iPad pushes Apple into top mobile ranks

From CNET News.com: The unstoppable sales juggernaut that is the iPad has pushed Apple past Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba into the No. 3 slot for laptop shipments, according to a Deutsche Bank analyst.

So, how did this happen? Investors will begin to categorize the iPad as a laptop, according to a Fortune magazine blog citing Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore. Based on this and the fact that Apple has sold more than 3 million iPads since sales began back in April, Apple jumps to No. 3. from No.7 in laptop sales, according to Whitmore. IDC had Apple ranked No. 7 in laptop shipments in a July report.

And market research Gartner dropped some pretty big hints last month when it said that the "surging popularity of Apple's iPad temporarily cannibalized mini-notebooks (Netbooks), as well as consumer notebook sales to some degree."

That cannibalization theme will likely become more pronounced for Apple in the coming months. ABI Research is forecasting that Apple will sell as many as 11 million iPads this year. Meanwhile, none of the top PC companies has brought out a product to rival the iPad. The clock is ticking.

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