44% of US kids 6-12 just might get a Kindle Fire for Christmas. And Tim Cook eyes a trillion dollar valuation.
Philip Elmer-DeWitt has a story today that reflects just how strong the Apple and iOS brands are with America's youth:
Apple's (AAPL) iPad topped a new Nielsen survey of the most desired electronics products among young Americans this holiday season.
Among kids 6-12, Apple scored a hat trick, with the iPad (44%) first, the iPod touch (30%) second and the iPhone (27%) third.
In a similar survey last year, the iPad came in first at 31% and a generic "computer" was No. 2 at 29%
The teenagers surveyed had somewhat broader interests. The iPad was their No. 1 choice at 24% (up from 18% last year), but computers, e-readers, TV sets, non-Apple tablets and Blu-Ray players scored higher than the iPhone at 15%, perhaps because so many of them already have one.
Consider those numbers and review the graphic below from Nielsen. What America's teens, tweens and younglings want is Apple, for the most part. Pretty incredible, actually. Better still, those are the *best* products out there, dollar for dollar. Mac laptops, iPad tablets, iPod ipods, iPhone smartphones. Simply the best.
Except, even if it wasn't year 4 of a protracted great depression, what parents wants to drop $500 minimum on a tablet! I don't know any of them. The one percenters, I suppose. This is why I think the Kindle Fire will do so well. I've repeatedly called it the 'best Christmas gift' you can get -- for $200 or less. The boys and girls of America may not know about the Kindle Fire -- yet -- but I can certainly understand why their parents will get them one for the holidays. That said, talk of OMG APPLE WILL BE MARGINALIZED BY ANDROID JUST LIKE MAC WAS WITH WINDOWS reflects not merely journalist laziniess or general dumbness but an acute lack of awareness of reality: it is the *opposite* that is now occurring! This is year 3 of a 10-year *golden age* for Apple.
They make the *best* smartphone, computer and tablet -- and have the *best* media ecosystem on the planet and the best supply chain and *strongest* brand name and a stellar retail operation and a robust presence in North America, Europe and Asia and their products are dollar for dollar still the best and any kind of app or software you want is *readily available* on Apple products. Do not accept stupidity from "journalists" "pundits" and others that suggest that the current Android market share means a retrenchment of Apple Inc. There is no company out there better positioned to be the first trillion-dollar company than Apple.
Which is what gets Tim Cook out of bed every morning.
