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Harken, if you’ll, again to a less complicated time. A time when the Macalope’s columns had been largely involved with dunking on individuals who stated ridiculous issues about Apple or Apple merchandise.
What occurred to these days, Carol? We had been so younger. So lively. Did you ever end making that courting app? It was for individuals in open relationships in gated communities. What a horrible concept. However such was our pie-eyed optimism! The long run was unfold out earlier than us like a cruise ship buffet, however with out the botulism.
And we didn’t have to speak about AI all freakin’ day lengthy.
Perhaps it was all of the AI adverts the Macalope was pressured to observe throughout the Tremendous Bowl, that includes precise actors embarrassing themselves and the AI-rendered likenesses of actors nearly embarrassing themselves, that put the Macalope in a nostalgic mind set. Or possibly it was seeing this little bit of present information: iPad Demand Surges as Apple Strengthens Grip on Pill Market.
Right here we’re 16 years into the iPad’s existence, and Apple’s gadget that’s “only a massive iPhone!” nonetheless owns the pill market that, whereas it didn’t create, it made an actual factor.
Omdia says that Apple shipped 19.6 million iPads within the fourth quarter of 2025, representing a 16.5 % year-over-year improve…The fourth-quarter outcomes elevated Apple’s market share to 44.9 %.
In fact, the usual caveats about how good analysts’ estimates are apply (spoiler: not excellent), however once you strive to consider the final time you noticed somebody utilizing an Android pill, you notice these numbers are at the very least directionally appropriate if not exact.
The truth that Apple continues to have essentially the most market share and absolutely way more revenue share is all wryly amusing to the attractive one as he recollects roundly being advised how the iPad was doomed as a result of Android tablets had been set to surpass it, the identical manner Android telephones surpassed the iPhone.
In 2010, one agency stated the iPad “didn’t persuade consumers” after its unveiling as a result of the quantity of people that stated they had been uninterested within the iPad practically doubled. Small footnote to that survey that one way or the other didn’t make the headline: the quantity of people that stated they _would_ like to purchase an iPad tripled.
The Macalope’s favourite pundit gag of 2011 was lauding the Motorola Xoom as a result of it had 4G connectivity and the iPad 2 didn’t. Case closed! Benefit: Xoom! Oh, properly, besides, ha-ha, small word, only a tiny factor, actually: the Xoom didn’t even have it, both. It was merely promised that, in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later, you’d have the ability to mail your Xoom in so as to add 4G to it. And that didn’t occur for seven months.
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Foundry
In some way, regardless of clearly being a greater product within the eyes of pundits, Motorola sadly doesn’t make the Xoom anymore. Or exist, as a result of the corporate was bought for components to Google and Lenovo.
In 2012, we had been advised that Android tablets had been “beating out the iPad in enterprise and IT.” Oh, no! How did Android followers know? Due to the businesses that had not already purchased iPads, 44 % stated they had been going to purchase Android-based tablets.
That… um… okay. That’s some actual faith-based mathematical evaluation, however… You do you. Aside from these individuals merely studying what they needed to see in survey outcomes, it’s essential to level out that surveys of shopping for intent are notoriously rubbish. So there’s that, too.
The Macalope may go on for hours about how improper pundits had been in regards to the iPad (and sometimes does, be glad you don’t know him in actual life). However because the numbers above present, this battle is essentially over. And the iPad received. This yr’s updates will possible be incremental as a result of tablets as an entire are a mature market, and whereas Apple will wow us each few years by making them even thinner and extra succesful, the corporate’s not more likely to get large development from the class sooner or later.
Don’t fret, although. If you would like actual innovation in tablets–all sloppy and moist with bizarre outcomes, like when Chicago invented deep dish pizza — a number of wacky corporations are doing a little craaazy issues with e-ink screens. None are more likely to hit the large time just like the iPad, however the Macalope has discovered it enjoyable to observe.
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