Tablets to Surpass Notebook

Tablets to Surpass Notebook Growth in 2016

The demand for tablet computers such as the iPad is growing so quickly that shipments of them are projected to surpass notebook shipments by 2016.

According to market research firm NPD DisplaySearch, themobile PC category is poised to soar from 347 million units in 2012 to more than 809 million by 2017. Tablets will be leading the way for that massive growth in the next few years.

Tablet shipments are expected to grow from 121 million units to 416 million units by 2017, compared to 208 million shipments in 2012 to 393 million shipments in five years. Tablets will likely surpass notebook shipments in 2016.

NPD DisplaySearch believes one of the main drivers of tablet growth will be increased adoption in North America, Japan and Western Europe. These mature markets already account for 66% of shipments in 2012 and will likely hold steady at about 60% until 2017, according to the report.

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“Consumer preference for mobile computing devices is shifting from notebook to tablet PCs, particularly in mature markets,” said Richard Shim, senior analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, in a statement. “While the lines between tablet and notebook PCs are blurring, we expect mature markets to be the primary regions for tablet PC adoption.”

Tablet shipments into mature markets will grow from 80 million units in 2012 to 254 million units by 2017.

Have you bought a tablet device yet? If not, what’s holding you back? Share your thoughts in the comments.