Analyst: U.S. Tablet PC Sales To Double In 2011, Hit 44 Million By 2015

Forrester Research today released a revised US consumer tablet forecast that sees adoption of the new, game-playing portable computer segment skyrocketing in the coming years, to the point where the analyst expects one-third of all online consumers will be using a tablet by 2015. Forrester's revised numbers, updated since a similar report from June 2010, see Apple's iPad continuing to dominate the tablet PC market as overall, 10.3 million tablet sales in 2010 give way to an expected 24.1 million more in 2011. The iPad's overwhelming dominance of the sector is expected to continue through 2012, when Android, Windows and BlackBerry PlayBook-based tablets start to make a bit more of a dent. By 2015, the report expects 44 million new tablet PCs will be sold to 82.1 million total tablet users, many of whom will be upgrading previous tablets. Forrester predicts tablet users will replace these "lifestyle devices" at rates similar to those of cell phones or MP3 players, and much faster than they replace utilitarian purchases like desktop and notebook PCs. A December study by analysis firm Interpret found gaming was second only to web browsing among the most popular activities for tablet PC users in the U.S. New tablet PC products are expected to be a major focus of the Consumer Electronics Show this week, with many competitors chasing after the same success Apple has seen since the iPad's April launch.