Tablets sales to surpass 500 million, report says

The popularity of tablet computers has been unquestioned during the past several years, as consumers continue to push the market upward every time a new device is released. This trend, research firm BI Intelligence notes, will fuel market growth during the next several years, with shipments reaching 500 million units in 2015.

"The growth will be driven by falling prices combined with tablet penetration in the enterprise and education markets, as well as emerging markets," the report states.

Overall, the tablet market is expected to experience a 50 percent compound annual growth rate during the foreseeable future. Eventually, that will also push market revenue past the $100 billion mark.

Also during that time, the research states, tablets sales will surpass those of desktop and laptop PCs.

Adding to the expansion of the tablet market is the growing popularity of devices run on Google's Android™. Research firm Strategy Analytics reveals that Android's market share closed out 2011 at 39 percent, the highest it's ever been. Overall, global shipments of tablets reached nearly 67 million units last year.