Figures from NPD DisplaySearch indicate that while the notebook will be with us for a long time to come, tablets will grow like topsie.
Global mobile PC shipments, a category including notebook, mini-note and tablet PCs, will grow from 347 million units in 2012 to over 809 million units by 2017; while tablet PC shipments will surpass notebook shipments in 2016, the NPD DisplaySearch said.
However rather than being killed off by tablets, notebook PC shipments are expected to increase from 208 million units in 2012 to 393 million units by 2017. But tablet PC shipments are expected to grow from 121 million units to 416 million units in this period, for a compound annual growth rate of 28 per cent, the report said.
Richard Shim, senior analyst at NPD DisplaySearch said that consumer preference for mobile computing devices is shifting from notebook to tablet PCs, particularly in mature markets. Notebook PCs are also evolving to meet the challenge from tablet PCs. Thinner form factors, higher resolution displays and touch functionality features are expected to increase.
He thinks that the notebook PC market will remain the largest part of the mobile PC market during the forecast period, accounting for 60 per cent of mobile PC shipments in 2012, declining to 49 per cent by 2017.
28 per cent a year
Nick Farrell
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