Tablets to overtake PC sales? IDC think so

According to research firm IDC, the shipments of tablets and smartphones will overtake those of the PC system within the next 18 months.

The tablet and smartphone market has been booming in 2010, as more people latch onto the benefits of accessing email and browsing the net from remote locations. The Apple iPad has been selling en masse since it was released and a smaller 7 inch version is in the pipeline for release next year.

Although this research claim would seem rather negative for the PC centric market, it appears as if the sales of personal computers will continue to increase, even if they get surpassed by mobile devices.

IDC have claimed that worldwide shipments of ‘app enabled devices' which include smartphones and tablets will reach 284 million units. By 2011, they are documenting 377 million devices sold and in 2012, 462 million devices sold. Its educated guesswork sure, but IDC have been known to be fairly accurate in the past.

The PC market looks to be healthy, with 356 million PC shipments this year and 402 million for 2011, followed up by 448 million in 2012.

Frank Gens, chief analyst at IDC said that non PC devices are “not replacing the PC — that's a key point — but [they are] expanding the market.”

KitGuru says: Seems that there is more than enough room for Apple iPad competitors to flourish, if these figures are in anyway accurate.

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