Global Tablet Shipments to Overtake PCs by 2015, IDC Says

Global shipments of tablets will eclipse personal computers in 2015, as consumers flock to lower-priced and smaller alternatives to Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPad, market researcher IDC said.

Tablet shipments are projected to grow 45 percent from this year to reach 332.4 million in 2015, compared with an estimated 322.7 million for PCs, according to Framingham, Massachusetts-based IDC. PC shipments may decline 7.8 percent this year, the worst annual drop on record, the researcher said, a revision from its prior projection for a 1.3 percent decrease.