BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

More From Forbes

Edit Story

Apple's 128GB iPad Defends Against Intel's Haswell Assault On ARM

Following
This article is more than 10 years old.

BEIJING - SEPTEMBER 17 (Getty Images AsiaPac via @daylife)

There is a lot more to Tuesday’s introduction of a new version of iPad with 128GB memory by Apple.

The uninitiated simply dismissed the introduction of 128GB as nothing more than the evolutionary process of Apple adding more memory.  Such commentators are myopic and are looking only at the consumer market as it exists today.  The reality is that Apple’s introduction is a defensive move against an onslaught by Haswell in the corporate market.

iPad is the leader in the corporate market but the lead is in danger of slipping away to Haswell based devices. Haswell is the code name for an upcoming microprocessor architecture. Haswell will replace the currently popular Ivy Bridge architecture by Intel.  Haswell is expected to come close to the ARM architecture by ARM Holdings used by Apple iPads.

Apple’s press release about the new iPad introduction made it apparent that the device was directed at the corporate market by extensively highlighting AutoCAD by Autodesk.

My research and analysis shows that the growth rate of the larger iPad in the corporate market is slowing. Part of the problem is that iPad does not run all of the software that corporations need.  Most notable is  Microsoft Office.  Microsoft just launched Office 2013 without support for iPad.

How important is Office?  Just take a look at these statistics:

  • $24 billion in annual sales
  • Over 1 billion emails a day
  • Data in petabytes using Office

Microsoft will introduce Surface Pro based on Haswell and so will the likes of Hewlett-Packard and Dell.  Haswell is expected to generate a flurry of detachable designs that can be used as a standalone tablet or a tablet with a key board – all with the power of a PC and ability to run most programs that corporations use.

Unless Apple innovates at a faster clip, or is able to negotiate with Microsoft for Office support on iPad, Apple is in serious danger of losing its lead in tablets in the corporate world.

--

About Me: I am an engineer and nuclear physicist by background. I founded two Inc. 500 companies, and have been involved in over 50 entrepreneurial ventures. I am the chief investment officer at The Arora Report, which publishes four newsletters to help investors profit from change. Write me: Nigam@TheAroraReport.com.  Follow me here. Subscribers to The Arora Report are long Apple from $131 and have already taken partial profits on 90% of the position.   Subscribers are long Microsoft and short ARM Holdings. 

--

Also From Forbes: