IPad-Crazed Toddlers to Spur Holiday Sales Rush

[dkf]

One iPad isn’t enough for Patrick Smith’s family.

Smith, an American Web designer living in Germany, has two kids vying for their tablet computer. The youngest started tapping and finger-swiping the screen by age 1, leading to tussles over who gets to play with the Apple Inc. (AAPL) device. Now Smith is considering buying another tablet for Christmas.

“It’s usually a fight to decide whose turn it is,” said Smith, whose sons are now 2 and 5.

The family jockeying shows how big the youth market may be for Apple and its tablet competitors, including Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and makers of Android devices. Among kids age 6 to 12, the iPad is the most-wanted holiday gift for the second year in a row, according to Nielsen Co. Even so, the industry faces hurdles. That includes setting a price parents can live with and dealing with concerns about kids getting hooked on technology too early.

http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-28/apple-s-digital-pacifier-ipad-has-parents-emptying-their-wallets-tech?category=%2F

[UndertheOcean]

1. Are keyboards and mice going the way of the Dodo ?

College students brought Unix into Industry .... will toddlers make the touch screen ubiquitous ?

[dkf]

2. Or maybe voice recognition using Siri. Except that won't work in class.

[canetoad]

3. They are the tablet manufacturers dream consumer

Sticky fingers, little bashing fists, drop in the toilet, go buy another one.

[IDemo]

4. If ubiquitous means sticky, then yes n/t