Tablet PC Shipments Might Leapfrog Desktops in 2013
by Ivan

If you’re brazen enough to ask a power user which he would prefer, a tablet PC or a desktop system, be prepared for a backhand to the cheek. Tablets, including ones that slip neatly into multi-functional docks, pale in comparison to desktops in terms of raw horsepower and what you can do with the thing. At the same time, users who just want to look up recipes on the Web and fart around Facebook from time to time may find that a tablet is a better option, and if there are enough people who think that way, it’s conceivable that the demand for tablet PCs could surpass desktops as early as next year.

Folks entrenched in the electronics supply chain in Taiwan tell news and rumor site DigiTimes that they think global demand for tablets of all types will jump to 130 million units in 2013, which is possibly high enough to skip ahead of desktops.

The charge is being led by Apple and the company’s iPad line, of which a new model was introduced to the world earlier this week and will begin shipping on March 16, 2012. Looking back at last year, Apple accounted for two-thirds of the 60 million total tablet shipments around the globe. By the time 2012 comes to a close, DigiTimes predicts tablet shipments will climb to 90-95 million units.

One thing to keep in mind is that many people are buying tablets as secondary or even tertiary devices to complement their desktop and/or notebook, so in that way the numbers can be a little deceiving. And then you have the crowd that’s buying into glorified eReaders like the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. So, while tablet PC shipments could leap ahead of desktops, it doesn’t spell doom for the latter any more than the rapid rise of smartphone shipments does.

Image Credit: LG