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12% of iPad owners in the enterprise no longer use their laptop

More than one in ten iPad owning business professionals have indicated that Apple's touchscreen tablet has become their portable device of choice, completely replacing their laptop.

The role of the iPad in the enterprise was explored in a new study revealed this week by IDG Connect. The "iPad for Business Survey 2012" features interviews with IT and business professionals from around the world.

The survey found that 12 percent of workers indicated that the iPad has "completely replaced" their traditional laptop. Another 54 percent said the iPad has "partly" replaced their laptop, and instead complements it on the go.

"If a majority of professionals still use laptops, the iPad has certainly curtailed usage levels," the report reads. "Nearly three-quarters of respondents say that they 'carry their laptop around less' now that they own an iPad."

The iPad has had less of an effect on desktop PCs, where just 6 percent of respondents said the iPad has "completely" replaced their desktop, while 33 percent said the iPad has "partly" replaced their desktop.

"For most, the iPad isn't a substitute for an existing tool or device," IDG said. "Instead, it's a supplement, albeit one with functionality that overlaps with other devices. As a result, the iPad seems to have carved out a niche for itself at the partial expense of several rival form factors."

The iPad has earned a major presence in the enterprise thanks mostly to consumers who buy Apple's tablet with their own money. Three-quarters of respondents told IDG that they bought their iPad privately, while one-quarter said they were supplied with an iPad by their employer.

The most common use of the iPad among professionals is Web browsing, which 79 percent said they "always" use the device for. Reading followed closely with 76 percent, news consumption had 73 percent, and work communication earned 54 percent.

In all, 91 percent of professionals who own an iPad said they use the device at work — 51 percent "always" use their iPad at work, while 40 percent said it is used there "sometimes." And the iPad has quickly become IT professionals' go-to device for computing on the go, as 79 percent said they "always" use their iPads outside of their home.

IDG's findings are just the latest survey to find that the iPad is the tablet of choice among enterprise users. One survey revealed last October found that the iPad represented 96 percent of total tablet activations in the workplace.

In their last quarterly earnings report in October, Apple officials revealed that 90 percent of the Fortune 500 were deploying or testing the iPad, even though the device had only been available on the market for 18 months.



79 Comments

flaneur 15 Years · 4525 comments

And we're less than two years into this shift in computing. I carry and use my iPad at least four times more than I used to carry and use my laptop.

Total transformation, in my experience. And I never watch movies, by the way. It's not "content consumption" -- the person who came up with that meme should have his brain washed out with Clorox.

negafox 15 Years · 480 comments

I would be interested to see a breakdown on how they were using the iPad for work-related purposes. Web browsing and news article reading stats does not tell me much.

tallest skil 15 Years · 43086 comments

By the end of 2012, iPad marketshare will be less than 2% and everyone will be using real tablets like the ones put out by Samsung.

I would be very surprised if that isn't the case.

There's not a single reason to think that I need a sarcasm tag or to mention slapppy by this point.

nagromme 23 Years · 2831 comments

I would think mapping would be a big % of business usage: that giant touchscreen makes just an awesome map device, with or without GPS. Presentations too.

stourque 17 Years · 364 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

By the end of 2012, iPad marketshare will be less than 2% and everyone will be using real tablets like the ones put out by Samsung.

I would be very surprised if that isn't the case.

There's not a single reason to think that I need a sarcasm tag or to mention slapppy by this point.

And 'rooting' will become the #1 pastime.