Is the iPad a PC? The research firm Canalys counts it as one, and based on that it’s predicting that Apple will overtake HP as the top PC vendor in the world in the second half of next year.
Canalys says in a news release that the trend shows how tablets, and particularly the iPad, have “radically changed the dynamics of the PC industry over the last year.
“Apple has seen its PC market share expand from 9% to 15% in just four quarters, though iPad shipments in its core market – the United States – are likely to come under pressure in Q4 due to the launch of the Fire and Nook at extremely competitive price points,” said Canalys Analyst Tim Coulling in the release. “HP and Apple will fight for top position in Q4, but Apple may have to wait for the release of iPad 3 before it passes HP.”
Research firm IDC, which doesn’t count the iPad as a PC, puts Apple at No. 3 in U.S. shipments, and not yet in the top 5 worldwide.
