Frisky Mongoose

Apple’s iPad device may not be the first digital “tablet” computer on the market by a long shot, but the high-profile company entering the fray means that tablets are going to take off. At least, that’s the prediction by technology marketing analysts at ABI Research, according to a press release issued by the company. ABI predicts the number of tablets shipping this year to be 4 million, and expects this to be just the beginning of a climb that will ship 57 million of the mid-size devices in 2015.

ABI senior analyst Jeff Orr puts it thusly: “The main focus of media tablets is entertainment. A tablet will not replace a laptop, netbook or mobile phone, but will remain an additional premium or luxury product for wealthy industrialized markets for at least several years.”

Apple’s media darling is good news all around, says Orr, with other market players like Lenovo, HP, and Asus getting more attention for their own devices. “Apple may have done them a favor by raising the public profile of the whole media tablet category.”

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