iPAD USERS UNUSUALLY SATISFIED: Mizzou journalism professor discovers

COLUMBIA, 7/25/11  (Beat Byte) --  In little more than a year, Apple’s iPad tablet computer has become a tech darling, attracting scores of new fans -- and knock-offs that will have a tough time competing if a new Mizzou-Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) survey is any guide.

iPad owners report "exceptionally high levels of satisfaction, which appears to be increasing the longer they use the device," said Roger Fidler, RJI program director for digital publishing and e-reader expert who released the latest results of his Spring 2011 iPad user survey. 

 

Such high satisfaction levels are "unusual for new technology devices," Fidler said. “In most cases, satisfaction tends to drop off significantly after about 13 weeks. That clearly is not the trend with the iPad." 

 

Last Fall, Fidler found that 94 percent of 1,600 survey respondents were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their iPad.  This Spring, nearly 70 percent of 561 survey respondents said they were even more satisfied than they were last fall. 

 

Fidler also found that most iPadders use the device at home during the evening while relaxing or "couching out." 

 

"While the iPad is designed for consuming all kinds of media, it has become clear that leisure reading of news and features is very popular with owners," Fidler said. "The iPad’s ultra-thin, lightweight nearly magazine-size screen is more conducive for reading than laptop computers and other mobile devices." 

 

The average age of the Spring 2011 survey respondents was age 45 and 24% female.  Adam Maksl, a Ph.D. student at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, assisted with the survey.