Survey finds 42% of U.S. consumers want a Windows tablet

By Tom Warren, on 5th Oct 11 6:22 pm with 37 Comments

A new survey claims that 42% of U.S. consumers would like to buy a tablet that runs Microsoft’s Windows operating system.

The survey was conducted by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently who found that a Windows operating system on a tablet is a preferred choice for 42% of U.S. consumers. Apple’s iOS ranked second with 27% and Google’s Android came in third with 20%.The study shows that Microsoft’s Windows operating system is still a sought after product. All Things Digital notes that the study isn’t an anomaly either. Forrester conducted a poll earlier this year and found that 46% of users would prefer a Windows tablet over other offerings. Forrester researcher Sarah Rotman Epps confirmed to All Things Digital that Windows is still a popular brand despite the success of the iPad. “When we survey consumers, it becomes very clear that Windows is still a very popular brand,” said Epps.

Microsoft has long been criticized for its lack of a true iPad competitor. Microsoft’s hardware partners have slowly been producing iPad rivals. Samsung unveiled its Sliding PC 7 series Windows 7 Slate hybrid at CES earlier this year. The device features Intel’s 1.66GHz Z670 Oak Trail processor, 10.1″ touchscreen, 32GB SSD and 2GB of RAM. The tablet ways just 2.1 pounds. Samsung also unveiled a new dedicated Slate recently. The device includes a Wacom digitizer for note taking. It’s expected to be made available shortly running Windows 7. The iPad currently retails at $499 and sold three million units in its first 80 days of release. The iPad is currently selling approximately 4.5 million units per quarter, Bernstein Research estimates.

Microsoft unveiled its “reimagined” Windows 8 last month. The new interface features a Start Screen with identical styling to the company’s Windows Phone software. Microsoft is planning to allow application developers to create Metro style apps that interact with the Start Screen and operating system. Microsoft’s unique approach will also provide rich and easy integration across applications for developers. Microsoft is expected to make Windows 8 available on ARM and Intel based tablets in mid-2012.

Which operating system do U.S. consumers prefer on tablets?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Roque/100000194503830 Pedro Roque

    No kidding? Only Apple biased bloggers may be surprised by this.

    • Anonymous

      Im actually surprised by it and I love Microsoft and Windows. 
      But then again I have always thought people want the functionality of Windows with the ease of iOS.  That’s why Windows 8 will be great.

  • Anonymous

    Its Windows, 400 million windows 7 machines and counting. When Windows 8 drops it will be like an Atomic Bomb. Xbox Live Integration, Skype Integration, Live Integration, Zune Integration……………… Seriously its not even fair, Hopefully No Antitrust Issues doesn’t  Come Up Again.

    • J A

      That is how a company pushes the envelop in tech innovation. God forbid we have to depend on the other guys (Apple et, al) to lead the tech arena, we will still be celebratin AppleTV, i-this and i-that instead of real technology.

  • Anonymous

    Soon that number will be 142%, muhahahaha!

  • Anonymous

    I said this and am sure about this
    Windows 8 WOULD SELL MORE THAN iPAD
    But MSFT should hurry up with it
    Personally, i wont buy it because am buying the Playbook 2 to bridge with my 9900 no need of a data plan

    Windows 8 would do things iPad can only dream of, and it is the only viable laptopl replacement , ASUS said a windows 8 eepad transformer is coming, with a win 8 tablet and a keyboard you get a laptop replacement and you go desktop app BOOM full PC
    MSFT should implement the NFC feature better, by using NFC to pair bluetooths

  • Emi Cyberschreiber

    I so want it as well!
    Windows 8 is amazing!

  • Anonymous

    Add me to the list!!!!

  • Pinna

    The problem is there is almost no suitable hardware available. Imagine this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TErL7-jdeig with updated hardware and Win8 :)

  • Anonymous

    No matter what, Windows will triumph the iOS/iPad because it’s a PC/desktop software vs a mobile software. It’s not WP7 vs iOS, its WINDOWS vs iOS.

