There was another twist in the iPad vs Android punch and counter-punch today as a consumer survey indicated that 94.5% of respondents were interested in purchasing Apple’s ubiquitous iPad over an alternate tablet device.
The study by Robert W. Baird & Co took in the views of 1,100 individuals (mostly affluent American males), specifically asking which tablet(s) they were looking to pick up. In a somewhat surprising second place was HP’s TouchPad with 10.3%, while Motorola’s Xoom and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 occupied third and fourth place respectively (Although Samsung may see themselves disappear from the list of contenders pretty quickly if Apple get their way). RIM’s Playbook, which has suffered a negative response from pundits and consumers alike, got the thumbs up from a measly 3.8% of participants.
Around a month ago a study of tablet device usage based on browser popularity pegged iPad usage in the US at around 97%, however just last week another research firm claimed Android had already captured 20% of the iPad’s market share.
Although the figures differ depending on who you talk to, it is clear the complete dominance enjoyed by the iPad a year ago is beginning to slip. HP’s TouchPad has proved something of a dark horse. Although it seems to have accrued a decent amount of consumer interest the tablet gained mixed reviews, has seen its RRP drop by $100, and today reports have surfaced that Best Buy has warehouses full of unsold stock. More should be revealed when HP announce their quarterly earnings shortly.
Other devices that made it onto the survey’s results were the HTC Flier, which is attempting to differentiate itself from the pack with a stylus and custom-built pen input software atop an Android base, and Barnes & Noble’s successful Nook Color eReader / tablet.
