The first sales data from the US on sales of Apple's iPads shows that the new tablet PCs could well be cannibalizing sales of another popular product from the Cupertino computing giant – the humble iPod.
Luckily though, in addition to healthy launch sales of iPads, sales of Macintosh computers are also on the up this year, according to the latest market data from the NPD Group.
iPod sales declining
The new research report from NPD Group shows a 17-per cent year-to-year drop for April iPod sales, but a healthy 39 per cent increase for Mac sales, compared with the same time last April.
While British Apple fans still await its arrival, the iPad was released in the US back on April 3. Gene Munster, an analyst from Piper Jaffray thinks that the launch of the new tablet PC is adversely affecting sales of iPods, claiming that the NPD data shows:
"The first sign of the degree to which the iPad cannibalizes iPod or Mac sales." Munster adds that, "from the early NPD data, it appears that the iPad has a minimal cannibalization impact on Mac sales, and could be slightly cannibalizing iPod sales."
It is not yet clear if the iPad is going to have a significant impact on netbook or laptop sales from other manufacturers. Although industry analysts are keeping a close eye on those developments.
Via BusinessInsider
