iPad propels Apple into top five PC vendors as netbook sales idle

Canalys today released its quarterly worldwide PC market data, highlighting Apple’s (AAPL) jump into the top five PC vendors.

The iPad captured approximately six percent of the portable PC segment in Q2 2010, with more than three million units shipped during the device’s first few months on the market. Conversely, growth in the netbook market continued to slow, as vendors struggled to deliver new product innovations.

“Apart from the “Apple effect,” the iPad owes its success to a lack of advancement in other portable computing segments, such as netbooks,” explains Canalys VP and principal analyst, Chris Jones. “To capture share moving forward, PC makers will have to take the netbook to the next level or go after new customer segments with their own pads.”

Competition

Many manufacturers have announced the launch of pads for later this year. Canalys expects the pad PC market to reach 12.5m units in 2010, growing to 66m by the end of 2014. Due to its first-to-market advantage, Canalys anticipates that Apple will continue lead the market through at least 2011. As more vendors enter the market, however, there will be a period of experimentation with a range of various models aimed at both consumer and enterprise customers.

“The key to creating a great user experience on a connected mobile device is ensuring that the hardware and software work together in harmony,” says Jones. “Platforms such as Android, iOS, webOS and possibly BlackBerry, as well as Chrome, MeeGo and Windows, are likely to battle it out in the pad market over the next three years.”

“As the number of consumers with multiple devices increases, it will also be important for pads to seamlessly integrate with existing equipment,” adds Canalys senior analyst Natalie Spitz. “In addition to synchronization capabilities, vendors should be prepared to take a strategic look at content – all-important, but often overlooked.”

Overlap

Though some overlap will be inevitable, Canalys forecasts that pads and netbooks will continue to coexist in the portable PC market for some time. As the pad represents an additional luxury purchase to a certain extent, customers may eventually choose between the two devices, causing the netbook market to soften as vendors develop their pad offerings. Canalys expects pads to overtake netbooks by 2012.

“With the growth of smart phones and mobile devices with all-day battery life, consumers have become accustomed to a world of always-on connectivity,” says Spitz. “It’s only natural then, that these same consumers would demand similar features across all of their portable computing devices.”