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Microsoft's Surface isn't quite taking over the Web, study shows

A survey shows that users of Microsoft's tablet generate only 0.13 percent of North American tablet traffic, indicating slow initial uptake of the device by consumers.

Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
Shara Tibken
2 min read
Google Nexus tablet users are generating more than seven times the Web traffic of the Microsoft Surface. Chitika
Microsoft's Surface tablet isn't quite taking over the Web in terms of traffic, a new study showed.

Chitika, an advertising network that tracks online traffic, decided to compare usage of Surface versus Google's new Nexus line of tablets by sampling tens of millions of tablet impressions from its ad network in the U.S. and Canada from November 12 to 18. What the company found is that Surface is barely making a dent in terms of traffic from tablets.

Only 0.13 percent of North American tablet traffic came from Surface, which hit stores in late October. Chitika asserts that this indicates slow initial uptake of the device by consumers, at least prior to Christmas.

Microsoft's Surface tablet Microsoft
"While the jury is still out in terms of the Surface's long-term success in the domestic market, these stats point to Microsoft still having a good amount of ground to make up against current competitors," Chitika's Andrew Waber said.

Google Nexus users, meanwhile, are generating more than seven times the Web traffic of the Surface. But they also had a head start, with the original Nexus 7 debuting this summer.

Chitika said the gap between Nexus and Surface users will likely narrow. The company expects a clearer picture of the device's long-term prospects following the holiday season.

Of course, together these two devices make up only about 1 percent of tablet traffic. What about the other 99 percent?

According to Chitika, Apple's iPad accounts for 88 percent; Amazon's Kindle Fire, 3.6 percent; and Samsung's Galaxy, 2.4 percent. The remaining percentage is a combination of seven other brands of tablets.

Update at 9:40 a.m. PT: Web traffic information of other tablets has been added..

Watch this: Unboxing the Microsoft Surface tablet