Technology is expanding at an increasingly rapid pace now more than ever and more consumers are shifting towards tablet PCs. Years ago, personal computers were threatened when laptops arrive on the network connectivity scene, providing users with portability. Users embraced a way to bring a computer with them when they were on the go. Many professionals who are constantly travelling found a portable laptop useful since it made important files easily accessible from anywhere.
A common issue with laptops initially was a lack storage space and so they were made bigger. The demand of consumers requiring more storage space was an initial indication that people were taking advantage of the laptop's ability to not only connect to the internet, but the portability of it. Laptops increasingly became just as functional as PCs. Consumers began to witness trends of how laptops were being produced with improved specifications to compete against the traditional form of computers. Major computer providers including Apple, HP-Compaq and Microsoft began making laptops faster, lighter and with increased storage space and RAM to persuade consumers even further away from the PC market.
A new trend is occurring and now the laptop is feeling competition from the tablet PC market. Introducing tablets into the market, helped companies to reach an entirely different market in addition to existing consumers. Tablets are just as portable and functional as laptops, even lighter and most of all, very easy to use and fun. If you need a keyboard, they are sold as separate components and can be attached to the unit for a more traditional typing feel. A variety of tablets are on the market to suit anyone's need for work, school or fun. Anyone can navigate a tablet including young children and the elderly and this simplicity of use opened computers up to younger and older generations. People use their iPads or Samsung Galaxy Tablets to access the internet, personal files, take and share photos, play games, read, watch movies, listen to music or talk to family and friends via video chat. Samsung recently released the Samsung Galaxy Note Tablet geared towards consumers who like to use their creativity. It offers the kind of precision input, with the use of a pen, that sketch artists will enjoy and comes with Adobe Photoshop preinstalled for photo image editing.
Forecasters predict that tablet shipments will eventually surpass both notebooks and netbooks by 2016. Richard Shim, senior analyst at NPD Diplay research said, "Consumer preference for mobile computing devices is shifting from notebook to tablet PCs, particularly in mature markets." According to reports at NPD Display, tablet shipments will beat notebook shipment by 2016. Tablet PC shipments are estimated to reach 416 million by 2017, a significant growth from 121 million in 2012. The annually growth of tablet PCs is a rate of 28%.
