Apple’s iPad has turned the tablet computer industry on its ear and has already the the title of best selling gadget ever. Bernstein Research analyst Colin McGranahan estimates Apple has sold over 8.5 million iPads since its April launch, and sales don’t seem to be letting up.
Mr. McGranahan said the iPad is “a runaway success of unprecedented proportion,” according to InformationWeek.
Apple’s iPad: Best selling gadget in history
The iPad is a tablet computer device with a 9.7-inch multi-touch display. It runs iOS, like the iPhone and iPod touch, and is compatible with most iPhone apps, too.
Assuming Apple can keep up with demand, iPad sales have the potential to increase even more. Just this month both Target and Walmart signed on as iPad distributors, joining Best Buy and Amazon.com, giving consumers even more potential purchase locations.
The fast approaching holiday shopping season typically sees an upswing in Apple product purchases, too.
While the iPad’s sales figures are good news for Apple, they aren’t so welcome for other PC makers. According to data from the research group NPD, some 13 percent of shoppers buying iPads said they would’ve bought a PC instead if Apple’s multimedia tablet device hadn’t been available.