The blog Technologizer has the results of a series of polls of iPad owners about their general satisfaction with the device and how it informs or impacts their opinions and thoughts about Apple, the policies around the iTunes App Store, and whether or not they feel like their iPad is an essential part of their lives or something that’s just a fun gadget to have and play with when they choose to.
Here’s a spoiler: by and large, iPad owners are largely satisfied with their devices. They enjoy using them, they don’t feel like they’re particularly oppressed because of Apple’s closed-and-curated model to apps, and they admit that their iPad won’t replace a full computer or a laptop anytime soon, but they’re loathe to give it up.
This is contrary to the often loud and vocal perspective from people who generally don’t own iPads or any Apple product that the iPad is worthless, without legitimate use, or lacking in features or that the iTunes App Store model cripples the device (although they do find it troubling!) It’s another example of how the echo chamber of the Web may resound with one message, but the truth from the people who actually own and love their devices is something entirely different.
Here’s what survey respondants had to say -and while I am including this, I do think the survey results and graphs are worth looking at – in some cases just because most people said one thing didn’t mean that the combination of other responses led to a majority opinion in the other direction:
Executive summary in case you don’t feel like reading the rest of this article: They like it. A lot. Ninety-eight percent say they’re satisfied with their iPads overall; ninety-six percent think it’s a good value. In category after category–3G service, most of the individual bundled apps, battery life, speed, the absence of Flash–a majority of respondents are pleased.
In only one major area did unhappy campers dominate: A majority aren’t pleased with Apple’s App Store approval process. More than half also wish Apple had given the tablet printing capabilities, a memory-card slot, and a front-facing camera.
It’s worth noting that even with the furor around the iPhone 4 and its issues, there have been no massive problems with the iPad – no one’s reporting engineering flaws with them, no one’s returning them en-masse (to the contrary, many organizations are buying them in large numbers,) and there are no class-action lawsuits over them. The iPad may be one of Apple’s most successful first-gen new product launches in a long time.