    A 747 vs a honda civic isn’t apple to ‘apple’… Hopefully consumers will understand at least part of this.

    • Guest

      Its not a matter of understanding what is being compared. This is a matter of what is being offered. The bottom line is, how long things have been out is completely irrelavant. If I give you an apple for $10 and I give you a 747 for $10, which do you purchase. It isn’t what is being compared, it is what is being offered. Microsoft has always bent to allow Apple products to be supported on a Windows Environment, but never the other way around which is why Apple will always be second to an operating system. Sure, they may be higher, at least for the moment, in toys like phones and MP3 players, but when it comes to REAL technology, Microsoft has been, is currently, and always will be king.

  • Anonymous

    I’m guessing this stroy wont be showing up on TUAW or the other Apple blogs :P

  • http://www.rwalrond.com RWalrond

    Oh Yeah,, well the iPad will reach 10% of 4% of 100% of the MAC users much faster than Win8 could ever dream of doing.

    So there…

    Direct quote from T. Cook

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ricardo-Dawkins/746307628 Ricardo Dawkins

      iLOLed

  • Anonymous

    Take it from me who have been using W8DP on a Acer tablet. You do NOT want a crippled OS that can’t easily share files across your home network, can’t watch Flash video, don’t have SD slot, can’t run Windows programs, on and on.

    • Smarter than You

      There is a reason that it is a developer preview. It is not meant for full use. It is meant for Developers like Adobe to DEVELOP a working version of flash with the OS, and for the hardware manufacturers to DEVELOP drivers for hardware, and programmers to DEVELOP upgrades or new versions, hence the name DEVELOPER PREVIEW. It is not called Idiot Preview. That would be the one you need.

  • Grannyville7989

    They can count this guy from the UK too :)

  • http://twitter.com/oolong2 oolong2

    In reality that number should be closer to 70%

    The bottom line is…  people want a one stop shop for their computing needs and Windows is an obvious choice for that.

    However at this point I’m sure a lot of people don’t know about Windows 8 and even those that do can’t imagine it’s usefullness until a physical device is in the market and the OS is completely polished.

  • FuzzyLogician

    I would be far more enthusiastic about the touch experience if it were easier to find 1920×1200 res touch monitors for a reasonable price.  That said, on a tablet, win8 is starting to look great.

  • Ura Bonehead

    Huummmm….?  I suspect over 50% of consumers think a table has Big Chef written on the front.

    I just want to simultaniously operate all my portable devices (laptop, tablet, phone…), direct sync them (no cloud), and tether them (coming, I hear) using only ONE data plan.  Everything else falls under the category of “pretty and nice to have, but….”

    Is that too much to ask for, MSFT?????

  • Guest

    These things at next to useless. There is no W8 tablet yet. There is no price point. There will be at least one and possibly two iterations of iPad before it even ships, multiple Andoid based ones, and perhaps another Amazon one.

    What counts is sales. And right now MS has next to none of those in the tablet space.

    • http://twitter.com/laserfloyd Lewis McCrary

      It’s not really fair to compare it to iPad/Android since it will be able do so very much more.  Win8 will sell tablets BUT it will also sell laptops and desktops.  It will also open up the door to touch screen monitors.  It will have tons of integration with services such as Xbox, Skype and Live.  All of that right out of the box.  On top of that it runs legacy software + new apps.  It’s just a matter of getting it to market in a state that satisfies the majority of users based on their feedback.  Once it’s on the market it should be off to the races.   I’ll be in line. :)

  • Anonymous

    I want windows 8 tablet right now.

