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DisplaySearch Forecasts 200% Y/Y Growth for Tablet (Slate) PCs, to 55.7 Million Units in 2011

New Product Introductions and Announcements Expected to Drive Segmentation of the Slate PC Market

Santa Clara, Calif. (Vocus/PRWEB) February 07, 2011

Momentum behind tablet (slate) PC shipments is growing, with a Y/Y increase of nearly 200% to 55.7 million units expected in 2011, according to the DisplaySearch . Though growth rates will slow over the forecast period, the slate PC share of the overall mobile PC market, which also includes notebooks and mini-notes, will rise to nearly 35%, or 172.4 million units, by 2014. Total shipments of the mobile PC market are expected to reach 503.8 million units by 2014.

“The upcoming product announcements, introductions and demonstrations in the coming weeks will build on the tremendous momentum that the market has already seen and will lead to segmentation in the tablet (slate) PC market,” said Richard Shim, mobile computing analyst for DisplaySearch. “This segmentation translates to significant shipment growth and proliferation in the short and long term.”

Segmentation is also demonstrated by the numerous screen sizes expected to be supported by the many devices that will become available in 2011. DisplaySearch expects the categories of 7” wide, 10” standard, and 10” wide to be the dominant screen sizes used by new products in the coming years.

When Apple introduced its iPad in 2010, it once again shocked many industry observers by providing a standard (4:3) aspect ratio device, even as notebooks, monitors, and TVs were moving to wide (16:9 or 16:10) formats. The success of the iPad has sparked debates about the best display format for slates; combined with screen size, the outcome of this debate will help to define the category. A plethora of new devices purporting to be more user-friendly by the nature of their “wide” footprint (or “long” when used in the palm of one’s hand) continue to flood the supply chain.

The significant growth of slates is expected to cannibalize the mini-note and notebook mobile PC categories, but this will vary by region. Cannibalization of mini-notes and notebooks by slates is expected to be most noticeable in mature markets where PC penetration rates, meaning percentage of households that already own PCs, are highest. In emerging markets, cannibalization is expected to be negligible because PC penetration rates are relatively low as compared to mature markets. Plus, individuals tend to desire more highly configured and more capable first computing devices.

The overall result will be an increase in the mobile PC category. Mobile PC shipment growth is expected to be in the double digit range throughout the forecast period, peaking in 2011, at 30.4% Y/Y, and gradually declining to 17.7% growth in 2014.

The DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report covers the entire range of mobile PC products shipped worldwide and regionally. With analysis of global and regional brands, the Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report provides an objective, expert view of the market with insight into historical shipments, revenues, forecasts and more. For more information about the report, please contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, e-mail contact(at)displaysearch(dot)com or contact your regional DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan or more information.

About DisplaySearchSince 1996, DisplaySearch has been recognized as a leading global market research and consulting firm specializing in the display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. DisplaySearch provides trend information, forecasts and analyses developed by a global team of experienced analysts with extensive industry knowledge. In collaboration with the NPD Group, its parent company, DisplaySearch uniquely offers a true end-to-end view of the display supply chain from materials and components to shipments of electronic devices with displays to sales of major consumer and commercial channels. For more information on DisplaySearch analysts, reports and industry events, visit us at . Read our blog atand follow us on Twitter at .

About The NPD Group, Inc.The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visitand . Follow us on Twitter at @npdtech and @npdgroup.

Media Contact:Stacey Voorhees-HarmonSAVVY Public RelationsPhone: 925-336-9592E-mail: stacey(at)savvypublicrelations(dot)net

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Stacey Voorhees-HarmonSAVVY Public Relations925-336-9592Email Information