Tablet prices to fall

Computerworld.

The analyst firm also noted that as sales of tablets increase, the average price of the devices in 2015 will be about half of what it is today.

Price reductions are expected as electronics products are commoditised, but in this case Gartner is forecasting a significant rate of decline.

The Gartner report notes that in 2010, there were 17.6 million tablets, mostly Apple iPads, sold at an average price of $543 apiece. In 2011, Gartner expects 69.5 million tablets will be sold worldwide in a more competitive market. It expects an average sales price of $423.

Meanwhile, worldwide spending for IT is expected to rise at a faster rate in 2011, partly due to the growing tablet market, according to Gartner, notes MarketWatch.

Gartner forecast global IT spending to reach $3.6 trillion this year, up 5.6% from the year-earlier period. Previously, Gartner had projected an increase of 5.1%.

“The addition of media tablets, reinforced by an expected additional decline in the value of the dollar, accounts for the increase in top-line growth,” says Richard Gordon, research VP at Gartner, states The Register.

“Absent the addition of media tablets, the forecast would have slightly declined in constant-dollar terms; however, with their addition, there's virtually no change in underlying forecast growth at the level of overall IT.”