Tablet Sales Could Exceed PCs by 2013

Based on the current growth rate and sales of Apple's iPad, Google's Android tablets, and Microsoft's Windows 8 slates, tablets have the potential to outsell personal computers by the third quarter of 2013. Horace Dediu, author of Asymco blog, makes the bold prediction that the Apple iPad will lead the way, followed by Android tablets and Window 8 slates.

According to Dediu, Apple's Mac computer sales will continue to grow 25 percent per year, during yearly iPad sales are expected to double this year and the then. Sales of Android tablets, just as Amazon's Kindle Fire, are expected to grow 80 percent a year. In the final quarter of 2012, Windows 8 tablets are expected to account for 7 percent of all Windows PC sales, and will jump to 20 percent in 2013.

Due to innovations in software, tablet hardware is quickly improving and app developers are producing more processing power and graphic capabilities. Tablets like the Asus Transformer Prime are offering keyboard docks to facilitate input on the devices. OnLive desktop, which allows tablets to run an instance of Windows 7 through the web, doesn't require connection to a PC and simply connects to a cloud.