Tablet Shipments To Reach 383.3 Million By 2017, 46% In Emerging Markets

Post-PC era? Here we come: According to new data from NPD, tablet PC shipments are expected to grow from 72.7 million units in 2011 to 383.3 million units by 2017. For comparison purposes, worldwide PC shipments for 2011 were 352.8 million, after seeing a 6% decline in Q4. While those numbers are remarkable enough on their own, what’s really interesting is where much of the growth will come from: the emerging market. Emerging markets are expected to account for up to 46% of worldwide shipments by 2017, up from the 36% share in 2011. “The emerging market opportunity for tablets has been flying under the radar mainly because the device brands aren’t household names and there are concerns regarding the sustainability of the market,” says NPD Senior Analyst Richard Shim. But the…