PC makers hope Apple's iPad is delaying, not replacing notebook purchases

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014
Notebook manufacturers are hopeful that the recent debut of Intel's Ivy Bridge processors, as well as the forthcoming launch of Windows 8, will boost laptop sales and counter the effect of Apple's iPad.

Notebook original design manufacturers who spoke with DigiTimes said although Apple's iPad continues to have strong sales, they believe its negative effect on global notebook sales is declining. They said that's because most tablet-style devices "focus on entertainment rather than working and learning."

The story cites Simon Lin, chairman of Wistron, who said he believes the iPad has created demand for a new market, rather than replacing demand for more traditional notebooks.

Lin believes that a bigger reason for sagging notebook sales is a global recession, which he said has caused consumers to delay notebook purchases. He and others in the Taiwan supply chain are hopeful that demand for notebooks will pick up with the launch of Intel's next-generation Ivy Bridge chips, along with Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.

Sources in the Far East supply chain reportedly indicated that Acer, Asus and Samsung are "optimistic" about notebook sales in the second half of 2012. American-based PC makers Hewlett-Packard and Dell are said to be "neutral."



Sales of the iPad helped Apple become the top PC maker in the world at the end of 2011. In the holiday quarter, Apple sold 15.4 million iPads and 5.2 million Macs, giving it 17 percent of all PC shipments worldwide.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 154
    conrailconrail Posts: 489member


    Ironically, the iPad might sell more laptops in the long run.


     


    Consumers keep their gear longer than enthusiasts (just think about any computer you've been asked to look at because it's "acting funny").  If they still need* a "real" computer, the iPad's convenience and portability will probably push their once-a-decade computer purchase into the laptop column.


     


    *as with all needs, it's a perceived need, not an actual need

  • Reply 2 of 154
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    PC Makers Grasping At Straws, live in fantasy world.
  • Reply 3 of 154


    If we're only talking about consumers and not office workers, I agree. Most consumers only want to check their email, surf the web and update their facebook and twitter. If an iPad is doing all this with great portability, the PC makers may have to get down on their knees and pray.

  • Reply 4 of 154
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Notebook original design manufacturers who spoke with DigiTimes said although Apple's iPad continues to have strong sales, they believe its negative effect on global notebook sales is declining. They said that's because most tablet-style devices "focus on entertainment rather than working and learning."

    The story cites Simon Lin, chairman of Wistron, who said he believes the iPad has created demand for a new market, rather than replacing demand for more traditional notebooks.

    Lin believes that a bigger reason for sagging notebook sales is a global recession, which he said has caused consumers to delay notebook purchases. He and others in the Taiwan supply chain are hopeful that demand for notebooks will pick up with the launch of Intel's next-generation Ivy Bridge chips, along with Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.

    Sources in the Far East supply chain reportedly indicated that Acer, Asus and Samsung are "optimistic" about notebook sales in the second half of 2012. American-based PC makers Hewlett-Packard and Dell are said to be "neutral."


     


    Curiously, Apple's notebook sales have continued increasing while Windows-based notebook sales have declined. Apple's biggest gains in computer sales have been in Asia, so this certainly isn't a US-centric phenomenon.


     


    On top of that, there have been a plethora of articles showing increased use of Macs in enterprise, again indicating that Apple does not seem to be affected by this recession.


     


    Moreover, a huge number of Fortune 500 companies have deployed or are working on deploying iPads to their workforce. Now, that doesn't really sound much like a "focus on entertainment rather than working and learning", does it?


     


    Admittedly this is something the Windows supply chain manufacturers are going to parrot, since there's no good news right now for them. And quarter after quarter, they can watch Apple bust sales records then glumly shut off Bloomberg/MSNBC/CNN/whatever.

  • Reply 5 of 154
    neweranewera Posts: 7member
    The MS era is over. PCs are not over but anyone with any sense will buy a Mac. MS Windows always has problems, works inconsistently, utilizes unrest upgrades that wreck your system, and throws all kinds of other misfortune to us users.

    We want something that works and is reliable. We want software that we don't have to troubleshoot. The company meeting this need is Apple. After decades of windows headaches I'm using iPad and headed to a MacBook next.

    No it's not PCs that are dead, it's MS Windows
  • Reply 6 of 154
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    ... Lin believes that a bigger reason for sagging notebook sales is a global recession, which he said has caused consumers to delay notebook purchases. ...


