One out of every five Americans plans to own a tablet by 2014, according to a survey conducted in November by Harris Interactive, a market research firm, and released today. The online survey, conducted in mid-November on about 2,300 adults, asked questions about business, social networking, and other uses of the device of both sexes and several age cohorts, and its findings amount to a demographic snapshot of tablet use in this country.
Nine million Americans currently own tablets–only about 3% of the current U.S. population. But the iPad and its cousins seems to have made inroads into the American psyche, at least, since fully 17% more intend to buy one in the next three years, according to the survey.
The results also prove out what some have noticed as a trend: the tablet as business tool. Of those who own or plan to own tablets, 40% of them intend to use it for business. The iPad is becoming, in effect, a jumbo Blackberry.
There’s apparently a slight gender divide among tablets, according to the data: More men than women say they’ll own a tablet inside of three years (26% vs. 18%). But of the women who do intend to get a tablet, more, proportionally, plan on using it for social networking than men (60% vs. 43%). And young folks are more likely than old folks to plan to get a tablet: Some 26% of people in the 18-34 cohort announced their tablet dreams, whereas just 15% of those over 55 said the same.
The poll also looked at how tablet usage breaks down (or would break down, among those who plan to buy). Here’s why Harris found:
