Is the new MacBook Air eating into iPad sales?

ONLY only teo mil a month. Does this guy even read what he writes. There are likely dozens of computer makers out there that would love to have a single model to sell two million a month. Or to look at it another way these numbers are unheard of for a tablet. If I where Apple I'd be happy with 1.5 million a month maybe ecen less, either way iApad is still a major success.

As to AIR, it is now certwinly a viable computer but honestly only loosely competes with iPad. They are different markets folks and soon enogh things will settle down with customers figuring out which market they are in. Besides to many of us are waiting for iPad 2.

Count me in the group of people who are replacing an iPad with a MacBook Air. As much as I like multi-touch, the apps, easy syncing, and 3G access, a small computer is much more attractive for my use. I bought an 11" MBA 128gb 4gb last week, and tomorrow my iPad 3G 64gb is going on eBay.

The only thing - literally the only thing - I think I'll miss is the Scrabble app. Having to log in to facebook to play Scrabble is a pita.

I am holding off on buying the current iPad in anticipation of the iPad 2 early next year...so...

I think the tablet market is much smaller than many analysts believe. I also think the multimedia capabilities are what will drive the tablet's growth. Not more apps, or bigger capacity per se. The tablet is not as capable as a notebook for doing 'notebook' things. Duh.
So I wonder how many of the companies crowding into the tablet market have thought about this. It's kind of like everyone thinking the 'phone' in the big deal and ignoring the platform. I think in order to count Apple's control of the mobile market you have to count iPod Touches and iPads. The platform for mobile is what matters.

In the long run, I definitely do not think that Macbook Air will affect the sale of iPad significantly since they are two different complementary products. Yes, for those with tight pockets and yet to own either of the products might only consider one of the other. If the users think that macbook Air (or any other macbook) can replace the functionality of iPad, it is more likely because they do not really understand what iPad is and its purpose. iPad is all about different user experience (gesture touchscreen versus mouse/navigation device) and simplified feature set, and beside they are running different type of OS optimize for different purposes. I hardly see that they are replacement for each other.

Besides, the target audience for iPad could be senior old folk who just want to surf the net using the fastest and intuitive way possible , or children who just want to play kid game and run education software that parent can monitor and control easier. These scenario may not justify a macbook.

Who cares? It's an Apple sale.

Don't understand the issue here! I have both the iPad 3G 64GB, the 13" Mac Book Air with the faster 2.13 GHz processor and my Perfect 17" MacBook Pro. I use all three and all for, now, different purposes. All three "computers" have their distinct strengths and I would not part with my iPad just to get an Air or not get an Air just because I already had an iPad.

You arguments are neigent cogent or salient. It like arguing that I would not take the pneumonia vaccine because I already had the Flu vaccine. The are both vaccines but do different things in keeping us healthy. So, let's keep in mind thatbeven though all three are computers, with the advent of all three, one can afford to have all three, each Noe doing things the others might do, but not as well. Years ago, we truly had to settle for the MacBook Pro to do all things. Isn't it great that we now have a choice, can buy one purpose and not look back nor think twice about which single implement will do all three.

Besides, it's nice to have all three for three times the fun! So, get over it, will ya?

An iPad and an Air have an entirely different focus. The iPad is something 'new' - it allows for casual computing on the sofa while watching tv, whatever. Touch is the way to go here. Just yesterday I cought my wife using the iPad for the first time while she would normally unpack her windows laptop.

The Air can be regarded as a netbook on steroids. It's great for home-office work, travel: for more serious emailing, document writing etc. For surfing I feel the iPad and Air are on par.

My iPad is here to stay although I'm eagerly waiting for iOS 4.2. My MBP is to be replaced (I'm a freelance ICT pro). I'm still debating about getting a nice i7 MBP or just getting an Air + iMac 27" (my kids would enjoy this a *lot*).

To sum up: the Air might hurt iPad business only for prospects who are looking for something really lightweight. In other cases, the Air might hurt the MacBook business. But, way more interesting: the Air will probably hurt businesses of other brands. Where to find something similar for the same price. One of my clients uses Lenovo while traveling - they have dozens of them. For the price of one Lenovo, one could buy almost two Airs. No wonder they asked me to evaluate if this new Air would be useful/sufficient for their business. I tend to say 'yes'.

Well, MBA = 1/2 iPad + 1/2 MacBook Pro
Apple should have anticipated this

There was a huge price gap between the previous MacBook Air and the iPad (hence the relatively poor sales of the Air) and as price came down it simply became a rational choice for ultra-portable computing without sacrifices. The tablet is a third computer, a screen that boots up real fast and is fun for couch surfing but when given an option of having a full physical keyboard at a similar device size the netbook is clearly better for production. I still believe that the best implementation is something like the Lenovo U1 where a self powered laptop screen detaches from the mail shell for use as tablet and can be docked / reconnected to the main shell for laptop use. Getting devices with specific uses when one can make something like that U1 laptop/tablet is not a solution.