Samsung, Others to Show New Tablets at CES

Samsung will show at the Consumer Electronics Show an iPad-sized tablet with a unique style of slide out keyboard, according to The New York Times.

The device will run Windows 7 in landscape mode but will switch to a special interface when in tablet mode (or in portrait mode, without the keyboard). The Samsung tablet will receive a formal introduction during Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s keynote address at CES, along with a new tablet from Dell and other suppliers.

Microsoft at CES, hopes to counter the iPad with business-use or work-horse devices for business people who want to both read newspapers and magazines on a tablet and switch over to Excel, Word or PowerPoint.

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Smartphones + Tablets Most Popular Consumer Electronic Products as Holiday Season Approaches

Parks Associates reports consumer electronics buying in the U.S. rebounded in the first half of 2010, with 63% of broadband households making at least one purchase, a rate 6% higher than in the first half of 2009.

Smartphones promise to be the highest selling product through the end of the year, fueled by both repeat and first-time purchases. Twenty-one percent of broadband households intend to purchase a smartphone by year’s end, according to the report Consumer Decision Process: 1H 2010 and 2010 Summer Update. Of those intending to purchase a new smartphone in the next four months, 28% report an iPhone preference, 23% want a Blackberry, and 20% want an Android-based phone.

The study found that, on average, buying households purchased 4.3 CE products and spent $1,094 in the first half of 2010. Smartphones were a top purchase across most demographic segments, particularly among younger consumers, and 3-4% of broadband households bought at least one Apple iPad tablet. The study also reveals that standard iPad buyers are typical early adopters – they are younger than 35 with a graduate degree and household income greater than $100,000.

Parks Associates is currently launching 2010 Holiday Intentions, which will provide incidence of product ownership and data on 3Q 2010 purchases and purchase intentions for the 2010 holiday season.