Only days after a
report anticipating a surge in tablet shipments, it's official:
Tablet display shipments topped laptops in October, said NPD DisplaySearch today.
"In a milestone for the global industry, in October tablet PC panel shipments exceeded those of notebook PC panels," NPD DisplaySearch
said today in a research note.
Because display panel shipments are always the leading indicator for device shipments, "it can be seen that tablet PCs are threatening to overtake notebooks," DisplaySearch said.
So, is this a snapshot of the laptop in decline or just a fluke?
Here's how DisplaySearch explains it:
- Inventory buildup in laptops: The notebook PC supply chain has some slow-moving inventory...and panel shipments declined by almost 4 million units from September to October.
- Shift to Windows 8: Notebook PC panel buyers bought fewer displays as they prepared for new Windows 8 designs.
- Tablet shipment surge: Tablet shipments soared to build inventory for the holidays.
