While the iPad has been losing a bit of steam in the slowing tablet market, Apple CEO Tim Cook says he's optimistic about the device on which he conducts roughly 80 percent of his work.
In light of Apple's recently announced partnership with IBM , which seeks to push Apple devices into the enterprise world, it's still too early to determine if Cook was whitewashing declining iPad sales during his call to investors or if the Apple chief is truly as upbeat on his company's tablet sales as he appeared.
Apple, which sits comfortably atop the tablet market, saw the iPad's market share drop by 9.3 percent, year-to-year, during the second quarter of 2014, according to a report from IDC. Apple's 33 percent hold on the market in the second quarter of 2013 slipped to 26.9 percent a year later.
Outside of Apple, analysts and consumers have stated their belief the company has picked all of the "low-hanging fruit" in attracting customers to the iPad and needs to move to higher branches. Apple has been desperate for innovation with regard to tablets, Johnathan Marsh, John Lewis' head of buying for tech, said to Trusted Reviews.
"Through a lack of change, or innovation, or reasons to go out and replace, the iPad volumes in the whole market aren't where they need to be," said Marsh. "Frankly, the ones that they have available, and the ones that customers have bought, do such a great job already."
Commercial penetration, one of the most influential factors IDC attributed to the slowing growth of the tablet market, would be what helps the sector's expansion pick back up. Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC research director for tablets, said his company expected the tablet market to grow during the second half of 2014, due to substantial permeation of the enterprise sector.
Cook pointed to IDC numbers that indicated iPads have been used for roughly 20 percent of businesses, comparing that figure to the 60 percent usage notebook computers enjoyed. Cook said he did approximately 80 percent of his work from his iPad and stated his belied that Apple's partnership with IBM could push others to tackle workloads in similar fashion.
"There's no reason why everyone shouldn't be like that," stated Cook. "Imagine enterprise apps being as simple as the consumer apps that we've all gotten used to. That's the way it should be...."
