ABI Research seems to have drank the Apple Kool-Aid, as it believes the tablet shipments will skyrocket over the next few years.

The outfit believes some 4 million tablets will ship this year, which sounds realistic, but it also expects shipments to jump to 57 million units annually by 2015. ABI usually gets most of its numbers right, but this just seems a bit too optimistic.

However, ABI Research has a rather wide definition of what tablets actually are. They consider every touch-screen device ranging in size from 5 to 11 inches, with WiFi and video capabilities to be a tablet. ABI doesn't make a distinction between x86 chips or ARM processors either. We can see many netbooks falling into this category in the near future, and perhaps some other devices as well.

ABI believes Apple's iPad will help define the product category and that true tablets will focus on 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,” said senior ABI Research analyst Jeff Orr.

So basically it's a device that really can't replace any other device. It's not cheap and it doesn't come close to netbooks, laptops or mobile phones in terms of performance or practicality. We have a few names to describe such products, but I'm not sure the editors would allow them. [Perhaps not, but that doesn't mean I don't agree. -Ed.]

More here.