Thinks devices like the iPad could 'change the entire PC ecosystem'.
Analyst firm Gartner predicts that up to 10.5 million tablet devices will ship this year - a figure that includes both 'traditional' tablets and new devices like Apple's iPad.
"Apple's iPad is just one of many new devices coming to market that will change the entire PC ecosystem and overlap it with the mobile phone industry," says principal analyst Ranjit Atwal.
"This will create significantly more opportunities for PC vendors as well as significantly more threats."
More widely, Gartner expects the number of PC shipments to increase by 19.7% to 366.1 million units this year - driven by the popularity of 'mobile PCs', which includes netbooks and tablets.
"We expect mobile PCs to drive 90 percent of PC growth over the next three years," says research director George Shiffler. "In 2009, mobile PCs accounted for 55% of all PC shipments; by 2012, we expect mobile PCs to account for nearly 70% of shipments."
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