iPad Vs. the World — of Tech and Entertainment

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) sold nearly 30 million iPads since it released the very first model of the tablet in April 2010. The company sold more than 9 million iPads between April and the end of June in 2011. During that period, the company made almost $29 billion in revenue. The iPad alone generated $6 billion during a period when the company still was having trouble meeting consumer demand for the device.

Apple’s hot new device is more than just a fad. It is big business on a scale that few people could have predicted before it actually hit the market and started selling. A little perspective is in order. Consider these other players in the technology business compared to the iPad boom.

Dell

The iPad generated two times more revenue than Dell‘s (NASDAQ:DELL) entire consumer PC segment did in the first quarter of 2011. Dell’s consumer segment generated $3 billion at the beginning of the year, a decline of 7% from the same period in 2010. Research firm Gartner reported in April that total PC sales had declined more than 1% over that quarter. The iPad was singled out as being a major factor in the sales dip.

Regal Entertainment/Cinemark

Regal Entertainment (NYSE:RGC)/Cinemark (NYSE:CNK), two of the U.S. biggest movie theater operators, took a huge hit July 5 following disappointing July 4 holiday ticket sales. Movies like Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Kung Fu Panda 2 failed to draw audiences with 3D effects. Overall box office revenue in the U.S. has been a mixed bag; first-quarter revenue came to just under $2 billion, but the second quarter came close to $3 billion. That’s right: The iPad made more in just three months than the entire U.S. movie theater industry did in twice that time.

Time Warner’s HBO

One of cable television’s most recognizable and successful premium channels, Time Warner‘s (NYSE:TWX) HBO, is having a great year thanks to the popularity of new original programming like Game of Thrones. International revenue is expected to grow 50% over totals in 2008 by the end of the year. A Wall Street Journal article published in April said HBO will generate $1 billion this year, one-sixth of the iPad’s second quarter revenue. Consumers often cite the tablet’s ability to stream video through services like Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) and Hulu Plus.

GameStop

GameStop (NYSE:GME), the largest video game retailer in the U.S., was a cult hit with investors three years ago thanks to the company’s booming used-game business, a profit machine that drove share prices above $62. The stock trades below $24 these days, but used games still represent a huge source of income for the company and the entertainment retail sector in total. It’s still small beans compared to the iPad. Used-game sales totaled around $2.5 billion in the first quarter of 2011, less than half of Apple’s second-quarter iPad business.

TiVo

Ten years ago, TiVo‘s (NASDAQ:TIVO) digital video recording device was one of the hottest consumer products available, a machine that fundamentally changed living room entertainment. The service that TiVo’s product offered now is available on almost every set-top box from every cable provider in the country, not to mention rendered moot by streaming video options available on mobile devices like the iPad. A July 1 Business Week report said the company � a potential acquisition target now that it has settled an ongoing dispute with Dish Network (NASDAQ:DISH) � could sell for $20 per share, valuing it close to $2.5 billion. The entire business of a once-hot consumer technology isn’t worth even half of what the iPad generates in a single quarter.

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble (NYSE:BKS), the last remaining major book retail chain in the U.S., is trying to follow in Apple’s footsteps as it evolves its business. Barnes & Noble used to be in the business of big retail spaces. Now it’s in the Nook business, increasingly putting its hopes in its e-reader, as well as the digital book and media sales it spurs as the future foundation of its business. Not a bad idea. Total sales for the company’s last fiscal year that ended April 30 totaled $7 billion, a 20% increase over fiscal 2010. Barnes & Noble’s entire business, both online and across nearly 1,000 retail outlets, totals just $1 billion more than Apple’s quarterly iPad business.

Microsoft

There is perhaps no greater demonstration of how impressive the iPad’s value is than in the earnings of Apple’s greatest rival. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and its Windows operating system have largely defined the computing business since 1990. The company reported earnings Thursday for its 2011 fiscal year. The Windows division declined 2%, generating just $19 billion during the year. The platform generated close to $4.5 billion in the first quarter. The iPad might very well end up being more valuable than Microsoft Windows this year.

As of this writing, Anthony John Agnello did not own a position in any of the stocks named here. Follow him on Twitter at�@ajohnagnello�and�become a fan of�InvestorPlace on Facebook.