AT&T Executive: Tablets Could Make Laptops Obsolete (ATT)

AT&T's ATT emerging devices president said this month that tablet computers could soon replace laptops as the mobile device of choice. “You’re going to see those 10-inch pieces of glass become full-on computers,” Glenn Lurie said in an interview this month in Atlanta. He said he expects there to be a variety of tablet computers costing $300 to $1,000 in the next five years, according to Bloomberg. Apple's AAPL iPad ranges in price from $499 to $829. Ralph de la Vega, chief executive officer of AT&T mobility, said in an interview in Atlanta that "There’s going to be a huge number of tablets, different sizes, different functions.” Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst at Forrester Research Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, echoed AT&T's forecasts. “Starting in 2012, tablets will outsell netbooks, and by 2014, more consumers will use tablets than will use netbooks,” Epps, referring to the smaller, less powerful laptop-style computers, said in a report this month. Shares of AT&T gained 0.22% Wednesday, to close at $27.00. Apple shares gained over 1%, to close at $242.89.