At the time, a lot of people were underwhelmed. We even $4 and said, "Jobs introduced something that is probably going to sell in the range of a few million units this year, much closer to one of the company's Macs than its runaway hits like the iPod and iPhone. Not the company's next huge growth story."
Oops. We got that one very wrong!
In the three years since the iPad launched, it's changed everything. It truly was a revolutionary device. Here's a quick run down.
Apple has sold 121 million iPads, totalling $67.7 billion in sales, and it's expected to have sold 18 million more this quarter worth $8 billion.
That makes it the fastest growing consumer tech product ever, according to Mary Meeker
The iPad killed the netbook, now it's going after notebooks.
![ipad netbook](http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/515c62f269bedd897900000f-967-725/ipad-netbook.png)
Business Insider
![ipad netbook](http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/515c62f269bedd897900000f-967-725/ipad-netbook.png)
Business Insider
The PC industry is reeling because of the iPad.
![PC Industry](http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/515c5fa16bb3f7b86d00000b-683-608/screen shot 2013-04-03 at 12.57.02 pm.png)
IDC
The only PC growth now comes from tablets
iPad revenue is bigger than Windows revenue!
![ipad windows](http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/515c687eecad04b60600001b-973-729/ipad-windows.png)
Business Insider
Amazon is now a computer maker, building Kindle Fires that emulate the iPad.
![]() AP |
So is Google.
![]() Steve Kovach, Business Insider |
And, Microsoft, too.
![]() AP |
There's a reason all of these companies started making iPad wannabes. The iPad is ubiquitous. It's in airport terminals.
![iPads In Laguardia09](http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/512b787069bedd463e000002-900-675/ipads%20in%20laguardia09.jpg)
Jay Yarow, Business Insider
Pilots use iPads instead of big books.
![]() American Airlines |
Restaurants use iPads.
It's replacing cash registers.
![]() Urban Outfitters |
The first iPad looked like this ...
![]() |
Now it looks like this ...
![phil schiller ipad mini](http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51388f7269bedd8b7a000025-720-465/phil-schiller-ipad-mini.jpg)
REUTERS/Robert Galbraith