[Ken Gracey]

Nearly everybody owns an iPad these days, they are the hottest selling next to ... well nothing, but are iPad sales killing off Apples laptop sales, quicker than expected.

Here is an example, In the first quarter of 2012, Apple sold 900,000 fewer MacBooks than it did the quarter immediately prior... yes that was 900,000 less MacBooks, so my question in two parts.

#1 Has apples accidentally killed its laptop cash cow, with the iPad?

#2 If you own a macbook (or air) which do you use more, the iPad or the macbook ?

[Dylstra]

I'm not sure, but I suspect there's more margin for Apple in iOS devices than Macs...

[bitingmidge]

No it's not accidental, the iPad is significantly more "disposable" therefore it will be replaced more often.

I imagine in a school situation it could be as often as yearly.

The iPad doesn't have the grunt or the screen size to do what I do.

Cheers,

P

[Ellis]

I have a MacBook Pro & the kids share a MacBook. Miss 14 is currently doing up a resume as she wants a job to save for an iPad. I am thinking that browsing FB & Twitter while sitting in front of the tv would be easier with an iPad than the MacBook Pro.

[golfer]

Ken Gracey, on 29 April 2012 - 11:39 AM, said:

In the first quarter of 2012, Apple sold 900,000 fewer MacBooks than it did the quarter immediately prior... yes that was 900,000 less MacBooks, so my question in two parts.

The quarter immediately prior was Christmas, not a fair comparison. What was the difference for the year upon year quarter difference?

[Ken Gracey]

Great call, sales down 156,000

[JZ]

I use my iPad more just because I have an older model MacBook. But have plans to get a MacBook Air someday.

[Some Random Bloke]

No way MacBooks are dead. There will be an adjustment too many professionals need the keyboard and larger screen. Too many limitations on the iPad.

[Islandhead]

Mines definitely not dead, I use my iPad a lot but the MacBook is still the work horse of the house.

[lumeswell]

Some Random Bloke, on 29 April 2012 - 11:26 PM, said:

No way MacBooks are dead. There will be an adjustment too many professionals need the keyboard and larger screen. Too many limitations on the iPad.

That's almost the death knell for them then, Apple is becoming a consumer electronics company, so if the only reason to keep something is to support professionals then there wont be enough in it to interest them I fear.

[golfer]

Haven't used my MacBook since the day I got my iPad 1, and I'm now onto iPad 3!

[Ken Gracey]

Well there you go, Apple has accidentally killed off one of its main selling products without even knowing it...

I know it hasn't git the grunt of a macbook pro, just yet.

But who knows what other trick they have up there sleeve, an iPad pro ? with a massive intel processor ??

[golfer]

If you want to talk about what's dead, it's Apple desktops. If you do the math from the conference call and accept that iPhones and iPads are part of mobile computing in tandem with laptops, 98% of Apple units sold are for the mobile platform. Just 2% of unit sales are attributed to desktops, and given that the lions share of those would be iMacs, it is the Mac Pro that we should be talking about as a dead product, not the laptop range. There can be no doubt that Apple is now a mobile company because it's not even that their core business is mobile, but 98% of the entire company.

[Some Random Bloke]

Agree with Golfer.

And all the indications are for accelerated OS X development.

It's about the ecosystem. If Apple kills laptops while MS develops their ecosystem, guess who will win?

[Ken Gracey]

Yeah good point, maybe apple want the iPad to become the only mobile platform ( of course except for the iPhone) and maybe the iMac to be the only desktop option, at the end of the day.

[JZ]

I don't think that's the case at all. Some people will always love the desktop ( me included). Some people just love the laptop. I think the iPad will grow. It it won't kill the laptop. If you think about. Most families will have one laptop or desktop then have many iPads iPods and iPhones. I don't think it's a case of apple killing its own products. But more a case of households tend have more then one "mobile" device.

[Ken Gracey]

Same thing JZ, if people prefer to use there mobile devises more than there desktop or laptop producs, apple will stop making them, it's the golden rule of supply and demand.

[Some Random Bloke]

Ken Gracey, on 30 April 2012 - 04:43 PM, said:

Same thing JZ, if people prefer to use there mobile devises more than there desktop or laptop producs, apple will stop making them, it's the golden rule of supply and demand.

That's very true, but I don't think we can call it yet.

[Ken Gracey]

I will make two calls, the macbook range is gone, and so i Julia Gillard

[Some Random Bloke]

Well, 50% ain't bad.