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Tablets are fun, but they can't replace PCs

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 7:25PM EST
BGR

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The iPad continues to sell as fast as Apple’s manufacturing partners can build them, and other vendors are bound to get in on the action as well once they realize they’re doing it wrong. After all, just about every visible analyst has gone on record with the belief that the tablet market will explode over the next few years. Interestingly, however, several analysts also agree that the explosive tablet market will have very little impact on personal computer sales, and new data from a recent survey reaffirms this notion. Private equity firm Robert W. Baird & Co. recently conducted a survey of 1,114 consumers found that only 6% believe they can do without a PC today. Another 11% say they might be able to live without a PC in the future, but 83% say PCs will live on as a commodity for the foreseeable future. Among the respondents who were current or future tablet owners, 74% said they still need a PC despite owning a tablet. Finally, Baird found that 93% of current tablet owners surveyed use Apple’s iPad. Among prospective tablet buyers, the iPad held the interest of 94.5% of respondents followed by HP’s TouchPad (10.4%), Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 (8.3%), Motorola’s XOOM (8.5%) and the HTC Flyer (4.3%). Two charts showcasing Baird’s findings follow below.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.