SLATE SHOPPERS DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY A TABLET

摘要

Will 2013 be the year of the tablet? International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that by year-end, there will be 190.3 million tablets sold, which is a 48% jump from 2012. Its long-term forecast estimates that by 2017, total tablet shipments will hit nearly 353 million. The company also forecasts a boom in smaller tablets. "One in every, two tablets shipped in the first quarter of 2013 was below 8 inches in screen size. In terms of shipments, we expect smaller tablets to continue growing in 2013 and beyond," says Jitesh Ubrani, IDC tablet analyst. "Vendors are moving quickly to compete in this space, as consumers realize these small devices are often more ideal than larger tablets for their daily consumption habits."