     


    Logically, this explanation pretty much has to be either BS or wishful thinking.  


     


    The current "global recession" is very slight compared to almost any other economic slowdown in the last 10 or 20 years.  If it's enough to make people hold off on computer purchases, why haven't any of the larger and more pronounced "recessions" had the same effect?  


     


    It's much more likely that drawdown in laptop demand actually *is* a result of the realisation that most of what people use a laptop for can be done on a smartphone or a tablet.  The popularity of the netbook previous to the introduction of the new touch-based mobile devices is also a strong indicator of people wanting a different kind (smaller, lighter, cheaper, easier) of mobile experience than a laptop can provide, as is the current popularity of the so-called "ultrabook." 


     


    In short, there is way more evidence for the more obvious explanation than there is for this wistful rumination.  

  • Reply 7 of 154
    galleygalley Posts: 971member
    I got a new work PC last week with Windows 7. It seems to actually have less functionality than XP.
  • Reply 8 of 154
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    galley wrote: »
    I got a new work PC last week with Windows 7. It seems to actually have less functionality than XP.

    Sure that's not just your place of employ locking you down further?
  • Reply 9 of 154
    daylove22daylove22 Posts: 215member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Newera View Post



    The MS era is over. PCs are not over but anyone with any sense will buy a Mac. MS Windows always has problems, works inconsistently, utilizes unrest upgrades that wreck your system, and throws all kinds of other misfortune to us users.

    We want something that works and is reliable. We want software that we don't have to troubleshoot. The company meeting this need is Apple. After decades of windows headaches I'm using iPad and headed to a MacBook next.

    No it's not PCs that are dead, it's MS Windows


    You are dreaming ..go to any information system department of any company and see if Windows is over..no one in the right mind will use Mac in the corporate world. Moreover, Mac os x is as buggy as Windows and gets viruses too btw. I love Apple but for complex applications you simply cannot use their software.

  • Reply 10 of 154
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    daylove22 wrote: »
    …no one in the right mind will use Mac in the corporate world. Moreover, Mac os x is as buggy as Windows and gets viruses too btw. I love Apple but for complex applications you simply cannot use their software.

    You're not dreaming, you're completely deluded.
  • Reply 11 of 154
    nealgnealg Posts: 132member


    There are points that can be argued several different ways on what will affect what. Was battery life and or processing power holding back the sales of laptop pcs to this point in time? Are people waiting for Windows 8 to upgrade, especially since they were burned in the past with upgrading machines they thought would be able to take the new windows system(was it vista?) that really couldn't be upgraded? Are users, outside of the tech crowd, really looking forward to Windows 8? Are they looking for a compatible tablet with the promise of a Surface? Is the tech crowd looking forward to windows 8(I have seen a lot of negativity in print) and are the only ones looking forward to this new system are the MSFT fans? Lots of question without answers until the time arrives.


     


    Some other thing that might influence people's decisions. What will the new iPad look like and what will its functionality be? One other thing that might influence decisions is what happens with the next iPhone? As an Apple investor, I know how I hope things go and I don't think that PC makers will like it. I have a feeling that they know it as well but are afraid to say it out loud.


     


    Neal

  • Reply 12 of 154
    rabbit_coachrabbit_coach Posts: 1,114member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by daylove22 View Post


    You are dreaming ..go to any information system department of any company and see if Windows is over..no one in the right mind will use Mac in the corporate world. Moreover, Mac os x is as buggy as Windows and gets viruses too btw. I love Apple but for complex applications you simply cannot use their software.



    You must add the sarcasm tag. If anybody thinks you actually believe what you are saying, they will come to the conclusion, that you are seriously mental.

  • Reply 13 of 154


    Man oh Man...is that ever a case of wishful thinking. Reminds me of the RIM engineers at the intro of the first iPhone! :(

  • Reply 14 of 154
    gustavgustav Posts: 827member


    Yes, because my mother-in-law was just telling me the other day how should would have bout a Sony Vaio last year instead of an iPad but was waiting for the Ivy Bridge chipsets to be released. But now she's not sure because Haswell is coming out soo....


     


    Just kidding. No, my mother-in-law, like most consumers, have no idea what a chipset is, let along who makes it, what it's called, or how fast it is. Consumers buy products to do tasks. If they like doing it on the iPad more, then they're going to stick with the iPad.

  • Reply 15 of 154


    The PC makes have this hilariously wrong.


