"The most likely scenario for iPad sales this year is 4.2 million [units]," Gartner analyst Angela McIntyre stated earlier this year, prior to the device's release — and in contradiction to other estimates which predict that the iPad will sell as many as five million units in 2010.
Part of Gartner's adoption downplay centered on the device's cost, which ranges from $500 to nearly $850, and its fairly limited capabilities — which did not seem to threaten laptop, netbook or Smartphone sales at the time.
"The price tag is fairly high for what it can do," McIntyre said. "We see Apple fans buying them first."
"It will do well for email, for Net surfing and as an e-reader," she added, calling the iPad "an entertainment device."
Now, iPad sales in the U.S. reportedly exceed domestic Mac purchases, with an estimated sales volume of more than 200,000 units weekly, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky. This is nearly twice the number of Mac computer sales, which tend to average around 110,000 units weekly, but still significantly lower than the 246,000 iPhone 3GS' sold weekly following that device's launch.
"Checks indicate that U.S. iPad sales remain strong post-launch, driven by rising consumer visibility to iPad's user experience, sustained PR/word-of-mouth marketing, 3G iPad launch, and broadening iPad apps/content," Abramsky stated.
Following Apple's announcement that it had sold one million iPads in its first month, Abramsky has now upped his 2010 iPad sales estimate to eight million units — despite having no clear indication that initial sales volumes will remain brisk.
Not surprisingly, this device, touted as an "alternative" technology, seems to be attracting alternative buyers — from users wanting a more versatile solution than an iPod to others wanting more power than a Kindle — and a broad range of users in-between, who indeed seem to be choosing the iPad over a netbook or other device.
No doubt, sales would uptick even further if the App Store allowed adult content for the device.