One in Five Users Surveyed Wants an Apple Tablet

**Paul Daniel Ash** · 09-23-2009, 08:59 AM

image via Innosight

A product that exists only as a persistent rumor has already generated a lot of buzz, according to a new survey done by an international corporate and investment bank.

RBC Capital Markets talked to 3,100 people, and more than a fifth - or 20% - said they would be interested in the hypothetical Apple device, as reported by AppleInsider. By comparison, only 9 percent said they'd be interested in an iPhone when RBC conducted a similar survey a few months before its release in 2007. Remember that at that point more was known about the iPhone, which was an announced product, than is now known about the Apple tablet, which is imaginary. Also, the survey asked about a tablet in the $500 - $700 price range, which is quite a bit less than the $799 - $999 suggested by recent rumors.

At the same time, though, if Apple is actually able to deliver a tablet to market and capitalize on some of this demand, it will be a boost to the brisk business it is already doing in this down economy. RBS conjectured a successful tablet launch would boost Apple's stock to $250 (AAPL is, at the moment this is being written, slightly up from an opening price of $185.40).

While the iPhone sold into a market that was already well-established (smartphones), it remains to be seen what customer base exists for an Apple tablet that will be something like a hybrid of an iPod touch and a MacBook. Most tablet PCs are sold into "vertical applications:" specific uses in fields like healthcare, insurance, government, and floor sales, where people have to stand or walk around and enter things into handheld devices. If Apple is able to create demand for what will essentially be an entirely new class of consumer product, it would be a marketing coup unlike anything since the original Mac.

**toawkanavngthded** · 09-23-2009, 09:06 AM

I would love to have the apple tablet....

**MetallicaFan1991** · 09-23-2009, 09:10 AM

I'm one of the 80% that doesn't want an iTablet, I'm happy with my MBP and 3GS!

**mikerlx** · 09-23-2009, 09:16 AM

Why apple tablet? We would at least all have the MacBook created tablet first and I don't see many here saying they got one. I have a Air and iPhone so what would I gain from a tablet?

**ammarmalhotra** · 09-23-2009, 09:16 AM

i want one toooooooo

**Hyperextension** · 09-23-2009, 09:16 AM

What a waste of money these things are/will be. Plus if the artist's renditions have been anywhere near accurate, they will be DAMN ugly.

**smuggler** · 09-23-2009, 09:46 AM

the typing on this tablet would just as bad as an iPhone, they need to have an actual keyboard or some sort of virtual one. then I'd consider it an option as a computer on the go, but I'm satisfied with my mbp and 3gs.

Originally Posted by Hyperextension

What a waste of money these things are/will be. Plus if the artist's renditions have been anywhere near accurate, they will be DAMN ugly.

if this product is just a rumor, how the hell do you expect the artist renditions to be anywhere near accurate? I don't think this product is as much of a rumor as everyone says, it has been reported that mr. jobs is really pushing for this particular product, and making it his top priority.

**XAPHAIS** · 09-23-2009, 10:05 AM

I do not understand what all the hype is about...

I am far TOO happy with my macbook pro and 3Gs, this thing is gonna cost more than rumored, it will be underpowered and useless for anything substantial besides saying "look at me I am an idiot with too much money and I bought an Apple tablet"

I need RAM and processor power in my laptop, I do not know about everyone else

**cpotoso** · 09-23-2009, 10:16 AM

I would definitely buy an iTablet with these characteristics:

1) OSX (not an iPhone OSX), where I can install applications that I want, not the ones apple blesses.

2) 10" screen would be perfect, keep weight to 1 kg, provide at least 2 USB ports, have a real hard drive (at least 160 GB, 300+ GB would be best).

3) Bluetooth to connect an external keyboard and mouse in case I need to use it as a regular computer (put the iTablet on a pedestal and type on the wireless keyboard).

**StealthBravo** · 09-23-2009, 10:23 AM

I doubt I would use it that much but I would buy one

**1shuttle1** · 09-23-2009, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by XAPHAIS

I do not understand what all the hype is about...

