Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad Drawing Mixed Estimates Says DigiTimes

A report from DigiTimes says tablet sales could be under pressure as a result of consumers deciding to wait for the release of the second-generation Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad tablet computer.

DigiTimes said, "Since consumer demand for tablet PCs is still limited, while most upstream and downstream players are over-optimistic about the market, tablet PCs may see a sharp drop in demand as soon as the third quarter of 2011, after a big battle in the second."

Analysts' estimates vary widely for iPad tablet sales, with some like
Needham & Company seeing only 18 million iPads being shipped in 2011, while others believe they could sell as many as 48 million.

For the general tablet market, a number of analysts estimate overall sales to reach a range of 45 million to 55 million in 2011, equal to about the iPad estimates of some themselves.

DigiTimes extracted their data primarily from overseas suppliers to draw their conclusions.