Detachable tablets such as the Surface Book and the iPad Pro are on the ascent

Multiple industry trade reports point at a decreasing trend in tablet sales, with a parallel increase in the performance oriented detachable tablet sales. Surface sales have exceeded expectations in the past year, while Apple tablets have surpassed even Surface sales . Computer World uses a report by 1010data to draw a picture of a rosy future for the Surface series of tablets with a focus on office oriented use, and convenience. While the 1010data report is yet to get a complete release, a previous report by IDC paints a similar picture, only including all detachable tablets as productivity tools, instead of just the Surface range from Microsoft. Tablets are primarily entertainment devices, meant for watching movies or surfing the web. They are too heavy for intense and long gaming sessions, although single screen multiplayer titles are fun. Detachable tablets with a keyboard offer much more added functionality. These devices move in the space of laptops, when it comes to productivity, and can also switch to a dedicated multimedia consumption or entertainment device with the detachment of a keyboard. The IDC report paints a clear picture of a transition away from tablets to detachable tablets. Pure slates saw a decline of -21 percent in sales, which is the largest ever annual decline so far. Detachable tablets, however saw more than 200 percent increase in sales.