Though Steve Jobs says the iPad offers the best way to surf the web, a recent survey from Google’s AdMob says more people are using tablets for gaming.
Survey Results:
What this means
In addition to the results above, the survey found that 82% of tablet owners are using their tablets at home, 62% at night — a perfect time for recreation. So you’d expect tablet usage on the weekend to also be high, but 69% of respondents said they use their tablets more during the weekday. How much more is unknown.
Based off this data, a stereotypical tablet user spends most of their time gaming, searching and emailing after the typical workday, leaving their tablets idle on the weekends.
Tablets, of course, are best suited as content digesters, not creators. This explains the reason why only 7% of tablets are used in the workplace. However, as tablets continue to evolve and compete in a larger market, that notion will likely change.
So, are tablets just toys for big kids?
The majority would say so. Only 28% have entirely replaced their primary computer with a tablet. And considering that PCs can do most of the same tasks as tablets, buying a tablet for anything other than games could be considered superfluous. Remember, portability is one of the biggest reasons for buying a tablet, but according to the survey, most are used domestically.
That’s not to say that tablets aren’t better for many tasks. 43% are using tablets more often than laptops or desktops, so there’s clearly a need for a tablet’s functionality and ease of use. Even GameStop is considering a tablet.
Should Nintendo be worried?
To answer simply. They are. The first showing was Nintendo’s bashing of “garage developers“.
The big trick is, Nintendo has to convince you to buy their game system. Apple doesn’t. Apple was able to sell 15 million iPads last year (as a first-gen device); Nintendo sold about half the number of DSis. It’s interesting that gaming was never a top reason to buy an iPad.
It’s worth noting that gameplay on a tablet doesn’t quite match Nintendo’s systems. But, with the rise of casual gaming, more are in favor of tablets — even though the experience may be less engaging. It’s similar to the growing trend of people watching compressed videos on YouTube, than on their high-quality home theater systems. Looks like another win for the convenience over quality debate.
[via The Guardian]