Apple’s Mac and iPad Conflict

A few months ago, I wrote about Apple’s slight pivoting with iPad. We at Creative Strategies have had the opportunity to study tablets since their early inception when Microsoft introduced the tablet PC in 2001. The categories evolution went mainstream with Apple released the iPad and during that time we studied the rapid adoption of tablets as well as the quick decline and now normalization of tablet market sales.

An observation I find particularly interesting is how the tablet market’s growth trajectory corresponded to the PC industries growth slow down. This is visualized below in our sales model.

There has been a debate within our analyst community about whether these two things are correlated or not. I tend to think they are, but the PC markets decline also correlated with the smartphone’s growth trajectory and I have no doubt the smartphone’s centrality as the main computer for most people had the greatest impact on both categories.

That being said, it was fascinating in our continual tablet research how many consumers consciously recognized their PC overserved their needs and they started looking to tablets, mainly the iPad, to do just the right amount of large screen computing tasks and replace their PC. Unfortunately, most consumers still ended up concluding they needed a Windows or Mac, even if it was for a small amount of tasks. The reality was, the iPad did not absorb every single task they used a Windows or Mac for.

It is within that context that Apple created iPad Pro, an attempt to bring the iPad closer to primary PC/Mac tasks, and that Microsoft abandoned the tablet positioning with Surface and just started positioning Surface as a PC, not a tablet. For a while, the belief was the tablet would represent the culmination of the best of both the PC/Mac world and the tablet world into one device. That was at least the main push behind the 2-in-1 Windows devices which were widely criticized as a compromise of both worlds rather than the best of both worlds.

For Windows hardware partners, they are simply marketing these touch-based computers, that can be a tablet at times but are mostly notebooks, and don’t need to pick one or the other. Apple, on the other hand, has two distinct products they are marketing quite similarly. With the Mac, Apple is running ads called “Behind the Mac.” The message is clear, create something wonderful behind a Mac. Similarly, Apple is showcasing different tasks but a similar theme of creating with a series of new iPad ads.

Both campaigns focus on the idea of creating something but highlight different ways of doing so since both iPad and Mac are distinctly different devices. My concern is how Apple’s approach creates a bit of a conflict in the mind of the consumer. Having a Choice is good, and Apple is basically saying to pick the device that works best for you and your personal workflow. This is, of course, the correct way to frame the choice for consumers, but my worry is they still don’t know the answer to the question of which form factor is best for them. This point is the one where Apple’s approach differs from the Windows ecosystem. Right or wrong, the Windows ecosystem does not make the consumer pick between either computing mode, where Apple’s ecosystem is forcing a decision of one primary mode either mouse and keyboard or touch/keyboard/pen. To be clear, my conviction is I’m not certain consumers are adequately prepared or educated enough to make this choice. I honestly believe, consumers would like a device from Apple that has all the above but I also recognize how difficult that may be for the Apple ecosystem and may not deliver on the rich experience Apple desires for each mode. Apple likely believes both devices are better when they deliver the best experience of both modes and that may not be possible in a combination form factor.

Realizing where Apple may currently be leaning philosophically, I do hope they continue to wrestle with the concept of a best in both worlds, best of iPad and best of Mac, and whether or not such a thing is possible. If such a product could truly deliver the best of both worlds, I think it would sell like hotcakes but only Apple can answer whether or not they build such a product.

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Ben Bajarin

Ben Bajarin is a Principal Analyst and the head of primary research at Creative Strategies, Inc - An industry analysis, market intelligence and research firm located in Silicon Valley. His primary focus is consumer technology and market trend research and he is responsible for studying over 30 countries. Full Bio

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