In what is the largest survey of its kind to be conducted in Australia, GfK’s Retail Market Insights department has revealed the estimated size of the local tablet PC market.
After interviewing over 12,000 Australians, a total of 1.2% reported that they had purchased a tablet PC in the last 6 months, with virtually all of those sales being Apple iPads. This equates to a national figure of around 188,000 units.

The research also revealed that an impressive 4 in 5 Australians were already aware of what tablet PCs were, and that 1 in 8 Australians were likely to purchase one in the next 12 months. The level of interest in this new category was even stronger for certain groups of people, and there were also many differences in how people intended to use the device.

These results suggest that Tablet PCs are gaining momentum in the Australian market, and consumer interest and demand is likely to grow even further as more brands enter the market leading into the Christmas period.

* Number of Tablet PCs sold is estimated to be between 156,000 and 219,000 units, with a 95% confidence level. The incidence of Tablet PCs purchased is estimated to be between 0.99% and 1.41%, with a 95% confidence level.

MEDIA NOTE: For information on the full report, which focuses on those who are seriously considering or already have purchased a Tablet PC, please contact Phil Burnham on 02 9900 2867.

About the survey: In total, 12,084 respondents between the ages 14-65 were interviewed online in September 2010. Data covers the 6 months to September 2010.