Tablet computers have only been around in their current guise for two years but their popularity in the consumer markets has meant that the Office of National Statistics has added the device to its national shopping basket used to measure the spend of UK consumers.

The organisation said that the devices were now making such an impact on the market that they needed to be included in its retail guide, particularly as they were accounting for much of the nation's spend on technology, in place of older devices.

"Developments in technology influence the basket update and in 2012 tablet computers (such as the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab) are being included for the first time," it said.

"This mirrors the evolution of computer equipment through desktop personal computers, laptops and now tablets, and they are being introduced to capture price changes in this rapidly expanding market."

With the new iPad set to be launched on Friday, and no doubt ready to fly off the shelves into the arms of grateful consumers eager to get their hands on the latest iDevice from Apple, the ONS's timing appears justified.

It wasn't just tablets that were added, though, with bundled communication packages - telephone lines, internet and TV services - also included, underlining the new way many consumers purchase digital services.

The inclusion of these services, as well as tablet computers, in the ONS's updated shopping list underlines just how central technology has become to the lives of the general public, both for use in the workplace and at home.

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.

RIM's woes have continued after the smartphone maker lost a senior product manager to major rival Samsung.

Ryan Biden, formerly a senior product manager for the BlackBerry PlayBook, defected to the Korean manufacturer, where he is now director of product marketing.

He is the second high-level executive to leave RIM in the past month, following Brian Wallace, who was vice president of digital media and is now vice president of strategic marketing at Samsung.

Biden's last official act was to help launch the PlayBook, which debuted to a mixed reception. The device was plagued by problems on release, and RIM had to embarrassingly admit that it had shipped 1,000 faulty models. However, the tablet appears to be back on track as RIM shipped 500,000 devices in the most recent quarter.

Still, RIM has been struggling with numerous problems over the past 12 months. The firm received scathing criticism from Morgan Stanley for ineffective R&D ahead of its financial results, which were below par.

The firm's shares plunged by 15 per cent in mid-June after it announced that profits were down $74m year on year.

Dissent within the RIM ranks was also confirmed by an anonymous high-level employee, who published an open letter outlining faults in the current management.

Among the criticisms were a poor management structure, a lack of focus on developers, and an accusation that the company is carrying too much dead wood.

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.