Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Blackberry are battling it out for M2M supremacy. Handling business and personal data has become important for people, and increasing mobility and convenience of computing device are helping individuals do so. Analysts predict that the era of personal computers is almost over and more compact devices like ultrabooks and tablets will take centre stage.

The increasing portability of work because of compact devices is also opening the door for M2M opportunities. People can now have more access to their work and home. Some can even choose to work at home for data transfer and correspondence have become easy.

ABI Research reported that over 39 million tablets were sold worldwide for the first quarter of 2013. This accounts for the second highest shipment volume to date - the final quarter of 2012 still holds the record for most shipped computing devices. With the increasing market for tablets, consumers and business throughout the world continue to look for the right digital product.

Blackberry has been trying to keep the fire burning, but the company reported that it only shipped around 100,000 Blackberry Playbook tablets. With the likes of Google Nexus, Microsoft Surface and iPad Mini coming out, Blackberry seem to be focusing on other things besides tablets. The company announced their venture into automotive and over-the-air software.

Another tablet in the works that analysts are paying close attention to is the Microsoft Surface. ABI reports that around 1.5 Surface tablets were sold in the first quarter. Several companies have also established a partnership with Microsoft releasing a range of tablets, adding to the overall audience and growth of the consumer base.

The tablet and other tech companies will battle it out in the Q3 of 2013. The competition over compact computing devices is growing stiffer by the day - Apple is gearing up to take the top spot as it will release another version of their iPad series.