Samsung's much anticipated iPad rival the Galaxy Tab 10.1 has just gone on sale a day early at Currys and PC World's Tottenham Court Road store, attracting a horde of eager customers.

The tablet has been on pre-order at the stores since 25 July, and is available in a Wi-Fi version exclusively at PC World for a month, the retailer said.

Priced at £399, the Tab 10.1 got a favourable four star review from V3 on its release in the US in May, when we rated it a good alternative to the iPad that existing Android and Google Apps customers will enjoy using.

The tablet has a 2-megapixel front and 8-megapixel rear facing camera, a high quality 10.1in 1,280x800 screen, a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor and 1GB RAM. Connectivity-wise there is Edge and GPRS for on-the-go browsing as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a battery capable of lasting nine hours.

The Tab 10.1 also ships with tablet-optimised Android Honeycomb and, unlike the iPad, will can display Flash content.

Judging by pictures of the queue posted to Twitter this afternoon, the launch has attracted quite a few Galaxy Tab fans, although nothing on the same scale as the iPad 2 launch. At the time of writing, Currys said it had 70 black and 69 white models in stock and does not expect to sell out tonight.

The device is, of course, controversial as it is at the centre of a patent infringement suit in the US. Apple has requested a preliminary injunction in an attempt to stop Samsung making, using, importing and selling various devices including the Tab 10.1.

Around three quarters of tablet owners purchased their device to be used in addition to a computer, but buyers will increasingly look to replace their PCs with tablets, according to YouGov's latest TabletTrack study.

One in 12 tablet owners bought a tablet instead of a laptop or desktop, the research revealed. Interestingly, 11 per cent of Samsung Galaxy Tab owners and seven per cent of iPad owners purchased their devices as replacements for larger devices.

However, YouGov expects more people to substitute their desktop machines with tablets as the price of the form factor continues to drop in 2011. The research firm also predicted that £250 will be the optimal price to attract those who have never owned a tablet.

Meanwhile, some 13 per cent of the 4,271 UK respondents are 'seriously' considering buying a tablet, and two thirds of potential buyers know which device they will opt for, YouGov added.

Netbooks are likely to be the first casualty as the tablets flood the market, Marek Vaygelt, head of consumer, technology and telecoms consulting at YouGov, told V3.co.uk.

"Users who are looking to replace their netbooks and laptops are going to find tablets an attractive alternative this year," he said.

"Hybrid devices will also be interesting as they will attract business users, but ultimately it is down to how devices are distributed."

The challenge for Apple's rivals will be to compete against the company's high brand awareness among consumers, Vaygelt added.