Apple iPad driving tablet sales bonanza

The iPad is due in the UK from 7 June

Nearly eight million media tablets will be sold this year driven by huge demand spurred by Apple's iPad, according to IDC.

The analyst firm expects huge market growth for this relatively new technology, predicting sales to reach 46 million by 2014, equating to an annual growth rate of 57.4 per cent.

IDC believes that the market for media tablets will be driven by the number and variety of unique applications and services created specifically for these devices, in much the same way that Apple's App Store has been a major driver behind the iPhone's success.

"These are early days for media tablets, an altogether new device category that takes its place between smartphones and portable PCs," said Susan Kevorkian, a programme director at IDC.

"IDC expects that media tablets will evolve beyond nice-to-have devices and become necessities for many consumers."

The analyst added that the touchscreen displays, tablet form factor and connectivity will make them popular for content consumption, in particular digital magazines, books, video and games.

Apple sold a million iPads in the US within a month of its 3 April launch, less than half the time it took the iPhone to achieve similar sales.

The iPad has been available to pre-order in the UK since 10 May, but the shipping date has now been pushed back from 28 May to 7 June.