Remember back when Apple announced the original iPod? Though there were portable MP3 players available before it, there was something about Apple’s design that attracted consumers. Apple has since held a firm grip on the portable media player market, and it looks like their iPad is destined for the same fate.
When Apple’s original tablet launched in early 2010, there were certainly mixed reviews. But it seems as though the consumers outnumbered the critics, as the Cupertino company’s first entry in the tablet market flourished.
Their second model was even more successful. Folks gathered all around the world to wait in line for a chance to buy the iPad 2. In fact, just yesterday I was at my local Apple Store and asked a clerk what their iPad 2 stock looked like. He mentioned that they get them nearly everyday, but there is generally a line outside and they sell out quickly. A line, 2 months after it was released?
Having known all of the previous, it didn’t shock me too much when I saw a report from the Nielsen company on AppleInsider today. The survey of tablet owners found that the iPad currently has an 82% market share of tablets in the U.S. The closest competitor was the Samsung Galaxy Tab with a 4% market share.
The questionnaire also determined that half of the iPad users owned a 3G model, and half of all tablet users didn’t share their tablet with anyone else. I thought it was interesting that nearly 80% of the users reported using their tablets for actions which they would have previously used a computer for. I guess that’s why companies like Acer are so nervous.
Although we’ve played devil’s advocate on the blog from time to time, we are certainly fans of our iPads. Apple didn’t sacrafice design, battery, and reliability for 4G, and they didn’t risk size for things like USB ports. But with a commanding lead in the tablet market, in the U.S. anyways, the Cupertino company is obviously doing something right.
What do you think?