Real World iPad Usage Patterns At Home, On-the-Go And At Work – 84 Percent Satisfied

Usability News is a free web newsletter that is produced by the Software Usability Research Laboratory (SURL) at Wichita State University. The SURL team specializes in software/website user interface design, usability testing, and research in human-computer interaction, and has posted a detailed report authored by B. Nguyen & B. Chaparro on how iPad owners really use the devices.

Usability News distributed an online survey exploring iPad real world use. Participants included owners of both the original iPad and the iPad 2. Results of the survey indicate that the iPad is still mainly used for web browsing, email, reading news, social networking, and playing games. In the workplace, respondents reported using it mostly as a reference tool. The authros sasy respondents spoke very favorably of the iPad, citing its overall ease of use, large screen size, and portability. The inability to view Adobe Flash, and the inconsistency and complexity of some apps were cited as the biggest areas where the device could be improved, other criticisms being complaints about the lack of USB ports and features for multi-tasking.

Fifty-four percent of respondents reported owning the original iPad, while 46% reported owning the iPad 2. The majority of respondents reported having between 21-40 apps installed on their iPad, but most reported only using 6-10 apps regularly.

A little more than half of the participants (52%) reported that they carry their iPads only when traveling, while the remaining half reported either carrying their iPad every time they go out (21%).

A majority (58%) reported that they use their iPad exclusively, while 42% said that they share their iPad with at least one other person.

Three-quarters of all respondents reported reading ebooks on the iPad, and 58% had installed an e-Reader app other than Apple’s iBook (e.g., Amazon Kindle app).

Thirteen percent of respondents reported using the iPad only for work, while a little more than half (52%) of participants reported using an iPad at work.

Users were very positive about their iPads, with 83.65 out of a possible 100 satisfied. Favorite features and attributes included the variety of apps available, overall ease of use, the larger screen size, and portability.

In the negative column were poor quality of some apps, the inability to play Adobe Flash, and problems typing with the keyboard, as well as the aforementioned lack of USB ports and poor excuse for multitasking with the iOS.

Favored iPad apps were the Safari web browser, Flipboard, iBooks, the Kindle app, and email. Disliked were iTunes, the Calendar, and the Facebook app.

Among activities never done on the iPad were chatting and taking pictures.

For the full report with many graphs and charts, visit here:
http://www.surl.org/usabilitynews/132/iPad.asp