iPad affects Mac laptop sales

Computer World reports that Apple made a strong statement last week, saying iPad sales are affecting the company's laptop market, writes To The Centre.

Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer and Steve Jobs's temporary replacement, said during an earnings call with analysts: “Was there any cannibalisation by iPad? Honestly, I don't know for sure. But yes, I think there is some cannibalisation.”

In the final quarter of 2010, Apple sold 7.3 million iPads. That's more than two and a half times the number of Apple laptops sold that quarter. Cook didn't admit that this cannibalisation had affected Mac laptop sales and cited the fact that Apple's desktop and notebook sales combined to post a 23% year-over-year growth rate.

Acer officials in a statement denied the remarks of an Acer salesperson, who reportedly said its netbooks would be phased out in favour of tablets, according to eWeek.

Acer officials are denying that they plan to phase out the company's netbook lines as Acer begins to also focus on the tablet market. Additionally, the officials said in a statement that, for the moment, tablets "based on [Intel's] Sandy Bridge are not yet foreseen".

Citing Taiwan sales manager Lu Bing-hsian, Computer World said tablets would eventually replace the lightweight mobile netbooks that Acer helped to make a PC market phenomenon.

Growth in the PC market in the Middle East during the last three months of 2010 has outpaced expectations, with a healthy 22.9% year-on-year, IDC has said, reveals AME Info.

Shipments of desktops and notebooks in the Middle East and Africa saw year-on-year growth of 14.1% and 28.8%, respectively.

In the wider Europe, the Middle East, and Africa region, HP closed a strong final quarter with an 8.1% growth rate and regained the number 1 position in the EMEA portable PC market.