Since its release last April, over 3 million iPad units have already been sold.  On the first day of release alone, more than 300,000 iPads were bought in the U.S.  This market performance is phenomenal considering that the iPad does not quite fall under the category of usual media.  The gadget is described as not quite a smartphone, not yet a laptop and supposedly better than a netbook.  The iPad is actually a tablet computer that doesn’t need a keyboard and is particularly marketed for e-book and magazine reading, games, Internet surfing and creative applications.

Bigger Version of iPhone?

In light of criticisms that the iPad is nothing but a bigger version of iPhone, Apple has made it clear that the iPad is not a replacement for smartphone or any typical computer.  It is an alternative electronic item to be used for better browsing and multimedia experience.  Its weight and size are intermediate between typical smartphones and laptops.  The hardware strength of the iPad lies in its “sexy” platform and the convenience that one gets from it.  The general consensus among respected observers, such as David Pogue of The New York Times, is that if the consumers like the concept of the iPad and they can understand how it was intended to be used, then they will start to “enjoy using the device.”

There are smartphone/laptop features, however, that cannot be done using the iPad such as calling, printing documents and taking photos.  It is a deliberate move by Apple as the iPad wasn’t created to duplicate all the functionalities of other gadgets in the first place.  It is designed as an easy-to-use appliance for those who need to have quick access to multimedia in their lifestyle.  It just fills the gap, says Apple CEO Steve Jobs, as the middle device between smartphones and high-end laptops.

Thousands of Apps

The gadget runs iPad-specific applications as well as those created for the iPhone and iPod Touch, including e-book readers.  A number of tech analysts have remarked that the iPad’s edge over other gadgets is due to the “magnified coolness” it provides to users.  It is another way to access developer offerings on an improved screen and easy navigation.  Apple encourages software developers by giving them 70% of sales revenue if they can publish iPad applications on the App Store.

Expectedly, the sale of apps has become another important revenue source for Apple.  In just two months, 11,000 iPad applications have been created, 8,500 of which have been released in the App Store and downloaded 35 million times.  This translates to 17 downloads per iPad.  According to a study released by the mobile research experts at Flurry Analytics, almost half (44%) of the iPad apps being tested are games.  It is followed by the categories of entertainment (14%) and social networking (7%).

Furthermore, there have been 5 million downloaded iBooks in the same two-month period.  The share of iBooks accounts for 22% of all e-book sales in 8 weeks.   These figures show that many consumers prefer a “gated community” that has lesser susceptibility to viruses and malware.

Wide Market

Moving forward, Apple is looking to American households, of which 30% use Wi-Fi, as its market base for the iPad. Of course there are currently 75 million-strong iPod Touch and iPhone users. It would not be surprising if most of them get an iPad too. Or recommend the same to their friends and family. After all, the iPhone has been the top gadget to have in the past few years; its popularity alone is a very good selling point for the iPad. The numbers speak for themselves. One million iPads were sold in only 21 days, while it took 74 days to sell the same number of iPhones. Company officials say that with the skyrocketing demand, they have raised the sales estimates from 5M to 12M iPads in 2010 and 17M in 2011.

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