Most iPad buyers expect to ignore App Store
With the Apple tablet's release less than two weeks away, some people are already deciding what they will do with it once they have it in their hands.
As the April 3 launch of the iPad approaches, market researcher ComScore has found that consumers expect to use Apple's tablet mainly for surfing the Web and checking e-mail--not for rushing the App Store.
According to ComScore's survey of 2,176 "Internet users regarding their awareness, attitudes and opinions of the Apple iPad," 50 percent plan to surf the Web on it. That activity was closely followed by 48 percent saying they expect to use it for e-mail.
The top two activities were trailed by listening to music, reading books, and watching videos or movies, which tallied 38 percent, 37 percent, and 36 percent, respectively. ComScore also found that 35 percent plan to store and view photos on the iPad.
Ironically, not all activities available to iPad owners attracted respondents. ComScore found that just 26 percent of future iPad owners are likely to download applications from Apple's App Store, while 36 percent are actually unlikely to do so.
And although Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch have been successful gaming devices, ComScore reported 44 percent of respondents as unlikely to "play action, strategy, role playing, first-person shooter games."
ComScore also delved into what consumers really want out of their iPads. The company found that the most-desired iPad feature is the option to run multiple programs at the same time, with 43 percent checking that box. (It does not.) A whopping 37 percent of respondents wished the iPad had a screen the same size as a "laptop or desktop computer." (It features a 9.7-inch screen.)
Finally, ComScore found that the iPad and Amazon.com's Kindle e-reader are well known in consumer circles. The company said that 65 percent of respondents knew about both the iPad and the Kindle. So far, 6 percent of the surveyed group have bought a Kindle, while 1 percent have pre-ordered an iPad.
Going forward, ComScore found that 14 percent of respondents plan to buy a Kindle, while 15 percent expect to pick up an iPad.