Gartner analysts are famous for making accurate predictions and speculating on things that turn out to be true. Honestly, it’s not very hard to speculate when it comes to Apple, so their latest effort in showing the future of the iPad isn’t very surprising. In a nutshell, they’re saying that the iPad is expected to keep ruling the tablet segment till 2014 at least.

While Apple’s market share is expected to drop in 2011, it’s still much bigger than its rivals’ and I’m talking tablets here. Also, the decrease isn’t that big: from 83% in 2010 to approximately 73.4% this year. However, a decrease is still a decrease and that’s how the Nokia decline started. You can’t really compete with the hundreds of Android tablets out there, most of them crappy, but still they’ve got the number on their side.

What Apple manages to deliver is a superior experience and an unified ecosystem across the desktop and portable solutions it sells, according to research VP Carolina Milanesi. Competitors have yet to launch a product that really deserves the overused “iPad killer” nickname. Only Samsung has been struggling with the giant, while companies such as HP, RIM or Motorola have failed to impress. I guess that we’ll have to wait and see how HTC’s Jetstream behaves and how well it sells, before making a final judgement.

One thing is for sure: the thing to look out for in 2011 is the launch of the Amazon tablet, that might finally put a dent in Apple’s domination. Also, let’s not forget about Windows 8, that will change the landscape of tablets in 2012… maybe.