InStat
Latest
Apple might top Intel in mobile processor shipments by year-end
Watch out, Intel. That Apple-shaped company in your rear-view mirror is closer than you think, and according to In-Stat, could pass you in terms of mobile processor shipments by the end of 2012. What's really amazing is that Apple wasn't even in the mobile processor business until 2007. In 2011, Apple shipped 176 million processors in its iPad and iPhone devices. Intel, which manufactures mobile processors for laptops and other devices, shipped 181 million. In-Stat believes that if the unprecedented demand for Apple's mobile products continues, the company will soon be the number-one manufacturer of mobile processors. That's not far-fetched, considering that earlier this week Apple CEO Tim Cook said that it's fairly likely that the tablet market -- which Apple owns -- would surpass the total market for PCs in the near future. Jim McGregor of InStat notes that things could get worse for Intel if Apple decides to use its own ARM-based processors in the popular MacBook Air and other devices. Analysts say that this currently isn't too likely due to technical and performance issues, but if it could reduce total system component costs for Apple's "traditional" computers, it might be worth the company's time and effort to overcome those issues. Intel's not taking the market threat lightly, hence the recent push to use more of its mobile processor line in the so-called "Ultrabooks," which are aimed directly at competing with the slender and light MacBook Air. [via The Loop]
Analyst: Game consoles are most Internet connected STB, but Blu-ray players will lead growth
Wondering about the progress of the "connected home" so effectively diagrammed above? In-Stat's got the numbers, noting that by June 2008, nearly 43% of U.S. Windows PCs were of the Media Center variety, and found 64% of respondents at least somewhat interested in streaming video from the Internet to their TV. As it is, it looks like getting your Internet video service onto a game console is the best move (you don't say?) since they're the most commonly 'net connected CE device, but thanks to BD-Live and plunging hardware prices, the analysts see Blu-ray players leading growth. We're just hoping the additional details in the $3,495 version include telling higher ups that we'd like more selection and surround sound to go with our streaming HD. Any other requests?
HDTV service penetration on the rise
High-def service is working its way into more and more households world-wide. In-Stat is predicting that the service penetration is going to rise from 15 million homes in mid-2006 to 20.3 million by the end of this year. This comes in the wake of the World Cup spurring more and more countries to launch their first high-def broadcasts. So far, us, HD fans here in the States and those over the Pacific in Japan make up the majority of that number at 91%. Other notable countries are our friends to the north in Canada, Australia, and South Korea. Even though we make up a good amount of the statistics, it could be higher as one-third of US households with HD sets are currently receiving any type of high-def signal. Hopefully that will change, as there are more and more stations available each week. We are will to bet that the low amount of high-def stations is the reason that many people do not pay for a few more stations.
