iPad: Who Will Use It and For What?
This study was conducted by Christelle Huyghebaert, a UX Consultant at our UXalliance partner Axance. This article is a translation done by User Intelligence; you can find the original article here.
With the iPad’s release in France, there are many surveys and studies attempting to predict the new ways of usage that arise because of this new product. Beyond both its intended and projected use, it is interesting to explore the symbolism and values associated with this new device and how they affect people’s intentions of buying an iPad.
Axance conducted an online survey with 400 Internet users, between the ages of 17 and 70 years. The results show that even if they all envision using the iPad in the same ways (browsing the internet, processing e-mail, watching videos), there are real differences between the ways different groups of respondents perceive the iPad. This suggests demographical differences in its ownership and actual use.
For People under 25, the iPad is an iPhone XXL
Surprisingly, the youngest group (under 25) appears more reluctant to buy: 37.5% answered "No" to "Are you planning to buy an iPad?”. Beyond the price factor, this could mostly be explained by the generation’s image of the new product. Indeed, for people under 25, the iPad is nothing but a larger version of the iPhone.
They certainly appreciate its design (mentioned spontaneously by 14% of them) and its touch screen (18%). However, for this generation that is accustomed to miniaturization, the size of the screen is rather seen as a disadvantage compared to the iPhone. The iPad is considered to be far less practical and less "nomadic".
The iPad: a Tablet for Thirty-Somethings?
It is a different story for people around 30. For this generation, the iPad competes not only with the iPhone, but also with the home computer. The tablet is regarded as an "additional screen,” complementary to (or a replacement of) other connected terminals in the home. Because of its mobility, the iPad combines the benefits of a Smartphone (including internet, e-mail, photo, video, music) with the pleasure experience of a large screen (better readability, vibrant colors).
With regards to the buying intention, thirty-somethings constituted the largest proportion of respondents intending to buy (40%), followed closely by 41 to 50-year-old respondents, and 51 to 60-year-old ones (with an “undecided” proportion that increases with age).
Men and Women Divided on the Apple Tablet
While the level of purchase intent is the same for men and women, the values associated with the tablet are divided between the sexes.
Women have a very pragmatic view of the new iPad and associated use: they look at the new device’s features and/or specifications. This is shown by the semantic analysis of words that female respondents spontaneously mentioned about the iPad: "Practical" (cited by 21% of them), "Technology" (15%), "Computer" (10 %), and "Internet" (10%).
Men, on the other hand, were much more attracted to the device itself and the opportunities it offers in terms of usage. Important criteria for them are primarily the Apple brand (25% of them) and design ("Design" and "Beautiful" are words quoted by 14% and 10% of male respondents, respectively). They also focus more strongly on the concept of innovation (mentioned by 12% of men surveyed).
