In a recent note to clients, Barclay analyst Ben Reitzes says the market for consumer desktops could see pressure in the wake of an Apple-branded HDTV (the rumored “iTV”) in “much the same way that the overall notebook market’s growth slowed after the introduction of the iPad.” I beg to differ.
“The reason is that an Apple TV would represent an easy way to check email and the web as well as share photos (and even edit them in the same way as an iPhone/iPad can),”Reitzes.
However, I’ve continually argued that the iPad and laptop (as well as a desktop) aren’t competitors but complementary products. The iPad is great for content consumption, but less capable for content creation than a full-fledged computer.
If you only use your desktop to surf the web, watch videos, check your email, get on Facebook, etc., perhaps you’d be happy with an iTV and no desktop. But for most of us, the iTV would be another Apple device in our home (or office), not a replacement.
In fact, I like Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair’s idea/prediction/hope that Apple will bring some features of the iTV to the iMac. I hope he’s right. I often watch TV and videos on my 27-inch iMac. However, this involves some work involving Elgato/EyeTV products (which I love, by the way) and a Dish/Slingplayer combo. It would be very convenient to have TV functions built into my iMac.
Whether this happens, I won’t be ditching my iMac if/when the iTV arrives. And I doubt many others will either.
— Dennis Sellers