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1 in 3 Americans to Use a Tablet by 2014

About 90 million Americans, almost 35% of all Internet users, will use but not necessarily own a tablet by 2014, according to eMarketer. It predicts that by the end of 2011, 33.7 million Americans will use a tablet device at least monthly.

Optimists about digital media that we are at The Online Reporter, we thought the numbers might be higher.

Many homes have one tablet that’s shared, but that will change as low-cost tablets like the $200 Kindle Fire come to market. eMarketer agrees and says it believes that as tablet adoption continues, less growth will come from sharing and more from buying new ones. In the end, it said, tablets may become more like smartphones with one user and little if any sharing.

The iPad will continue its reign, according to eMarketer. It said the number of iPad users in the States will more than double between this year and 2014, from 28 million to 60.8 million. It said that by 2014 iPad users will still account for 68% of the overall US tablet audience.