I am far TOO happy with my macbook pro and 3Gs, this thing is gonna cost more than rumored, it will be underpowered and useless for anything substantial besides saying "look at me I am an idiot with too much money and I bought an Apple tablet"

I need RAM and processor power in my laptop, I do not know about everyone else

I totally agree. This is more of a look what I have product than anything else. A macbook and a jailbroken iphone will get you on the net as well as this thing will with a lot more features. I am not sure why I would buy this if I own the other two. What do I gain. Smaller screen, less memory, slower processor. on screen keyboard that would hide display. Only to be told a year later that they will add to all of these shortcomings for the same price like they do with every other device they cell (no pun intended).

**laaa** · 09-23-2009, 10:39 AM

If its in the range of 500 - 700, i would concider to buy it. It has to have a real hard drive, and anything else that a normal mac book has. I dont want it to be like Air, without CD-ROM drivers. I want a real computer that has a touch screen and smaller than the usual ones.

**Melech518** · 09-23-2009, 10:46 AM

yup, I want one

**iGrime** · 09-23-2009, 10:46 AM

I wouldn't buy one.. I Just brought My New Macbook Pro 17 inch, why buy one of them??

Am Good With My iPhone 3G 16 GB and My MBP 500GB..

**qgshadow** · 09-23-2009, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by laaa

If its in the range of 500 - 700, i would concider to buy it. It has to have a real hard drive, and anything else that a normal mac book has. I dont want it to be like Air, without CD-ROM drivers. I want a real computer that has a touch screen and smaller than the usual ones.

well your an idiot... a tablet doesnt have a cd-rom nor normal HDD, it will have an SSD ...

Originally Posted by XAPHAIS

I do not understand what all the hype is about...

I am far TOO happy with my macbook pro and 3Gs, this thing is gonna cost more than rumored, it will be underpowered and useless for anything substantial besides saying "look at me I am an idiot with too much money and I bought an Apple tablet"

I need RAM and processor power in my laptop, I do not know about everyone else

well if u needed CPU AND RAM , for the same price you could have a quad-core with 6gig of ram and a kickass video card in your laptop.

**XAPHAIS** · 09-23-2009, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by qgshadow

well your an idiot... a tablet doesnt have a cd-rom nor normal HDD, it will have an SSD ...

You're an idiot. The tablet doesn't have anything because it doesn't exist. No one knows what it will and won't. Have so stop mixing up your tenses when you insult someone.

Odds are this is going to be totally based off the macbook air.... If it is produced.

And I am going to buy my 4GB ram chips when the cost goes down more in a month or two.

**Cowboy** · 09-23-2009, 11:43 AM

I would just wanna hack it lol

**luvmytj** · 09-23-2009, 11:45 AM

It is cool and all, but the price is way to steep. If they want to sell these to more than the "I'll buy anything Apple makes" crowd, it has to be affordable and competitive to the net books. I would just buy a 13" pro for that cost.
Since I have a 15" Pro and a 3G, why would I want one? I don't see a high demand for them IMHO.

**Luppin** · 09-23-2009, 11:53 AM

Honestly, the whole concept of a tablet is a really stupid idea to unleash onto consumers. Windows-powered tablets have been around for a couple years now, and granted you may not like the OS, it is basically the same thing. It was pretty cool when they first came out, but the honeymoon period was soon over and they're in the place they are right now, used pretty much strictly in the workplace. There's little to no situations that I can see where a tablet would be more useful than an iPhone (or similarly powerful smartphone) or a laptop. If you just need to do some quick browsing/emailing or very light mobile gaming, an iPhone is ideal for the situation, and if you want to sit down somewhere in public and work on something that you would need a physical keyboard for or would like to use as a mobile desktop-replacement a Laptop is your best choice. There exists really no area in-between these too and the only thing I see an apple tablet as would be a nuisance, you wouldn't be caught dead lugging around some 10-inch wide monstrosity under your arm for your not-so-very-mobile needs, and we all know how cool laptop bags/man purses look right?

**AAAARRRRRRGGGGG** · 09-23-2009, 01:21 PM

i'd definitely use one for mobile recording applications if it had firewire.

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Thread: One in Five Users Surveyed Wants an Apple Tablet

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image via Innosight A product that exists only as a persistent rumor has already generated a lot of buzz, according to a new survey done by an international corporate and

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