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Google Survey: Tablets Becoming Primary Entertainment Hub Over Television, PCs

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A new survey from Google Mobile looked to find out just how popular tablets were up against more traditional forms of computing and entertainment. We’ve already heard about desktops and laptops losing share due to tablets becoming people’s device of choice, but television is a new one.

77% of those surveyed said their PC use dropped after they got their dream tablet, while 43% of that 77% said that their tablet has replaced their desktop and laptop computers as the device they use the most. For the television portion, over a third of those polled said they use their tablet more than they watch TV.

That’s not the least bit surprising considering tablets are mobile and televisions, well, aren’t. (For the most part, anyway. And it’s worthy to note that television can be watched on a tablet.) 28% of respondents say their tablet is their primary computer – meaning they don’t rely on any other piece of machinery to do whatever it is that they need to do. 84% of those surveyed say they use their tablet to play games – again, not surprising. For more details on the results, head on over to Google’s blog now.

Quentyn Kennemer
The "Google Phone" sounded too awesome to pass up, so I bought a G1. The rest is history. And yes, I know my name isn't Wilson.

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26 Comments

  1. What in the world is a …. Tee….. Vee….?

  2. This is definitely good to see. I’ll admit, I was worried that tablets would go the way of the netbook, but it seems like they’re really catching on. Thank you Apple for convincing people to buy something they didn’t think they needed, and thank you Google for making it better. Now, who will be the first to flame me for thanking Apple for anything?

      1. And I shall also

        1. D’awwwwwww.

  3. utter bullshit

    1. Perhaps you’d like to present some facts then?

      1. considering, I have a tablet and as much as I like it, until there are enough apps worthwhile, it won’t replace in large quantity the other devices as the survey says. Now put some dyamite apps on it then this survey maybe more valid

        1. It’s not just about the apps. It’s harder to type paragraphs and paragraphs on a tablet. It’s harder to enjoy a full length movie on a 10 inch screen.

          1. Also, I cannot imagine using spreadsheets with cells upon cells of calculations on a Tablet. It’s just not practival.

      2. i dont need to, common sense says its bullshit

  4. Come on.

    This is a self reported survey targeted at people that just bought a tablet. OF COURSE they’re going to say they’re using it like crazy.

    1. You’re correct.

      If the survey asks these questions again in two months, their answers will be a lot more accurate since the “newness” factor will be gone by then.

  5. Although this is true about tablets, I still think it’s smarter to have only a smartphone and a laptop than a smartphone, a laptop, and a tablet.

    With my Evo, the screen is big enough to enjoy watching videos, and it can do anything that a tablet can do.

  6. It would also be wise to state who was being polled. If the survey was staged among a diverse cross section of people who may or may not use their tablet regularly.

    Also, this survey says nothing of the participants’ habits previous to owning a tablet. Did they ever read paper books, listen to the radio, have a smartphone, or watch TV?

    Lastly, the survey does not detail what the users are actually doing with their tablets. Do they ready books on the tablet rather than paper, listen to music, watch tv, surf the web, etc.?

    This survey leaves too many variables unaccounted for making it meaningless.

    1. There are all kinds of problems with the survey. For example, if you pick up the mobile lots of times but only use it for a few minutes or seconds at a time, you may feel that you’ve used it longer than other devices but you actually didn’t.

  7. I don’t see how people are using tablets over desktops and laptops. I mean I plan on getting a laptop in the coming weeks even tho I have a Nook Color which I transformed in to a tab

  8. I work in market research and do studies similar to above, and the way the question was worded essentially led people to those results. The results are skewed based on poor question wording.

    1. I’m a usability researcher and DON’T do “studies” similar to this one because it’s pointless; what people *say* is rarely an accurate (or even semi-accurate) portrayal of what they *do* or will do in a given situation.

  9. As a tablet owner I definitely use it way more than my laptop or desktop

  10. Although I think it’s cool.. and I applaud what is being done with tablets.. They haven’t gotten me to actually purchase one yet.. I have “envisioned” what it would be like if I took the plunge and bought one, and sorry to dispute the article, but I see it differently (for me at least).. It’s a lifestyle thing, and right now a tablet would not be a practical fit “for me”.. I could get one “just because”, but I think I’ll save my money for now.. In the future who knows.

  11. Pareto principle usually applies. It’s the 20% that you do on a computer that is really important. 80% of the time you are doing stupid stuff such as responding to trolls on forums.

  12. Another revolution in technology!!..

  13. This survey is a crock of shyte. Most people use their ipad to do an odd bit of web surfing or catch up on some reading. Beyond that, I ain’t gonna throw out my laptop and PC any time soon.

  14. i shall also join u

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