The iPad Passes The Kindle

Recent research shows that the number of Apple Inc. AAPL iPads has passed the number of Amazon.com AMZN Kindles in the hands of consumers. The news could undermine Amazon’s successful e-book store as the largest e-commerce business in the US also feels pressure from the Barnes & Noble BKS Nook and Sony’s SNE e-reader. The market is becoming more fragmented. Analysts believed that the Kindle would keep its place as market share leader, but now that appears to be an uncertain assumption.“Apple stated it has shipped 3.27 [million] iPads since the April product launch, surpassing our estimate for an installed base of [around 3 million] Amazon Kindles to date despite supply constraints,” Marianne Wolk, an analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group, wrote. The advantage could improve quickly as Apple builds enough machines to fill all orders for the device that are currently backlogged. To read the rest, head over to 247WallStreet.com