Microsoft tablet with Windows 8 and Windows RT will be a distant third with only 2.8 and 1.9% of deliveries, viewed separately by operating systems. IDC said that we can expect 93 to 89 million of Android tablets more than iPads already this year.

According to the same analysis, Microsoft will by 2017 with both of these types of tablets reach about 10% of the market and 7.4% for the tablet with Windows 8, or maybe even newer version of Windows that could be available at that time, and 2.7% for Windows tablets with RT. They expect increase from 172.4 million to 190.9 million of tablets in total sold this year.

[Ed - this event was not supposed to happen until 2016 according to some alayst's predictions. Of course these are the same analysts that predicted Apple stock would hit $100 per share this year. We were not terribly surprised to see Android outpace Apple this year as it was bound to happen with the way that Android and their partners were bringing out compelling products at much lower prices. That is something that is hard to get arround for too many consumers. We expect Apple to gain some ground back when they have their 2013 launches, but they are still going to play a retreating game as they simply cannot face the full competition that is out there and as their law suits are starting to ruin their course it will only get worse for Apple.]

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