Apple's rounding errors when Apple's revenue starts getting close to $30 billion a quarter.
        alasiri9
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

        @Robert Hahn Those people who where the bluetooth headsets and make it look obvious because they think they look cool are so annoyingly stupid.

        I used to hate wearing one of those things in my ear whilst driving to and from different <a href="http://www.flooringandcarpetskent.co.uk"><font color="#000000">carpet shops<font></a> as a rep a few years back and found having something about my ear even more distrcting than anything..
        whutd
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

      @Economister
      Let's hope this puts Chromium to rest!!!!!!!!!! who wants a netbook with ackward keyboard?
      Hasam1991
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

      @Economister

      There you go give your kid a smart phone and watch them waste time socially instead of focusing on education. I've seen it first hand with my kids. Yes folks it's true....technology can make society regress. Let's not forget that with great Technology comes great responsibility. What will your kids focus on? Where's the study about the impact of phones and the education of our children? Where are those results? Oh silly me they won't conduct that study because it could hurt the Carriers bottom line so let's ignore it and wait 20 years before we ask why the kids in America rank dead last in education!
      Rob.sharp
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

        @rob.sharp@... Wake up, Rob. The kids in America already rank dead last in education. America is basically a stupid nation full of stupid people. Arrogance is king in the US; true knowledge is long gone from your country. The use of devices for communication is world-wide; the US has no exclusivity. Stupidity isn't the result of using tech devices, it's the result of a nation that thinks it's the leader, when in fact it's the assh*le of the world.
        no_axe_to__grind
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

        @no_axe_to__grind

        Go crawl back under your rock.
        DeusXMachina
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

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    • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

      @Economister <br>When tables can have the same price, and usabilty as E-Readers you're correct. But right now tablets are horrible anywhere but inside, and the whole thing of being able to read anywhere. My iPad SUCKS as an E-Reader, and you can't even use it outside - overheats. And from what I have seen at work with our demo Xoom it's pretty much the same issue as an E-reader bar the overheat.
      ItsTheBottomLine
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

        @ItsTheBottomLine
        Sorry, but I think that's BS. I use my Ipad everyday, personal and work and have yet to have an overheating issue. And where I work, it's a constant 8o Deg F +.
        T-Wrench
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

        @ItsTheBottomLine Tablets offer so much more than simple ereaders, its far more likely that eReaders evolve into full fledged tablets rather than tablets as is try to compete directly. And in fact, they are. The color nook (no better outdoors than an iPad, but at a far better price) just did this, as a free upgrade. That illustrates well thatthe difference is largely just software. All the pundits see Amazon going the same way, with a new Kindle that can use Amazon's Appstore as well a their eBook store.

        But I prefer the full tablet... I'm typing on one. I can read books via the Kindle reader, the nook reader, Adobe PDF, etc. On this particular tablet, in monochrome in bright sunlight, or color where a backlight will work, thank to the Pixel Qi display.
        Hazydave
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

        @ItsTheBottomLine

        Thank you! I love my various tablets, but for reading... nothing yet beats the usability of my eBook Reader.

        I, too, have had tablets overheat... both the iPad and the PlayBook, so far... and, even without the overheat aspect, tablets are too heavy, powerhungry and unreadable for use as a reading device.

        I'm sure a lot of people will scream about how their tablet doesn't overheat or they can read on it just fine. I challenge any of them to go sit outside on a hot, sunny day... in the direct sunlight and see what happens and see how usable their tablet of choice is.

        I think the problem is most people use tablets for business/indoor use and probably never do any recreational reading... I blame TV. Then there are those of us who actually find it relaxing to read... especially in a park or at the beach.
        eak2000
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

      @Economister Tablets and smartphones are not replacements for portable gaming consoles. I mean yes you can play games on them, but they lack the hardware buttons and controls required to play any real games or be competitive. I know people like to think that capacitive touch screens are just replacements for all hardware interface devices, but they are not.
      Tablets are not replacements for any devices. They are only alternatives for checking up on things, and consuming content.
      Jimster480
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

      @Economister

      E-readers. Depends. My Kindle is soooo lightweight. I still pull it out occasionally, but it has to go under $100 to keep selling, I think.

      Netbooks: Silliness. These are the same thing. What distinguishes them? Everyone who made a netbook makes a slate. Is it an ARM vs Intel thing? Whether the keyboard is attached? The OS? You think the Macbook Air and iPad hardware engineers don't talk to one another? I think they're the same people.

      Desktops: I use my Desktop MORE now. We video chat on the tablets while we play games. We stream episodes of The Daily show while working or playing on our PCs. It has replaced my second monitor on my PC. Tablets are an enhancement of other computing devices. Desktops should be looking for more ways to leverage that.
      tkejlboom
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

        @tkejlboom

        Plus, your Kindle is readable in direct sunlight...
        eak2000
        Reply Vote

    • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

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  • RE: Apple iPad, tablet disruption: Five devices in trouble

    "Portable media players: Apple is already seeing this with its iPod units."

    I woudl like to see people running with iPads before this will really become an issue. Maybe Apple should make a foldable iPad for that
    pupkin_z
    Reply Vote

  • I love how you have to toss in the line &quot;and android tablets&quot;

    what Android tablets? But I guess you have to pretend there's something other than the iPad out there disrupting this space.
    fr_gough
    Reply Vote
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