Tablets sales in 2011: Will the iPad dominate?

Consumer Reports News: November 29, 2010 04:09 PM

Until recently, the Apple iPad was the tablets market. But in in recent weeks, competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab have begun to arrive (see our new Tablet Computers section at Consumer Reports Online). According to one report, though, the iPad should continue to dominate the market at least for the next year.

From an AppleInsider story: "A report by Barrons compared the predictions of analysts from Citigroup, FBR Capital Markets and Gartner; reports from each differ widely on the number of tablets that will be sold next year, but all agree Apple will lead the pack." The iPad is expected by analysts to comprise approximately three-fourths of the tablets sold in 2011.

This huge surge in tablet sales is also expected to shake up the market for PCs next year, reducing by perhaps as much as 3 percent the number of personal computers sold.

"Even with hordes of would-be iPad-killers on the horizon," says Consumer Reports Technology Editor Jeff Fox, "Apple should be able to maintain the iPad's edge in tablet market share as it always has with its CE products, by beefing up performance through cutting edge technologies and innovative design. To hold the high ground in tablets, though, Apple does need to break out of its single data-provider model."

When we first looked at the Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet, we called it the first real competitor to the Apple iPad; but even though pricing plans are similar, the Galaxy Tab is quite a bit smaller than the iPad. Other tablets we've tested have not even come close to providing a rival to the iPad.

Will you be buying a tablet next year? Would you buy one instead of a laptop? Or will you wait for the iPad 2 or for better tablets running rival OSes to come along? Let us know below in comments.

"Will Tablets Kill the PC Star?" [Barrons] via
"Apple iPad widely expected to lead tablet disruption of PCs in 2011" [AppleInsider]

—Carol Mangis

—Carol Mangis