This IDC study forecasts and analyzes the worldwide media tablet market by region. It updates and supersedes Worldwide and U.S. Media Tablet 2011–2015 Forecast Update: December 2011 (IDC #232805, February 2012). It includes shipment, revenue, and ASP data for the 2012–2016 forecast period as well as segmentation by consumer versus commercial adoption, WiFi-only versus 3G/4G support, and operating system. Media tablets, as exemplified by Apple's iPad, are tablets that run a mobile operating system. As such, current Windows 7 and future Windows 8 tablets are not forecast in this document (they appear in the PC Tracker forecast).

"Amazon proved in 4Q11 that there is room in the media tablet market for players besides Apple," said Tom Mainelli, research director with IDC's Mobile Connected Devices service. "Now, Apple has launched its new iPad to exceptionally strong demand out of the gate. As these two giants watch shipment totals grow, the way forward becomes less clear for the other vendors in this market. Those hoping to find success in this market must strike now, before the opportunity is lost."