Media Tablet Shipments Reached 4.5M in 3Q2010

Media tablets were indeed the “promising new talent” they appeared to be, with some 4.5 million devices shipped during the third quarter of 2010, according to ABI Research’s latest report, “Netbooks, MIDs, Media Tablets, and Mobile CE Market Data”.

Of those, about 93 percent were Apple iPads. Senior practice director Jeff Orr comments, “Over time, Apple’s first-to-market iPad advantage will inevitably erode to some extent. ABI Research has been tracking media tablets since December 2009; future quarterly editions of this Market Data product will include market share tracking of all the major media tablet vendors.”

eBooks
eBook reader vendors continued to do well in their market, bringing new products to consumers in time for the 2010 holiday shopping season. “The U.S. continues to be the leading market for eBook readers,” says Orr, “and the three top vendors, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Sony, are comfortably maintaining their top positions in it.”

Barnes & Noble introduced a color version of its Nook reader – the first color model from a leading vendor – while Amazon debuted a third-generation Kindle. Along with their new capabilities, these products also introduced lower MSRPs than earlier generations of devices.

Netbooks
The first half of 2010 was slow for netbooks, as relatively few new products were introduced. However, Orr points out, “The third quarter saw PC OEMs again breathe life into the segment by introducing new platforms that offered dual-core processors, and lighter/thinner devices with significantly better performance, sleek styling, and visual appeal.”

ABI Research