Sales estimates range from 35 million to 100 million, with the biggest slice going to Apple
In his debut performance in this week’s Barron’s, where he replaces the venerable Eric Savitz (now at Forbes), Tiernan Ray provides a useful round-up of Wall Street tablet sales estimates for 2011.
Only trouble is, the estimates vary so widely you don’t whether to laugh or cry.
On the low end, Citigroup estimates sales of 35 million, three quarters of them Apple (AAPL) iPads.
On the high end, DigiTimes has Apple and Foxconn ramping up production to ship 70 million tablets next year, while the rest of the pack prepares to ship another 30 million.
Splitting the difference, Craig Berger, who follows Intel (INTC) for FBR Capital Markets, has Apple selling 40 million and the others selling 30 million.
The big loser could be the traditional PC, according to Ray. Citigroup estimates that that the sale of 35 million tablets reduce PC sales by 11 million units. Berger estimates 1 less PC sold for every 2.5 tablets, which by his count would reduce 2011 PC sales by 28 million units.
You can read Ray’s column here.
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