Tablet sales take it on the chin during the first quarter of 2014

A report issued Wednesday by NPD reveals that for the first time ever, tablet sales are declining. For the first quarter of this year, tablet shipments were 56.3 million units. That is a decline from the 59 million slates that were shipped during the year ago quarter. Some analysts blame the 2013 holiday shopping season, which took the demand for Q1 2014, and moved it back to the fourth quarter of 2013.



Among the big names that shipped fewer tablets in the 2014 quarter are Apple, Google and Amazon. Apple shipped 16.1% fewer iPads in the period, while Google's decline was 44.6%. Amazon shipped ...