That may sound like a rather silly question and you may answer that it is a tablet, of course. But, if you think about it, the iPad can be many things to many people, depending on why it is purposed. And given the fact that Apple needs to carve out a market for it, it is likely that many buyers are using the iPad to replace something else. And that is the core of the question: What is the iPad – and what is it to most people? If you know the answer, you may have a good idea what apps you should be developing to target iPad users.
So take a guess: Is it the Internet browsing device that was demonstrated by Steve Jobs? Or is it a gaming device?
It turns out that a market research firm, Resolve, has looked at exactly that question and has come up with some interesting numbers.
49% of people in the survey, and owners of an iPad, said that, because of the iPad, they would not buy an e-reader as a result. 38% said they would not buy another portable gaming device and 32% said they would not buy a netbook as a result. Conceivably, most people see in the iPad a great e-reader and portable gaming device. However, 60% said that the best mobile gaming device would be a “portable gaming device” and only 23% pointed to the iPad. 8% mentioned that a smartphone offers the most enjoyable mobile gaming experience. The implication seems to be clear: Despite the fact that Amazon’s Kindle is generally considered to be the better e-reader, the iPad is invading its turf and the Kindle may need to drop further in price.
Resolve also looked into the purchase decisions – and what made people buy the iPad. 56% of buyers are looking for entertainment and 42% simply think the iPad is “cool”. The iPad is generally see as an “expensive toy” and a “breakthrough technology” device. Reasons for not buying the iPad currently include its price and the fact that people simply do not know what to do with it. 37% of iPad buyers do not own any other Apple products, Resolve said. 49% own an iPod, 24% an iPhone and 16% a Macbook.
Books and games appear to be the biggest opportunities on the iPad, if Resolve is correct.