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Exploring the Market Segmentation of Tablet Owners


Multimedia tablet launches have received significant attention, but the excitement may be justified, and a recent eMarketer report explores the current user segmentation and usage satisfaction with these new consumer electronics devices.

According to a December 2010 market study by The NPD Group, current tablet owners are highly satisfied with their devices. More than two-thirds expressed satisfaction with Internet browsing and email experiences on their tablet.

Moreover, 60 percent of respondents said the same of social networking. An interesting note about usage; about three in 10 were doing these activities less often on their PCs as a result.

These satisfaction levels were higher than those of smartphone owners conducting the same activities.

Media Tablet Owner Segmentation

According to a September 2010 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, tablet ownership was most common among Millennials and members of Generation X, 5 percent of whom had an Apple iPad or similar tablet device.

The overall rate of adoption was just 4 percent, a figure that's likely to rise -- based on the excitement of current owners and the expressed plans of many other consumers.

Vision Critical found in a November 2010 study that 11 percent of U.S. adults who did not already have an Apple iPad were interested in purchasing one in the next six months. That was up from 9 percent who said the same in March 2010.

Once again, younger respondents had the greatest levels of interest in purchasing a tablet, at more than one in five.

eMarketer estimated in December that 24 million tablets, including 19.4 million iPads, would be sold in the U.S. this year -- more than doubling last year's sales figures.

Worldwide, eMarketer forecasts 43.6 million tablet sales this year, up from 15.7 million in 2010. Also, more than three in four tablets sold around the world is forecast to be an Apple iPad.

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