In the Taiwan market, nearly 70,000 tablet PCs were sold in both May and June, more than the corresponding sales of notebooks, according to local retail channels. Of tablet PCs sold in May and June, 60% were iPads and 40% were Android-based models.
In the same months of 2011, Taiwan's tablet PC sales were only around 20,000 units each month with Apple's iPad accounting for more than 80% of the sales.
Research firm NPD DisplaySearch has also recently estimated that total global tablet PC shipments will reach 416 million units by 2016, surpassing global shipments of notebooks at a volume of around 393 million units.
Although notebook players are hoping that Windows 8 can trigger a new wave of notebook replacement, since Windows 8's touchscreen functions are expected to increase the cost of notebooks, it could push consumers to tablet PCs which can satisfy their basic needs, the sources noted.
Tablet PC sales in Taiwan surpass sales of notebooks
Photo: Michael Lee, Digitimes file photo
Article translated by Joseph Tsai
