data published by online ad network Chitika, and visualized here, talks about the top eight tablet brands in North America in April 2014. And Microsoft was good enough for fifth place, behind companies like Samsung, Amazon and Google. Apple iPad dwarfed other devices with a 77.2% tablet market share, while Redmond managed to carve out 1.6% of the market with the various Surface branded slates. Much work, then, remains for Microsoft. The company would surely have hoped for a much better showing when it launched the original Surface RT back in October 2012, but since then, the technology giant has continued with a strong push with updated models, including the recently unveiled Surface Pro 3. A number of factors, obviously, have a say in this ordeal, including the relatively premium pricing, and the low number of quality applications on the Windows Store. Equally troubling, however, is the fact that Windows powered tablet makers are still missing from this list, which appears to be dominated by iOS and Android devices. Much work, then, remains for companies like Dell, Lenovo, and Toshiba too.]]>
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I’m not sure we can trust these numbers completely. I mean I expect them to be off somewhat but wouldn’t the hardware numbers and the OS numbers be somewhat similar? I’m sure 77% of all the tablets used in North America today are not iPads. Samsung at only 8.3% ? Are Samsung users never going onto the Internet or something?
I’m pretty sure these are accurate. I think the key here is Apple captured the first mover advantage. Whereas the phone and computer markets are much more competitive, Apple created the tablet sector and most people only know the iPad. Sad, but true.
This is quite ambiguous. The definition of the chart is “tablet-based web browsing”. What does it mean for Windows 8.x devices? Does this only include RT tablets? In this case I’m not surprised of the percentage and of the absence of other brands. If it includes Windows Pro devices, it doesn’t make sense. How do you distinguish between “tablet-based” and “PC-based” web browsing? And does the fact that IE 10/11 have “do-not-track” enabled by default have any impact on Chitika?
Also, please, not the usual comments that Surface has a premium price (an iPad Air costs as much as a Surface Pro for comparable specs) and that the Store lacks quality apps. I still have to see a substantial list of quality apps available on the iPad but not in the Windows Store.
Does it include hybrids as well?
If it checks the OS to consider if it is tablet based, then does it include only RT based tablets? How does it know 8.1 based tablets from PC?