For the first time in a single year, tablets will ship in higher volumes than mobile PCs. More specifically, tablet shipments in 2013 will reach 231 million, compared to just 186 million units for mobile PCs. The latest estimates come from Strategy Analytics, which further says this is the beginning of a trend (tablets shipping more units than mobile PCs) that will continue through 2017. The firm notes Apple, Google, and Microsoft are in a three-way battle for the mobile computing device space, which now spans both x86 and ARM platforms, with the most popular operating systems being Windows, Android, and iOS. As the trio competes for consumer mindshare and dollars, Strategy Analytics expects Google to come out on top. By 2017, the firm estimates Google operating systems will account for over 40 percent of mobile computing device shipments.