There is always a certain amount of buzz surrounding a special event hosted by Apple, and since the latest generation of iPads is due to be unveiled, according to Motley Fool, the October 22 event will be one technology fans and buyers will be paying close attention to. Lately things have been getting tight in the ultra-hot tablet computer market for Apple.
According to the Mercury News, Apple holds about a 37 percent market share of the tablet computer market. However, with tablet shipments expected to eclipse PC shipments (yes both laptop and towers) for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2013 and only grow in the coming years, the importance of the tablet market can not be stressed any higher. So far, Apple has managed to deliver a product that works and one that customers enjoy.
According to the New York Times, the manufacturer with the second largest market share of the tablet market is Samsung with 18 percent. Lower priced alternatives have sprung up as well, including the Google Nexus and Kindle Fire lines of products, but even those pieces of technology can not boast the sales numbers of the iPad line. According to The Next Web, Apple sold nearly 15 million iPads in the third quarter of 2013, which is a lot of technology.
Sure the iPad might not be for everybody, and being first out of the gate with a product like the original iPad is a major advantage for the Cupertino company. Apple makes devices people want, it is that simple. Sure there will always be diehard fans looking to upgrade as soon as the next generation, and this will be the fifth version of the iPad, but something besides that hardcore audience is driving the sales of the device.
Apple basically invented the tablet computer market. Perhaps it took some convincing for laptop users to be won over, but the growth of that segment can not be overlooked. Tablet shipments are expected to reach 331 million in 2013, and if Apple can manage to hold onto 30-plus percent of that market, the dividends will be huge. Users are shying away from the bulky desktops and heavy laptops that once dominated the technology landscape, and Apple is helping usher customers to sleek and sexy devices.
All things considered, a new iPad is not major news, because Apple is expected to improve a product as it evolves. However, a new version of an old favorite is what will drive the company to success, and it will arrive just in time for the holiday shopping season.
