IT’s an excellent moment to launch tablets, at least according to data made available by market analysis firm Forester, which indicates that now is the time to take advantage of the hype that was catalyzed by the introduction of Apple’s iPad.

Back in July, Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer revealed that new Windows 7 slates were coming, a promise that has so far failed to materialize.

At least to the levels anticipated by the Redmond company’s CEO, which indicated that Asus, Dell, Samsung, Toshiba, and Sony were all hard at work building Windows 7 tablets.

A few months after Ballmer’s announcement of upcoming Windows 7 slates, original equipment manufacturers seem keen on embracing Google’s open source Android operating system and NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processors, in the detriment of Windows 7.

And this could mean that Microsoft could be missing out. According to Forrester, more people are looking to buy tablets than buying a new desktop computer or a laptop.

The iPad has been a huge hit with consumers: Only a couple of months after the launch, Forrester’s Technographics data shows that 1.3%, or 2.5 million, US online consumers report that they already own an Apple iPad, and an additional 3.8% (7.4 million) say they intend to buy one,” revealed Forrester’s Reineke Reitsma.

“The success of the Apple iPad has created a halo around tablets in general: About 14%, or 27 million, US online consumers say they intend to buy some kind of tablet in the next 12 months — more than any other type of device we’ve asked about,” she added.

By contrast, only 4% of those surveyed indicated the intention to buy a new desktop machine, while 13% are looking to acquire a new laptop in the next year.

In addition, only 11% of consumers intend to get a new eReader, with even less, just 8% opting for a new netbook.

Another Forrester study indicates that while customers might want to buy a tablet, their decision could be fueled more by hype than anything else.

The market research firm reveals that some of the users are confused to what exactly tablets are.

“This confusion probably means that not everybody that shows an interest will actually buy a tablet, but we do think it shows that there's interest in the category that goes beyond the iPad,” Reitsma explained.

“PC manufacturers like Dell, HP, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba need to offer consumers a bit of guidance on what a tablet is, what it can do, and how it complements the extensive range of devices they already own.”