Dell prepares to enter Apple-dominated tablet market

PC vendor has a lot of work to do as Apple controls 95 per cent of market

Dell will struggle to match sales of Apple's iPad

Dell expects to launch a range of tablet PC models next year to take on the dominance of Apple’s iPad device.

According to research by Strategy Analytics, Apple's iPad currently holds 95 per cent of the tablet market.

The PC manufacturer has already taken a small step towards entering the tablet space with its hybrid smartphone/tablet PC product the Streak, but at an event in Hong Kong this week CEO Michael Dell revealed plans to break Apple’s stranglehold in this sector.

But how far it can dent Apple's market remains to be seen.

Data from research firm Strategy Analytics shows that the total tablet market grew to 4.4 million tablets in the July to September quarter, from 3.5 million in the previous quarter.

While the iPad is by far the most widely used tablet, those using Google’s Android operating system, such as Dell’s Streak and Samsung's Galaxy Tab, account for just 2.3 per cent of the market share and Strategy Analytics warned that Android, Microsoft, MeeGo, HP's webOS and RIM's BlackBerry all have to make up a lot of ground.