In August, Dallas-based research firm Parks Associates surveyed more than 500 Americans who owned an iPad or planned to buy one soon. More than one-third said Apple's tablet had caused them to delay or cancel plans to buy a laptop.

But tablets probably aren't going to render laptops extinct, said Harry Wang, Parks Associates' director of mobile and health research.

"The tablet would definitely cannibalize sales of netbooks and laptops," he said, noting that many desktop PC owners are replacing hulking towers with portable computers. "But to kill the two categories, I think the risk of that is very low."

All that competition and innovation in the tablet business means that while laptops might be spared for now, they could eventually be deposed in the same way desktop computers are now being dispatched.

"Beyond five years, I think the tablet definitely has potential to replace the laptop completely," Wang said.

From the article, "Tablets such as iPad cast a shadow of doubt over laptops" by Victor Godinez

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