For a while there we were worried that the iPad would start to cannibalize the sales of MacBooks, but the earliest indicators are in, and Piper Jaffrey’s Gene Munster is telling us that the iPod seems to be taking the brunt of the beating. With sales down 17 percent this month, the iPod seems to be the product directly competing with the iPad—for now.
It makes sense to me, when you sit back and think about it; people aren’t ready to retire their traditional computers just yet, but the old iPods could easily be shuffled to the periphery as consumers are looking to pick up something bigger and better. Holding on to an older iPod for another year is a little easier to do when you have a shiny new iPad on your lap. After all, the iPod stays in your pocket, so no one’s going to be able to see that you still have the “fat” iPod Nano.
But I have to say, as someone who’s used an iPad for over a week, the device has certainly redefined how I use my MacBook Pro. Sure, the iPad may have taken a rather large bite out of iPod sales now, but down the road, once consumers have gotten iPads into their hands, MacBooks may still feel the brunt of the bite.
What do you think? Is there room in the Apple lineup for the iPad, or is another product going to find itself left out in the dark as consumers clamour for the new device?
Article Via ZDNet
Image Credit Baltimore Sun
