Tablet computers top holiday wish list

SAN FRANCISCO -- Despite the gloomy economy, shoppers are expected to shell out for tablet computers this holiday season, making them about as popular as candy canes and twinkling lights.

The glossy-screened gadgets are the most-desired electronics. And of all the gifts people are craving, tablets are second only to clothing, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. The industry group expects U.S. consumers to spend an average of $246 on electronic gifts, including tablets.

To be sure, tablets were on some wish lists last year, but they were mostly prized by gadget geeks. In the past year, they have become more mainstream. Consumers have become comfortable using touch screens, especially as smartphones continue to proliferate.

For some people, the tablet has become indispensable for playing and working. While you can surf the Web, send emails and watch movies on a laptop or smartphone, consumers are gravitating to tablets for their portability and screen size.

According to the tech research firm Gartner, of nearly 64 million tablets expected to be sold worldwide this year, 47 million will be iPads.

Two of the most promising competitors come from online retailer Amazon.com and book seller Barnes & Noble. The companies, major players in the e-reader market, recently released tablets of their own that undercut the iPad's $499 base price: Amazon's Kindle Fire, $199, and Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet, $249.

Tom Mainelli, of the research group IDC, expects the Fire and Nook Tablet to take second and third place, respectively, behind the iPad in the fourth quarter. He believes the success of newer tablets will help expand the entire tablet market.

Plenty of shoppers will be looking for a more affordable tablet to give this year, especially amid deals on Black Friday: Both Best Buy and Staples are marking down their 16GB BlackBerry PlayBooks to $199. Best Buy also offers the 16GB, 10.1-inch Asus Eee Pad Transformer for $249.99; 8GB, 7-inch Acer Iconia, $189.99; and 16GB, 7-inch Dell Streak, $159.99. Staples is offering the 16GB, 10.1-inch Acer Iconia for $299.