The Top Use For Tablets: Gaming (STATS)

A survey conducted by Google's AdMob offers insights into what people are doing with their tablets, where, and for how long.

The statistics indicate that tablet owners are shifting their time away from TVs and PCs to consume more and more content on iPads, Galaxy Tabs, and other slate devices.

The most popular activity on tablets? Gaming, followed closely by search and email. The survey, which polled 1,430 people in the U.S. in March 2011, found that 84% of tablet owners play games on their tablets, 78% search for information, 74% use it for email, and 61% read the news. The two least popular activities, according to the survey, are shopping and reading e-books, with just 42% and 46% of users, respectively, say they use their tablets for these purposes.

Tablets are used mostly in the home, rather than at work, which perhaps explains why most people say they use tablets more frequently at night (62%) and during the week (69%). Eighty-two percent of the people surveyed said they use their tablets primarily at home, while only 7% use the devices mostly at work.

There has been considerable speculation that tablets will put PCs out of business. Apple CEO Steve Jobs predicted devices like the iPad would herald the start of a "post-PC world" and indeed the research indicates that users are trading PCs and TVs for tablets.

A third of respondents report spending more time using their tablet than watching TV, 59% say they spend more time using their tablet than reading a paper book, and 68% report they use their tablets at least an hour a day (38% spend over two hours).

Nearly a third of users, 28%, said their tablets served as their primary computer, with the vast majority, 77%, reporting decreased use of their desktop and laptop computers after acquiring a tablet.

The AdMob survey does not include which tablets the respondents were using. Though other tablets were available, Apple's iPad has claimed the lion's share of the market, with estimates ranging from 93 to 73 percent.

Download the survey (PDF) here.

What do you use your tablet for most? Where do you usually use it? Tell us below.

Comments

[Mgan Miles Alba]

01:50 PM on 04/12/2011

I'm a teacher and I've been using the iPad2 for my class lectures - it's replaced my Macbook Pro in that area. Keynote is great for creating lecture notes, and I love that I can email the presentation as a PDF to my students. I primarily use mine to create class lectures, check email, and read news articles. I think the news apps on the iPad have a much better interface than their full-service websites. We've also watched a few movies / tv shows on it. Overall, I'm pleased and can foresee it replacing many of the functions of my laptop as new apps develop.

[jfraser95]

03:03 AM on 04/16/2011

Don't try to upload that PDF to a website, though. Ain't gonna happen.

[annotate]

07:26 AM on 04/12/2011

I use my iPad 2 for browsing the Internet after going to bed with the TV going. It's nice to have when going to the city to look up availability of things I want to buy. Actually very useful. But the same could be said for a laptop.

[justandra]

09:05 PM on 04/11/2011

I'll admit I use it mainly for games (a game) Angry Birds. I'm hooked on it. I also read discussion sites/news sites and thats the main use. I haven't left on a minivation yet so until then I won't be watching movies or listening to music on it and no I still don't regret buying it. Its still new and too many people want to see it for me to have porn all on it, lol, people like to snoop. I already hide my email when people are looking at it w/o me standing over them.

[OnenessMedia]

04:28 PM on 04/11/2011

Gaming? lol I can't believe this ... I have an ipad and I mostly use it for porn and that's the truth , because the videos are crystal clear , my ipad makes punanis look like smooth pink beautiful flowers with no wrinkles or pimples ... People needs to hear the truth ... Most ipad users are pervs and freakks that why they don't use it at work lol ... it s better to use it at home when you are alone

[Pembrokelib]

03:44 PM on 04/11/2011

The IPad1 is my first computer and I love it. I don't play games but I use it for reading many newspapers, blogging, taking non credit college courses, listtening to the news commentator I prefer at any time, emailing many friends, seeing my grandchildren's photos on Facebook, watching both educational and funny videos on UTube, taking tests for fun, listening to TED, buying a few things that are a nuisance to shop for in person, looking at art exhibits, and watching an occasional TV show. And MORE! It's light, easy to hold and use, took only a few weeks to learn how to find things and sits next to me on my coffee table. I recommend it highly especially for 80 year old grandmothers like me who get bored alone during the formerly long winters. Maybe Apple would like to hire me for commercials!

[gregory57]

02:17 AM on 04/11/2011

Survey says..... Pornography!

[JamesBondQuixote]

12:28 AM on 04/11/2011

Anyone know if Myst is available for the Ipad?

[MrVee]

11:57 PM on 04/10/2011

DUH!! I told you that the day the first ipad dropped. All this talk about capturing the book market like people want this to do work. This was always going to be about entertainment. Not that there is anything wrong with it but it was folly to suggest the intent was for work.

[WoodsideCraig]

09:10 PM on 04/10/2011

I'm actually surprised that the top use isn't porn. Especially as you can spill liquids on it without damaging it. Perhaps that wasn't part of the survey?

[gregory57]

02:18 AM on 04/11/2011

You know its porn.

[WoodsideCraig]

10:41 AM on 04/11/2011

They just can't admit it.

[katzenfinch]

09:59 AM on 04/10/2011

We just ordered one at work to use for tracking inventory, like a digital clipboard that syncs wirelessly to the computer network. The project manager who is building a new store for us uses one instead of a laptop for email and to store drawings of the project. (People joke about using them as coasters, but the fact is if you spill coffee on an iPad it won't hurt it. Try that with a laptop.)

At home, I use mine primarily to consume content. To create content I use something else.

This whole computer-vs.-tablet argument is pointless. An oven can do everything a microwave does, yet some people use both while others use one or the other exclusively. So what?

[dubbleplusgood]

11:21 PM on 04/09/2011

lots of people play solitaire on their windows computers. does that mean the top use for computers is gaming?

[Mister President]

05:53 PM on 04/09/2011

Isn't this what the UPS guy uses when he needs me to sign for a package?

[crutnacker]

05:10 PM on 04/09/2011

Tablet computing is essentially phone computing for bad eyes. Love the iPad, but still isn't much more than a giant iPod touch.

[dmsdzinr]

03:02 PM on 04/09/2011

Expensive Food Trays?

[Robert Turner]

02:48 PM on 04/09/2011

Tablets, especially the iPad have established an essential role in our networked lives. It is just a matter of time before they saturate business, most likely replacing laptops first. Not many new initiates to iPad realize that it can run productivity applications. The key will be docking stations for tablets that make them emulate desktop or laptop environments then move to enterprise cloud computing. 4g / 5g networks will push this along as will separating entertainment content and non-entertainment bandwidth streams. Count on it.