Third of iPad owners eschew apps

by Sarah Griffiths on 22 October 2010, 15:11

Tags: Nielsen

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qa2og

Add to My Vault: x

iSee

Around one third of iPad owners have not downloaded any apps for their tablet, despite it being one of the main selling points for such devices.

According to research by Nielsen, which surveyed 5,000 people in the US to find out how they use their ‘connected devices' otherwise known as tablets, e-readers and smartphones, 32 percent of iPad owners have not downloaded any apps, instead relying on those that came pre-loaded with their tablet.

Of the iPad owners that did download extra applications, the study found that 62 percent bought a game, while 54 percent paid for an e-book to read on their device.

It also found that a quarter of Americans own a smartphone, while 8 percent have a netbook, 6 percent an e-reader and just 4 percent currently own a tablet.

Interestingly it identified that tablets are less personal than smartphones, with 46 percent of people sharing a tablet. Just 34 percent of people share a smartphone, while the most share-able device is a games console, with 62 percent of people not owning their own.

The study also found iPad owners are more receptive to advertising and in general spend a longer amount of time with their content than iPhone users- perhaps because of the larger screen size.

As previous surveys have already hinted, Nielsen's study said that 63 percent of iPad owners tend to be under the age of 35 and two thirds of them are male. Apparently a quarter of iPad owners have incomes of over $100k and just over half have a bachelors degree or higher.

Perhaps dissimilarly, it identified that owners of Kindle e-readers are more likely to be female, with owners equally split between the sexes. There is also a slightly older owner base with 47 percent of Kindle owners under the age of 35. Kindle owners also seem to be slightly richer ad better educated, with 28 percent of owners raking in over $100k a year and 57 percent touting a bachelors degree or higher, according to the report.

Finally, the study found that advertising was not a huge problem for most users of ‘connected devices'. Almost 60 percent of respondents said they would happily put up with ads if it meant they got the content for free.



HEXUS Forums :: 4 Comments

Login with Forum Account

Don't have an account? Register today!
Did it also mention the fact 100% should have waited for a cheaper, more open alternative? ;)
no, it also failed to mention a third of ipad users just use twitter to say they've got an iPad before going to something that has the right aspect ratio for films, or something which can display webpages as you know, they should be.
TheAnimus
no, it also failed to mention a third of ipad users just use twitter to say they've got an iPad before going to something that has the right aspect ratio for films, or something which can display webpages as you know, they should be.

Maybe because there isn't anything else they can use that “just works”?
yeh my vaio P has never just worked, ever, once, in its entire life.

The reason I'm getting ready to drop kick my SQA-5H is because its taken effort, sure I can test a PSU, I've got a stupidly over powered fluke 123 for the job, but now its re-building the dynamic raid I can only hope. I don't want to know. I'm a geek who's been dealing with this type of gordoning all week and now I just cba. Time to play some more of RUSE followed by some CS gun games me thinks! If my P series ever did something like that it would find itself replaced so damned quickly.

My point is just works is subjective, an iPad can't view a film well enough for me to begin to tolerate, web on it just doesn't work any better than my phone and god damnit I'd never think to use it for reading a book on!

But hey, if it works for them thats fine, however I would still say that this shows that iPads could easily be a flash in the pan, a many million sold one, but plenty of people buy things and then seldom use them.