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Analysts: iPad sales rate outpacing DVD players

updated 01:50 am EDT, Tue October 5, 2010

Soon to be 4th most popular electronics buy

Despite a spate of critical press reports on launch that didn't seem to understand the device, the iPad has won the hearts of the public, and its adoption rate is much higher than was the case for the iPhone or the DVD player when they were introduced, says CNBC's market analysis program Fast Money.

The adoption rate for the iPad is remarkable in light of the fact that it was a new category of product. When the iPhone was first introduced to massive hype and buyer excitement, it sold a million units in its first quarter -- hailed as exceptional. The DVD player, the most quickly-adopted non-phone product, sold a mere 350,000 units in its first entire year.

The iPad sold three million units in its first 80 days of release, and its current sales rate is 4.5 million units per quarter, with better sales to come as the holiday season approaches and new markets (and outlets) open up. At its current rate, the iPad will surpass gaming hardware and regular cell phones as the device with the fourth-fastest acceptance rate, beaten only by TVs, smartphones and notebook computers with 2011 sales topping $9 billion.

Analysts give credit both to Apple's marketing as well as the fact that the iPad builds on the foundation of technology and high-quality reputation forged by the iPod and iPhone, despite being in a different and somewhat more-expensive category. Wall Street believes the iPad has "first mover" momentum, plus a reputation for innovation that will keep the iPad ahead of rivals soon to flood the market. Recent reports have cited representatives from Best Buy claiming that not only are iPads cutting into netbook sales, but are having some impact on other electronics sales, from notebook computers to TVs.

The figures come on the heels of news that Apple's market capitalization is on track to surpass that of the S&P index's current most-highly-valued company, ExxonMobil.

by MacNN Staff





  1. MyRightEye

    Joined: Dec 1969



    I would sell of all the company's assets and return the money to the shareholders.

  1. iphonerulez

    Joined: Dec 1969


    I can only say that the pundits and analysts

    that missed the significance of the iPad on launch were a bunch of jackasses. I'd question anything they'd speculate about any future products. I wish there was a list of those myopic naysayers. I only remember Scott Moritz because he was saying the iPad was the iFlop and that's hard to forget. I can understand them saying that they wouldn't buy one or something like that. But to call a product an outright failure upon launch and it becomes a raging success in computing history is just too big of a miss.

    iHaters keep saying it's useless, but heck, somebody is using them. How can a device that can do so many things be useless? If pre-schoolers could afford them, they'd probably be a new computer-using age group.

    I just wish Apple could get Wall Street to see the potential. Investors have been selling off Apple shares over the last two weeks and that's no way to surpass ExxonMobil.

  1. thebiggfrogg

    Joined: Dec 1969


    Where is young Testicles?

    He's a phenomenon too. Sort of like Katrina or the BP oil spill.

  1. macnnoel

    Joined: Dec 1969


    Analysts are schizos---

    in a few hours, some idiot will be proclaiming that the iPad, iPod, iPhone are mutant viruses that cannot possibly sustain marketshare- uh wait, that has already been said by some Acer idiot.

  1. wrenchy

    Joined: Dec 1969


    Don't forget...

    Its's Magical!

  1. starwarrior

    Joined: Dec 1969


    Hairless (clueless)

    None on his head obvioulsy by performance to match none on his behind.

  1. testudo

    Joined: Dec 1969



    And exactly what is the significance of this 'analysis'?


    It isn't a 'new' category, its the continuation of the iPhone/iPod category (it's a large iPod touch, with a modified system to go along with it).

    If you're going to call the iPad a 'new category', then shouldn't the iPod touch also be a 'new category', since there were no touch-screen music/video players that could also use other software.

    DVD player adoption had the same 'issues' that Blu-Ray players have/had, VCRs, etc. High starting price (since it was new) and lack of content (since not many were releasing or selling content for the 'new' devices, so the sales were limited by the limited offerings for it, as they both help fuel the other).

    The iPhone was also in a similar position: high starting price, little content (more so because there was NO content for it, as apps were only 'web apps', if anyone is silly enough to call using the web site an 'app'). After the first year, Apple reduced the price and allowed apps, both of which really spurred sales.

  1. MyRightEye

    Joined: Dec 1969



    It's funny how the first comment, which was mine, got voted down. We have a lot of newbies reading MacNN clearly. A lot of them. You should have voted it up. Try looking here: if you don't know why.

  1. testudo

    Joined: Dec 1969


    Re: Where is young Testicles?

    OMG! You are so funny! You took my name and turned it into a derisive remark by naming it after a part of a man's anatomy! My kidneys are spilling out all over, it was so funny!

    Oh, god, you must be the class-clown in your third-grade class with that type of wit and humor! At least the boys were probably all guffawing at recess when you told them that one!

    You should just quit school now and go on the road. With your comic abilities, you'll be playing vegas in no time!

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