Tablet Shipments Will Finally Overtake Notebooks In 2013

An anonymous reader writes "Nowadays, it's not really a question of whether tablet shipments will surpass notebook shipments, but when. Back in July 2012, NPD forecasted 2016 as the year, but today it's saying this year will be it. More specifically, NPD estimated tablet shipments will reach more than 240 million units worldwide in 2013, compared to the company's projection of 207 million notebook shipments this year. This gap is significant enough that, even if NPD's estimates are out by some margin, tablet numbers will still overtake those of notebooks."

Comments

I can see it.

[Capt.DrumkenBum]

There are plenty of people who can do everything they use a computer for on a tablet. I would guess most of those people are not on /.
For example my mother and sister, both use their computers for email, facebook, a little research, some cheezy games (Solitaire) and that is pretty much it.

All of that can easily be done on a cheep tablet.

Personally I will keep my laptop with a keyboard, but even I do most of my email on my Nexus 7 these days.

Re:I can see it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, content creation is dead. We don't need to make anything more than an Instagram post to facebook and maybe respond with a tweet.

The goal of allowing people to compose symphonies or write great novels, or even code up a simple game is up in smoke. You have the tablet. Take a picture, write a tweet, and most importantly, consume the content of your walled garden.

Re:I can see it.

[ikaruga]

How many people with desktop computers or standard laptops do any of the things you said? Content creation has always been something for the 1% of the computer users. The only reason desktops where so popular in the 90s and laptops in the 00s is simple because there were no cheap tablets/smartphones yet. Most people just want to check their facebook/twitter, do some quick office work like school reports or taxes or just watch porn.
But don't worry, content creation is not dead. Content creators will buy content creation tools. The existence of DSLR cameras, external sound boards, mixers, professional GPUs, pen tablets, 3D mouses, microcontroller programmers and the thousands of professional software tools for anything you can imagine are the proof that content creation is as alive as ever. Classical laptops and desktops will just shift in to this category as well.

Hey, whatever happened

[Flipao]

To the "tablets are a fad" crowd?

They were a lot louder 2 years ago.

Re:Hey, whatever happened

[samkass]

To the "tablets are a fad" crowd?

  They were a lot louder 2 years ago.

Tablet makers addressed the issue by including HID support, so that keyboards / mice could be used. Some even include a standard size USB port, supporting thumb-drives in addition to input devices. This lets people use a tablet as a laptop when / if needed, and leave the excess baggage behind when it's not.

Except that the iPad has had Bluetooth keyboard support from the moment it was released, and there were Bluetooth cases with built-in keyboards shortly thereafter. Most opt never to buy one. It doesn't seem to have been the thing holding back any significant segment of the market.

Because of Windows 8

[Billly Gates]

Not because people want tablets.

2 different things. Many see them and say, so this is what I have to use?! My old clunker with XP still works and I do not have to put up with that bullshit or they demand a yoga or convertiable tablet/notebook since it is a touch optimized interface anyway.

I tried Windows 8 and it truly is a terrible gui. I can use it and even kind of get used to it out of habit and wanted to keep it ... well a little. Windows 7 went right back on after I had some glitches and realized it will be well supported for 8 more years so why change?

Until I see people actually say "I do not need a notebook. I got my phone or tablet instead?" then I will believe it.

Tablet with a keyboard case = Small laptop

[eksith]

While tablets alone may be shipping well (who can argue with the convenience of not having to lug around a full laptop), I'm seeing more and more people get keyboard cases for these. Also, with the plethora of Chinese Android tablets for dirt cheap, it's no wonder.

Also a toy

[hugortega]

That's because *many* children uses tablets as a toy... just do the math.

Re:I bought one...

[samkass]

But I don't use it, and it sits on its charger. Soo lonely... =/

I take it you went with Android then?

Android Tablet Marketshare Up To %42.7

[AddisonW]

"Ok, tablet == iPad. None of those other "tablets" are selling that well."

http://bgr.com/2012/12/05/tablet-market-share-2012/

Not only does tablet not equal iPad. iPads look to have a smaller marketshare than Android in the near future.

Re:2013 Is the Year of the Tablet

[jedidiah]

> Sorry Linux, you can't have 2013, Tablet claimed dibs.

What do you think is running on those tablets?

Re:2013 Is the Year of the Tablet

[viperidaenz]

iOS?

"The tablets are coming! The tablets are coming!"

[edibobb]

I had a college professor (an excellent teacher, incidentally) who said in the 1970's that "Personal computers are just a flash in the pan" and that the general population would never be able to manage a real computer.