With forecasters hard at work on predicting the trends we're bound to see in 2013, it's only natural that tech would figure majorly into their reports. Since this industry now makes up so much of the economy, there is big money in accurate predictions.

One of the major questions that these industry analysts are facing while looking out over the coming year is whether tablet devices - and specifically the iPad - will replace laptops completely this year.

And with its vast capabilities, light weight, sleek looks and comparatively lower price, it's no wonder that businesses are eager to add these tablets into the mix. Still, many professionals depend on their laptops for a number of functions, particularly those that require security.

With most businesses eager to remain at the forefront of technology, iPads are an excellent way of letting consumers and investers know that they're in the know. We saw this during the election, when both President Barack Obama and his challenger, Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, preferred iPads for most of their computing needs on the campaign trail.

According to David Johnson, an analyst at Forrester, the security question still hangs in the balance, and while iPads are undeniably useful in businesses, most companies are currently supporting them in addition to laptops, rather than choosing one or the other.

Still, Johnson thinks that app development will continue to advance over the next year, until IT professionals can trust these revolutionary tablets for the kind of duties only laptops are capable of performing. Sheila Jordan, a vice president at Cisco, told CIO that they would be looking to have them replace laptop and desktop computers in the workplace just as the enterprise support grows.