Samsung might make a tablet at every imaginable screen size, but apparently the real key to competing with the iPad is to sell tablets for $99 — a recent NPD Group study found that HP is the country's second-leading tablet manufacturer thus far in 2011. The company sold 17 percent of tablets That translates to just 204,000 tablets sold, compared to 16 percent and 192,000 for Samsung's Galaxy Tab line. Much of HP's success is certainly due to the the $99 TouchPad fire sale, but it's not a good sign for Samsung that its entire multisize lineup is lagging behind a device canceled 48 days after its release.
It's worth noting that NPD's study doesn't include Barnes & Noble, which has repeatedly said the Nook Color is the second best-selling tablet on the market. It also ignores the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet, which could change the sales standings quickly as they hit the market for the holiday season. Either way, though, it looks like Samsung's smartphone prowess hasn't translated to larger screens.