Gartner predicts 63.6m media tablet sales in 2011

iPad expected to take 73.4 per cent share of them as rivals lag behind.

The latest analyst firm to issue its predictions for the tablet market is Gartner, which expects 63.6 million slates to be sold this year. And yes, that's sold to actual people as opposed to merely shipped to retailers.

The figure would represent a 261.4% increase on tablet sales in 2010, when Gartner estimates 17.6 million were sold. Meanwhile, the company's crystal ball is telling it that in 2015, 326.3 million tablets will be sold.

How is that competition to Apple's iPad coming along? Well, Apple's market share is expected to be less this year than in 2010, but it's still the dominant device. Gartner thinks Apple's 83% share last year will fall this year, but only to 73.4%, and it'll remain over 50% until 2014.

"This is because Apple delivers a superior and unified user experience across its hardware, software and services," says research VP Carolina Milanesi. "Unless competitors can respond with a similar approach, challenges to Apple’s position will be minimal."

She also points to Apple's planning for component supplies, including memory and screens, which is giving it an advantage over rivals.