Nielsen at the end of last week produced a survey of more than 5,000 consumers who already own a tablet computer, eReader, netbook, media/games player, or smartphone, and there’s some interesting reading.
It seems that although the iPad is incredibly succesful there are still a few owners – nearly 1 in 10 – who just don’t download any apps on the device, presumbaly they’re either using it as a web browser, it’s a development machine, or it’s an unwanted gift.
Those that did download apps are downloading a similar list of apps as those who own iPhones apart from a few notable exceptions. Games are the top category, which is surprising as we wouldn’t consider the iPad as a games platform but it obviously is in iPad users eyes. Next up in the list is the first notable exception and that’s Books which is what we would expect from an iPad user. The next exception is Shopping, with 45% of the paid apps. There’s obviously something about the move from the iPhone mobile form factor to the iPad that gives users just enough confidence to want to buy something. Is it the ability to see things reasonably clearly on the bigger screen rather than squinting and guessing?
Nielsen also found that Apple iPad users are younger and more of them are male than tablet, ereader and other connected devices
65% of iPad users were male, and 63% are under the age of 35, where as Kindle users were 52% male, and 47% under the age of 35. However Kindle users are slightly wealthier, and better educated with 28% with incomes of $100k or more, and 57% have a bachelors degree or higher, where as 25% of iPad users have incomes of $100k or more, 51% have a bachelors degree or higher.
A further list of findings can be found here