    • Anonymous

      What will your Win 8 tablet do that an iPad can’t? You won’t use the desktop app because it’s just not touch friendly so you’ll be stuck inside the metro experience and have to use apps and have no flash so I don’t see the advantage really

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/6G3ZZJCHOLYP3S5CRCIHQ7WDSE MVIM

    The reason people want a Windows 8 tablet is because, despite all of the hubbub about iOS and its supposed “ease-of-use” and simplicity, and Android with its Google service tie-ins; users know the power of Windows. I got an HP Touchpad during the firesale. It’s ok for $100, but the web browser is junk. Quickoffice obliterates most Word documents I have, and the spreadsheet software is pitifully slow and difficult to use. I can’t access documents with Office Web Apps/SkyDrive along with several internal websites on it because the browser can’t handle most websites using AJAX (which are almost all websites today). The only half-decent Twitter app doesn’t support lists created by other users (a must for me). The Facebook Tablet app is probably the only experience on the Touchpad I would consider to be top-notch.

    Because of all that, I usually ignore the Touchpad I carry with me all day and pull out my Acer TimelineX 11.6″ ultraportable when I need to get something done. It may take a few minutes to boot, but with an 8 hour battery and Windows 7 Professional, there isn’t anything I can’t do.

  • Anonymous

    Where the WinMo tablet??  I can’t wait to dump this darn HP IPAQ.  It’s embarrassing. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Matthew-Williams/713122739 Matthew Williams

    I can not freaking wait for an arm win8 tablet. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1670567011 Mike Pietrorazio

    I’ve never owned a tablet or a notebook, but I want a Win 8 tablet.

  • JohnL

    how about wp7 with LTE on Verizon? 

  • http://twitter.com/laserfloyd Lewis McCrary

    I actually had three iPads in my possession at one point.  Won from a radio contest!  I pondered opening one and decided I’d wait to see what MS would bring about.  This was about a year ago.  Glad I waited!  I sold those suckers on eBay anyway.

    I am looking forward to the W8 tablet/slate/desktop/everything. :)

  • http://twitter.com/pierrerv Pierre Venescar

    Windows 8 will make me wanna buy tablet.. to this day, I don’t see any use to own a tablet. None of them are worth it.

    • Anonymous

      Well you must be right then… /rolls eyes

    • YahooJusnit

      I agree.  I see no real NEED for a tablet.  If the interface mimics Windows Phone 7, it will completely rock the industry.  Imagine having a singular interface across multiple devices.  I don’t care what you use now, that’s awesome.
      But bottom line, choose by functionality and user interface.  In the end, parts is parts.

  • Anonymous

    Wouldn’t it be nice if surveys proved more telling than actual sales? But what’s the reality?Ask a person if he WOULD buy something, and he’ll say yes. Ask him to ACTUALLY buy it, and watch his reaction.

    Basic business. Surveys are for suckers. Only actual sales matter.

    In this survey, 42% say they want a Windows tablet. 27% say they want an iOS tablet. Both types are available today. Windows tablets have been available for ten years. iOS tablets have been available for just 18 months. In that 18 month period… How many Windows tablets were sold? How many iOS tablets?

    If this survey reflected reality, surely Windows tablets would already sell more than iOS tablets.

    • Anonymous

      I agree 100%. I’m a long term Windows user. I could be classed as a fanboy I think. I would love a Windows tablet but not the Windows tablets that are available at the moment. And I’m bored of waiting for Windows. I have no idea when it is due but it seems to be late 2012? No thanks, it’s iPads this christmas. Microsoft have been late with their phone OS and although it’s quite nice, it’s lacking in apps badly; It looks like they’ll be 24 or 30 months late in bringing an iPad competitor.

  • Anonymous

    isnt it a given that windows tablets will own most of the market? there will be tablets with a keyboard dock. i don’t see how someone buying a laptop would not consider one of these. it acts as both, a laptop and tablet. unfortunately most of the tech blogs are heavily biased and provide a skewed perspective of how the market really is. its not even a question. RBC’s prediction is laughable. they have never heard of windows? microsoft doesnt even have to try.