Non-PC Smartphones and Tablets to Flourish in 2011, Says IDC

IDC has released its predictions for 2011.  It predicts that mobile
computing - on a variety of devices and through a range of new
applications - will continue to explode in 2011, forming another
critical plank in the new industry platform.  Smartphone sales will increase 22 percent next year with 330 million to be sold.

IDC expects shipments of
app-capable, non-PC mobile devices (smartphones, media tablets, etc.)
will outnumber PC shipments within the next 18 months, and there will
be no looking back.

IDC reported that the media tablet sales will reach 42 million in 2011
with Apple's iPad leading the market.  IDC predicts that half of the 2.1
billion people who regularly use the Internet will do so using non-PC
devices.

While vendors with a PC heritage will scramble to
secure their position in this rapidly expanding market, another battle
will be taking place for dominance in the mobile apps market.  The level
of activity in this market will be staggering, with IDC expecting nearly
25 billion mobile apps to be downloaded in 2011, up from just over 10
billion in 2010.  Over time, the still-emerging apps ecosystems promise
to fundamentally restructure the channels for all digital content and
services to consumers.