Google survey: gaming is the most popular use for tablets

AdMob, a mobile advertising company acquired by Google in November 2009, recently conducted a survey of over 1,400 tablet users in order to better understand how people are using their new devices. In the AdMob network alone, traffic from tablets has grown 300 percent in the past six months, and we're betting it won't be slowing down anytime soon.

You can check out the results from AdMob's March 2011 Tablet Survey (10-page PDF) yourself. Alternatively, you can just skim through the top 10 results:

• 43 percent of respondents spend more time with their tablet than with their desktop/laptop
• 1 in 3 respondents spends more time with their tablet than they do watching TV
• Most popular activities on tablets include gaming (84 percent), searching for info (78 percent) and emailing (74 percent)
• Least popular include shopping (42 percent), reading e-books (46 percent) and consuming entertainment (51 percent)
• 68 percent of respondents spend at least 1 hour a day on their tablet
• 82 percent of respondents primarily use their tablet at home
• 69 percent of respondents said they use their tablet more frequently on weekdays relative to weekends
• Tablets are used more during the night according to 62 percent of respondents
• 77 percent of respondents reported that their desktop/laptop usage decreased after getting a tablet
• 28 percent of respondents said that the tablet is their primary computer

The comparisons to desktops and laptops really don't surprise us: the tablet is simply another form factor, one more geared towards consumption than creation. We know apps and games are used frequently on these devices, and while it's not shocking that games are popular on tablets, the fact that they're getting the most usage is quite interesting. 84 percent is the highest statistic from this survey and it's the one that could end up shaping the tablet industry.

Sony is planning on releasing a PlayStation Certified tablet by the end of this year. The retail chain GameStop is also considering creating its own gaming tablet. We'd wager that there are many more tablets geared towards gamers in the works, but will people want them?

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