A report issued this week by the Canalys market research firm shows Apple surprisingly atop the list of the world’s biggest PC makers in Q4 of 2012. The clear reason for Apple’s position is that Canalys counts tablets as computers – unlike other major research firms like IDC and Forrester.

The chart above highlights that iPads make up the vast majority of Apple PC sales. It also highlights a few more staggering iPad numbers:

– Around 1 out of every 6 computers shipped last quarter was an iPad!

– Apple sold more than twice as many iPads as Dell sold computers of any kind last quarter

– None of the leading computer manufacturers shipped as many computers total as Apple sold iPads. HP’s number is 15 million – well behind the iPad on its own at 22.9 million.

Given the iPad’s massive adoption rate in the Fortune 500, its use for a huge array of business and productivity purposes, and its amazing versatility I think it makes perfect sense to count it as a computer. It’s incredible to think that the iPad itself, and the sort of tablet it is, did not even exist just a little over 3 years ago.

Image Source: 148apps.biz

Apple has announced their Q1 financial results this afternoon. These results actually cover the last 13 weeks of last year, ending December 29, 2012. And they include some very impressive iPad numbers of course.

A few numbers and statements that have caught my attention during the call (which is still going on) are these:

– 22.9 million iPads sold last quarter.

– 1.7 iPads sold per week

– “iPad mini has been a tremendous hit”

There was also a mention of the widespread adoption and rollout of the iPad in blue-chip financial organizations and in a diverse range of government organizations both in the US and abroad.

Ever wondered how big a business the iPad would be if it was a standalone company? Me either, but Fortune today shared one analyst’s report that says it would be huge. Huge as in it would slot right in at Number 98 in the Fortune 500 – ranking higher than household names like Nike,McDonalds, and many others.

And huge as in it would be one of the largest tech companies in the US:

According to a recent report from Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi, the iPad line brought in $32 billion in sales last year — accounting for just over 60% of all tablet sales — and will grow 75% in 2013 to $46 billion. With numbers like those, Sacconaghi estimates that would make the iPad business, on its own, the 11th largest tech company.

Those are certainly some crazy, impressive numbers – but I don’t imagine Apple is looking to hive off the iPad business anytime soon.

A new survey shows that tablet ownership among teens is on the rise, and finds that teens are big fans of the iPad. The survey was done by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster and polled nearly 8,000 teens.

As AllThings D reports, in addition to finding that Apple “remains the pre-eminent technology brand for teens”, the survey highlights these results related to tablets and the iPad:

• 44 percent own a tablet – that’s double the number in the same survey 18 months ago
• Of those who own tablets, 72 percent own iPads.
• Of those who do not own tablets, but plan to buy one in the next six months, 74 percent hope to buy an iPad.
• 43 percent said they’d be more likely to buy an iPad if Apple released a smaller version of the device at $299.

Good numbers for iPad momentum there, especially if we see that little fella come out soon as we’re expecting  to.