At present Apple iPad commands roughly 80% of the media tablets market, but in the next couple of years Google Android operating system will become the leading operating system on tablets, believes Michael Dell, the head of Dell.

"Tablets are not really new, in the sense that the tablet PC idea has been around for a while. Obviously, more recent products have been much more successful. [...] [Android tablets will outpace iPads moving forward], not tomorrow. Not the next day. But again, if you look at 18 months ago, Android phones were like, 'What is that?' Now there are more Android phones than iPhones. I don't see any reason why the same won't occur with Android tablets," said Michael Dell, the chief executive of Dell, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Although Apple iPad tablets are tremendously successful now, Google Android-based tablets will be installed on many devices and will thus be more competitive than Apple iOS simply because end-users will have more options to choose from when it comes to Android.

It remains to be seen how fast will Google Android capture the market of tablets and whether competing proprietary operating systems from HP, RIM and others will be able to successfully rival the Android OS.

Michael Dell does not believe that tablets will generally replace PCs or smartphones. Given the fact that personal computers, cell phones and slates run different operating systems, the winner of the market will be the system that offers maximum compatibility with PCs or smartphones.

"What's interesting [is that] business users are not going to give up smartphones. Won't give up PCs. So now you have a PC, you have a smartphone and you have a tablet. Sounds pretty good. Industry growth," said Mr. Dell.

Tags: Dell, Android, Google, Streak, iOS