Tablet enthusiasm continues this year

The popularity of tablets and the enthusiasm for the devices shared by consumers and enterprises alike have driven the market to unprecedented heights this year, according to new research from JPMorgan.

The investment bank's Mark Moskowitz has revealed in a note to investors that he now believes that tablet shipments will reach 51.9 million units this year. Initially, Moskowitz had predicted sales of 46.1 million units in 2011.

He also revealed that Apple's iPad will continue to dominate the top spot in the market both this year and next. By the end 2011, Moskowitz said the iPad will enjoy a market share of 70.9 percent.

"Beyond the iPad, there has not been another high-volume tablet offering, yet. We are still awaiting the emergence of a clear number two player, though this may not happen until the launch of Windows 8 in [second half of] 2012," Moskowitz said.

According to a recent FierceMobileIT report, the purchase of tablets among enterprises figures to spike as soon as this fall, as the prices for the devices drop. Editor Lynnette Luna said the tablet price range could fall as low as $200 to $300.