If punters are not giving their kidneys to get an iPad2 they are apparently buying locally made tablets, according to the latest DisplaySearch Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report.

Whitebox, or unbranded tablet PC players increased shipments from 567,000 units in last year to 1.9 million units at the beginning of the year. This represents a 235 per cent growth rate with China representing the largest market for whitebox tablet PCs. More than 44 per cent of worldwide shipments go behind the bamboo curtain.

Overall shipments of the tablet PC category were down 5.2 per cent from 10.2 million units to 9.7 million units. Apple remains the leader in the tablet PC market with a 54 per cent  share.

The growing size of the whitebox tablet PC market, with nearly a 20 per cent share in is being seen as a sign of increasing demand by the mainstream market for tablets. It is also an indication that people do not want to pay for a keyboardless netbook and are wanting something cheap and cheerful.