A new study shows tablets’ impact on the general computer market. In the fourth quarter, according to a report released Wednesday by the research firm Canalys, tablets increased the computer market by 19.2 percent — and moved Apple to third place globally.
The rankings are in order of worldwide PC shipments, and Hewlett-Packard is still first with a 17.7 percent worldwide share in the quarter. This contrasts with a 20.5 percent share in the same quarter a year ago. Acer was second with 12.8 percent, also a drop from its 14 percent in 2009, and Apple’s 10.8 percent is a large jump from its previous 3.8 percent — 241 percent growth.
Tablets in PC Category
Dell is right behind Apple, with 11.4 million shipments to Apple’s 11.5 million, and the same 10.8 percent as Apple. Lenovo is fifth with a 9.1 percent share, up from 8.8 percent.
Canalys analyst Tim Coulling noted that, while tablets “do not appeal to first-time buyers or low-income households, they are proving extremely popular as additional computing devices.”
In contrast to other research firms, Canalys said it doesn’t segregate tablets into a separate category, but considers them part of the “overall PC landscape.” It compared tablets to netbooks in 2009 — with both giving new momentum to the PC market. The company said Apple is benefiting from its iPad, just as Acer, Samsung and ASUS got boosts from netbooks.
Another Canalys analyst, Daryl Chiam, also made the case that tablets are PCs. “With screen sizes of seven inches or above, ample processing power, and a growing number of applications,” he told news media, “pads offer a computing experience comparable to netbooks.”
Globally, the recovery of markets is uneven. The report found that China, India and other parts of Asia continue to outperform other markets, which benefits makers such as Lenovo and Dell….