Tablets may sound death knell for e-readers
Shipments of 3G tablets are expected to grow from 3.65 million this year to 50 million by 2014, according to projections from research firm Informa Telecoms and Media.
Multifunctional devices such as the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab combine the best features of smartphones and netbooks, and are likely to surpass sales of dedicated e-readers, according to Informa.
"We are seeing the same kind of interest in tablets now that we saw two years ago for e-readers," said David McQueen, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media. “While the iPad may not be as ideally suited to reading as a dedicated e-reader, many users find that it works well enough, in addition to its many other functions. It would be surprising to see people buying both an e-reader and tablet."
