iPad Takes Share From Netbook Vendors

Turn about appears to be fair play in the netbook/tablet PC arena where Apple’s immensely popular iPad device is already swaying consumers away from the cheaper netbooks that were once considered the future of consumer computing.

As Enterprise Mobile Today discovered, almost one in three people who were thinking about buying a netbook have changed their minds and gone with the iPad.

It seems that it all comes down to what people want to do with their mobile devices and for those who just want to consumer content, the iPad is the clear winner.

Netbooks are still expected to report robust sales through the rest of the year. But analysts say the combination of cheaper and lighter notebook computers and the immense buzz surrounding the iPad are putting the squeeze on the netbook market.

Nearly one in three buyers who had been considering a netbook did their evaluations and then bought an Apple iPad tablet instead, according to a survey of more than a thousand U.S. consumers by the consumer electronics review site Retrevo.

The firm asked consumers if they held off on buying a netbook after the iPad was announced in January. Only 30 percent said they didn’t wait and went ahead and bought a netbook. Another 40 percent decided to go with a notebook instead while remaining 30 percent chose the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPad.

Read the full story at Enterprise Mobile Today:


iPad’s Popularity Comes at Netbooks Expense