The tablet craze seems to have caught quite a few analysts with their pants down. Sales are going through the roof, beating even the most optimistic forecasts.

NPD DislpaySearch now estimates that tablets will outsell notebooks in the US in Q4. What’s more, the trend will accelerate next year, with new devices and new form factors. DisplaySearch reckons us consumers will pick up 21.5 million tablets this quarter, compared to just 14.6 million notebooks and netbooks.

There is even a chance that overall US tablet shipments in 2012 could overtake notebooks. In 2013 tablets should outsell notebooks by 80 million versus 63.8 million units. However, on a global level, tablets are still well behind notebooks, but they are expected to catch up by 2015.

IDC was apparently caught off guard, too. The outfit was forced to repeatedly revise its PC estimates downwards. IDC now estimates PCs will stay in the lead in 2015, with shipments hitting 289 million compared to 233 million. However, The Guardian points out that the estimate was made before the latest crop of 7-inch tablets became available, and we all know they are selling like hot cakes.

But why is the US three years ahead of the rest of the world in tablet adoption? Well, simply put, American consumers love gadgets. Most households already have a PC and tablet makers like Amazon, Apple and Google are focusing their efforts on the US market.

More here.