I’ve had this argument many times online, and they key is really encapsulated in MG Siegler’s quote,
“All you need to know about the “is the iPad a PC?” argument: are people buying them instead of traditional PCs? Sure looks like it.”
When people argue that the iPhone should count as a PC, or smart appliances count as a PC. They’re trying to cloud the issue. No one is going to buy a smart toaster as a replacement for their desktop. They only reason that this idea is important at all is if people want to see where the market is going… Balkanizing the iPad to it’s own arbitrary category is just putting blinders on to where personal computing is going.
It IS worth knowing how many tablets are sold on their own, for the same reason that it’s worth noting now many laptops vs desktops are sold. But there’s no question that those 3 PC classes are fighting for the same dollars. Even if the iPad is only a suitable replacement for a small % of the market at this stage. How much of the PC market will the iPad3 be able to satisfy, how about the iPad5?
Marcus is right here. Ask the average person on the street “what do you use your home PC for?” And they’ll tell you “games, web, email, facebook.” As them “what do you use your iPad for?” and they’ll tell you “games, web, email, facebook.”
It’s not what it’s made of that defines the PC. It’s what it’s intended purpose is.
I’ve had this argument many times online, and they key is really encapsulated in MG Siegler’s quote,
“All you need to know about the “is the iPad a PC?” argument: are people buying them instead of traditional PCs? Sure looks like it.”
When people argue that the iPhone should count as a PC, or smart appliances count as a PC. They’re trying to cloud the issue. No one is going to buy a smart toaster as a replacement for their desktop. They only reason that this idea is important at all is if people want to see where the market is going… Balkanizing the iPad to it’s own arbitrary category is just putting blinders on to where personal computing is going.
It IS worth knowing how many tablets are sold on their own, for the same reason that it’s worth noting now many laptops vs desktops are sold. But there’s no question that those 3 PC classes are fighting for the same dollars. Even if the iPad is only a suitable replacement for a small % of the market at this stage. How much of the PC market will the iPad3 be able to satisfy, how about the iPad5?
Marcus is right here. Ask the average person on the street “what do you use your home PC for?” And they’ll tell you “games, web, email, facebook.” As them “what do you use your iPad for?” and they’ll tell you “games, web, email, facebook.”
It’s not what it’s made of that defines the PC. It’s what it’s intended purpose is.