iOS devices get all the Apple love (and media attention) these days, but there's plenty of room for Mac growth. And it will happen.

In 2011, the UK computer hardware market was estimated to have increased by 1.5% on the previous year, according to new data by Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com). This growth represents the second consecutive year of growth for the computer hardware market, following declining trading conditions in the sector during 2009, notes the research group.

Currently, the largest sector in the computer hardware market is personal computers, with relatively strong growth exhibited in recent years. Similar growth rates have also been experienced in the servers sector of the market, although the segment is relatively small in comparison to the personal computer sector.

However, the peripherals and add-ons sector, which has experienced somewhat subdued growth in recent years, is expected to decline in the future, as an increasing number of products in this sector are integrated in desktops and laptops, such as the iMac, and Apple's entire range of portables.

The most significant trend currently affecting the market is the rapidly growing demand for portable computing, at the expense of desktops, says Research and Markets. In 2007, sales in the portable segment of the market overtook the desktop segment. While mobility has been the main driver of this trend, the performance of portables can now either match and even exceed that of desktops, adding to the appeal of such goods, according to the research group.

Mac sales have exceeded overall computer industry averages for 25 consecutive quarters. Look for that to continue with ever-increasing MacBook Pro and MacBook Air sales -- and the iMac remaining Apple's (and the industry's) hottest desktop model.

-- Dennis Sellers