iPad Success Makes Apple No. 3 Among Notebook PC Companies

Apple is now the third-largest player in the global portable computing market due to the rapid success of the iPad, according to IDC's global portable computing market share survey for the June 2010 quarter.

Apple – currently behind only Hewlett Packard and Acer – soared past Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba and Dell after selling 3.27 million iPads in the quarter. It also sold 2.47 million MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

Without the success of the iPad, however, Apple would have placed seventh for the quarter.

Data from the survey shows that investors may be poised to include tablet computers more in the future when assessing market share trends.

Analysts think the iPad's success will help Apple gain even more market share in the future. Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore wrote a note to clients detailing Apple’s growth in portable computing as a result of dynamic iPad sales.

"Our retail checks suggest this share shift continues in July, where the iPad is directly cannibalizing demand for other vendors' netbook products,” he said.

“Remarkably, Apple's traditional MacBook business posted accelerated unit growth on a year-over-year basis in the second quarter despite the launch of the iPad while every other top five vendor slowed."