Tablets Will Outsell Netbooks by 2012

Over the years, market analysts have published a great deal of reports, each aiming to provide as accurate a forecast as possible regarding a certain segment of the IT industry. These reports sometimes come true, other times, they don't. What often occurs, however, is that hardware and PC suppliers modify their plans and roadmaps depending on how promising such studies see a market or another. In the case of tablets, certain companies are still skeptical, even in spite of the millions of sales that the iPad can already brag about. Forrester's prediction regarding these gadgets might alleviate these reservations.

Forrester Research didn't exactly make The US Consumer PC Market In 2015 available for public download, but Sarah Rotman Epps, the main author of the report, published the main list of findings in a blog post. The primary conclusion is that the PC market will keep on growing, though not all segments will show the same evolution.

For instance, desktop shipments will lessen in 2015, compared to 2010, but they will still be the dominant type of computers among consumers. Additionally, laptop sales will steadily increase. What is most interesting, however, is the future that Epps sees for tablets.

Apparently, slates will 'cannibalize' netbooks, outselling them even as early as 2012. Sales of such consumer products are also expected to keep growing, driving overall PC sales upwards, to the point where 2015 sales surpass those in 2010.

All in all, Forrester Research believes slates will evolve so rapidly that they will account for roughly 23 percent of all PC shipments in the US in 2015. This figure was reached only because the analysts see all media slates, not just those running Windows, as PCs. Still, the optimistic view on the future of tablets may yet encourage companies to take a more active role in this field. Of course, whether the prediction itself is fulfilled remains to be seen.