Should tablets be classified alongside notebooks as Mobile PCs? HP has its fingers crossed and hopes no as the rising popularity of the iPad could see a new mobile PC king crowned in 2012.
If tablets are considered as mobile PCs, Apple is expected to ship 60 percent of global units, or 60 million iPads in 2012. Add 15 million MacBooks next year and the Cupertino, Calif. company will sell 75 million mobile units in 2012, accounting for 25-30 percent of the worldwide notebook market.
That’s compared to 45-50 million units from HP, industry publication DigiTimes reports Friday, citing sources.
Several analyst firms already consider the iPad a PC. In 2010, the classification made Apple the top-PC seller in the United States. In January, Canalys found Apple ranked as the No. 3 global PC maker when Mac and iPad sales were combined, putting the tech giant just behind Acer and HP. Arguments against classifying the iPad as a PC weakened even further when Apple unveiled iOS 5. The new mobile OS eliminated the need to sync the tablet with a PC. The advent of wireless syncing with iTunes coupled with iCloud backups also removed any need for a PC for iPad owners.
What do you think? Is it time to consider the iPad as a PC, like the MacBook?
