Tablets are big business, and getting bigger by the month. Latest figures show that tablet shipments increased by 331% this year, with Apple getting the lion’s share with 64% of the market.

Launching a tablet to compete with the iPad 2 is a brave thing to do. Launching a tablet that costs quite a bit more than an iPad 2 is braver still. Launching a tablet that costs twice the price of an iPad 2 makes us wonder if the company concerned has lost its mind.

The iPad 2 goes on sale in the UK this Friday, but stocks could be limited – and they could be limited for some time. There are two key reasons why experts predict a shortage of iPad 2s: extraordinary demand (not least because the iPad 2 is cheaper than its predecessor), and world events.

The machine that kick-started the entire tablet computing revolution is back, and it’s better than ever: the iPad 2 has a better processor, better graphics, better design and hugely entertaining covers. If we were making tablet computers, we’d be furious: Apple has taken a winning formula and refined it without upping the price or cutting any obvious corners. So does the iPad 2 raise the bar?

The tablet that kick-started the tablet revolution is about to be replaced, but it’s still comfortably ahead of many rivals – and Apple’s ongoing software updates mean it’ll stay fresh for some considerable time to come.

Tablets will be everywhere this year. Where 2010 was largely about tech firms promising tablets that didn’t turn up, 2011 is when the big hitters will actually ship. So what’s worth getting excited about?