     


    The people for whom the iPad makes a wonderful, easy to use,  PC REPLACEMENT- are by and large people who would could care less about Intel's CPU releases or Mac/Windows OS releases.


     


    These are the people who wanted all the computing that the iPad provides, but unfortunately didn't exist before 2010.  So they HAD to buy a traditional PC in order to do those things, and got a lot they didn't need in the bargain.  Power users in a lot of fields will require something equivalent to the PC for some time to come- but I think PC makers are going to see that general users are happy to leave that paradigm behind.

  • Reply 16 of 154
    gprovidagprovida Posts: 258member
    People have money for iPads, iPhones, and MacBooks; but the economy is the problem for PCs?
    MS is pushing their own versions of Ultrabooks and Tablets because they have so much confidence in PC OEMs?
    Amazon and Google are hunkering down on Tablets expecting to boom, but not at the expense of cheap low margin PCs?
    IPads are consumption only myth is a straw PC community is grasping at, while whole creative forces and apps and interactions are booming?

    Hhmm hope, or self deception, springs eternal.
  • Reply 17 of 154
    rob grob g Posts: 1member


    Honestly, I got my Ipad 2 years ago and haven't really used my desktop since.  Only really used a computer for email, facebook, surf the web.  My Ipad does this all wonderfully well and it's more enjoyable than a regualar computer.  I have a 5 year old Imac and it's still purring like a kitten.  Only reason I would upgrade is because I don't have full features of icloud because I'm scared to install Lion.  Processor is old and I don't want to slow it down.  May upgrade next year but it's not necessary to spend 1500 on something I barley use right now.  Only reason would be for the new OS and it's feature.  As for as Windows, I'm not sure why anyone would upgrade.  They offer nothing new except a fresh coat of paint.  I wonder if the blue screen of death got a fresh coat... think they said it's a sad face now lolol.  Windows 8 looks like kids play.  Can't even imagine a business using it.  It based around social networks.  May have been better if they just left it for the tablets.  Anyways, the Ipad has def prevented me from updated my computer because I find myself relaying on it less. Windows has it worse because they don't even have an ecosystem.  At least when I do upgrade it's going to be a Mac because I want to keep myself all synced up with no issues.  Good luck Windows....

  • Reply 18 of 154
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,712member
    conrail wrote: »
    Ironically, the iPad might sell more laptops in the long run.

    Consumers keep their gear longer than enthusiasts (just think about any computer you've been asked to look at because it's "acting funny").  If they still need* a "real" computer, the iPad's convenience and portability will probably push their once-a-decade computer purchase into the laptop column.

    *as with all needs, it's a perceived need, not an actual need

    I suspect that is already happening and the sales are Macs of one flavor or another. Once switchers taste Apple in the form of an iPhone or iPad they very often make the move from Wintel crap to a Mac.
  • Reply 19 of 154

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by daylove22 View Post


    You are dreaming ..go to any information system department of any company and see if Windows is over..no one in the right mind will use Mac in the corporate world. Moreover, Mac os x is as buggy as Windows and gets viruses too btw. I love Apple but for complex applications you simply cannot use their software.



    there is no ideal, however, the chance of infections/malware etc is very slight on OS X vs an everyday battle with Windows. Windows 7 is not bad and i prefer some of its features to OS X (like the taskbar vs the dock). But search through your Outlook email and the local drive with Windows? sucks. With spotlight it is amazing. But i don't like the direction OS X has been going with more reboots for safari and itunes etc and a general bloatedness. Also, i wish everyone would just stop using Office and outlook completely. 


    as far as 3rd party apps being better or worse that is the software writers fault. of course MS apps are going to be 'better' on MS products. thats by design and they also have their cohorts at other companies doing the same.

  • Reply 20 of 154
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,712member
    gustav wrote: »
    Yes, because my mother-in-law was just telling me the other day how should would have bout a Sony Vaio last year instead of an iPad but was waiting for the Ivy Bridge chipsets to be released. But now she's not sure because Haswell is coming out soo....

    Just kidding. No, my mother-in-law, like most consumers, have no idea what a chipset is, let along who makes it, what it's called, or how fast it is. Consumers buy products to do tasks. If they like doing it on the iPad more, then they're going to stick with the iPad.

    Haha, had me going thee for a moment ... Yep you are exactly right with the caviat that those that do still need a traditional computer may well switch to Apple once they have experienced the Apple quality and Eco system.
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