The market for PCs and laptops may be weak but tablet shipments continue to rise.
Based on robust demand in the fourth quarter, market researcher IDC raised its worldwide tablet shipments forecast in 2011 to 63.3 million units, up from its previous projection of 62.5 million units.
Tablet shipments into sales channels in the third quarter rose 23.9% on a sequential to 18.1 million units.
This represents an increase of 264.5% from the same quarter last year, but 5.8% below the original forecast of 19.2 million units.
Apple iPad Dominates
IDC expects Apple to have its best-ever quarter in 4Q11, and sees the iPad gaining more traction outside of the consumer market in 2012, specifically with enterprise and education markets.
Apple dominated worldwide tablet shipments in 3Q11 with 11.1 million units, up from 9.3 million units in 2Q11. That represents a 61.5% worldwide market share (down from 63.3% in 2Q11).
Apple iPad – Rules the Roost
Samsung was No-2 with 5.6% market share followed by HP with 5%, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color (4.5%) and Asus (4% ).
Following a poor reception to its TouchPad tablets, HP has exited the tablet business.
Android vs iOS
IDC predicts the recent launch of Amazon’s Kindle Fire and to a lesser extent the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet will raise the Android platform’s share of the tablet market to 40.3% in the fourth quarter from 32.4% in Q3.
Apple’s iOS tablet platform is expected to see a slight erosion from 61.5% to 59.0%.
Multiple vendors including Samsung, Amazon, Asus, Acer and Barnes & Noble sell tablets based on the Android software from Google.
Your favorite blog SearchIndia.com considers the Apple iPad the only tablet worth owning.
Sony Debuts
Meanwhile, Sony has launched its tablets in India.
Sony is offering two Android-powered tablets, the Tablet S and the Tablet P.
The WiFi version is available now while the WiFi plus 3G version will debut next month.
Pricing for the Sony tablets range from Rs 29,990 for the Tablet S (16GB, WiFi) to Rs 36,990 for the dual screen Tablet P.
Tablet Craze Will Boost Shipments to 63.3m in 2011; Apple iPad King of Heap added by SearchIndia.com on
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SI – Does iPad allow you to add memory or attach an external hard drive?
OT: I can’t get this song out of my mind for the last 2-3 days.. pretty catchy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xsoCki4pTk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH1dYDEg-wY
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. No can add extra memory or attach an external disk.
We have a 32GB version with several hundred songs, two dozen books, tons of apps and so far we’ve never felt the need for more storage. Movies are streamed via NFLX and don’t take up extra storage.
2. Parov Stelar – Booty Swing is pretty good. Just checked. It’s Parov’s most popular track on iTunes. $1.29 for the track when the majority of tracks on iTunes are 99-cents.
3. Here’s a nice one for you. A slower piece compared to Booty Swing but very soothing:
Vangelis – La Petite Fille de la Mer from from the 1973 album L’Apocalypse Des Animaux
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiuJHIZaN-8
we got the track on iTunes for 99-cents and listen to it every day.
iPad – I am considering it but the inability to scale frustrates me. I’d like to have the choice of adding more memory or storage space instead of Apple deciding how much is enough for me.
I have several digital copies of movies which I would like to keep in the device but 32 GB is hardly sufficient for that. I guess 32 GB is more that sufficient for several days of entertainment but the inability scale is an irritant for me. I am going to wait for the next version and then decide
Vangelis – La Petite Fille de la Mer – Very soothing! thanks for sharing.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
BTW, there’s a 64GB version of the iPad 2 as well.
When we were in the market, it was not available due to tremendous product shortages. It should be available now in BestBuy or Apple stores.
You could consider the Nook Color which is selling at reduced prices, since B&N has a newer Nook Tablet. It is WiFi only, no cellular data network capabilities.
It has a mSD card slot and a pretty good screen. The audio capabilities(codecs) and reproduction is good, comparable to the apple products. Not audiophile quality.
The app store is ok, (depends on your appetite for apps). I make do with basic apps. The B&N app store has the basic apps in all departments – news, utilities, games… I have access to an iPhone/iPod touch so I can get to any apple only apps if need be.
Man…that Flipboard app is awesome.
I use a nifty $10 piece of software called DVDCatalyst to rip all my video to the Nook optimal settings, and it works great. I am able to pack 90 to 120 minutes of video in 1GB and it renders great.
I have bunch of 16GB mSD cards that hold all my stuff. There seem to be a lot more deals for the 16GB cards than the 32GB cards.
Books-
It can render a wide variety of eBook formats including the ones used by public libraries.
I think the Kindles/Kindle app had problems with the book formats for books borrowed from public libraries…that might have changed lately.
I use Calibre, calibre-ebook.com to “Fetch News” and read offline on my Nook Color.
I don’t work for B&N !!!
HTH…
Tiramisu.
SearchIndia.com Responds:
We have Flipboard, Zite & Pulse on the iPad.
We love all three for news.