NPD: Tablets expected to surpass notebooks by 2016

Research firm NDP DisplaySearch foresees tablets surpassing notebooks in terms of sales and popularity by 2016. The report states, "Tablet PCs, such as Apple’s iPad, are expected to be the growth driver for the mobile PC market over the next few years. Tablet shipments will surpass notebook shipments in 2016, according to the latest NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report. Overall mobile PC shipments will grow from 347M units in 2012 to over 809M units by 2017.

The report adds that , "while notebook PC shipments are expected to increase from 208M units in 2012 to 393M units by 2017, tablet PC shipments are expected to grow from 121M units to 416M units in this period, for a compound annual growth rate of 28%."

We are really nearing the post-PC era where notebooks are becoming less necessary because many of their features and functions will be available on tablets. It is no wonder that the leading technology companies all have a stakein the tablet market and that Microsoft and Google have even gone as far as making their own tablet devices to cover segments where Apple's iPad isn't openly competing.

Source: NDP DisplaySearch