Apple targeting Windows PC market for future iPad growth

Apple's chief executive Tim Cook has identified the Windows PC market as a key area for the firm to steal market share from with its iPad devices, as it seeks new growth opportunities.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference on Tuesday, Cook said the firm was not concerned by any notion that sales of the iPad Mini would hurt its income by "cannibalising" sales of its larger, and more expensive, iPad devices.

"If we don't do it someone else will and in the case of the iPad Mini in particular, I would argue in the Windows PC market there's a lot more for us to cannibalise there than there is of Macs or iPads, relative to the iPad Mini," he said.

Cook also went on to tout the success of the iPad as just the start of the growth of the tablet market, which Apple is dominating at present.

"The iPad is the poster child of the post-PC revolution. We have over 300,000 apps that have been customised to take advantage to the beautiful canvas on the iPad," he said.

"Other guys have a few hundred apps like this, so we have a significant lead in this area."

The uptake of the iPad in the business market was also touched upon by Cook, who said this underlined its huge potential to continue to dominate the market.

"The iPad is in use in every Fortune 500 company, and in almost every global Fortune 500 company, and in education and with consumers too. It usually takes a long time for products to engage all of these markets but we've already done that."

In the wide-ranging interview Cook said the firm had also considered making some "major acquisitions" over the past year or so, but had yet to make any moves as it did not feel they were right for Apple.

"We have looked at large companies and in each case we've done that thus far it didn't pass our tests, for various reasons, and we've looked at more than one. Would we look again, yes, and we have the management talent and depth to do that," he said.

Cook also dismissed the notion the firm had "depression-era mentality" in response to some criticisms that its own shareholders have raised over the firm's refusal to return more dividends.

The firm is currently facing its lowest share price in over a year as investors see the threat from Android as hurting its market lead and its lower priced-products as reducing its profits.