iPad, Kindle Fire dominate tablet wish-lists for the holidays

Hoping to get a tablet this holiday season? Then odds are you want an iPad 2 or a Kindle Fire, according to a recent survey released by ChangeWave Research. Almost 2/3rds (65%) of respondents would like to get an iPad in their stockings, while another 22% would like to have Santa hook them up with a Kindle Fire. The remaining 13% was mostly divided among Android tablets of various flavors, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab the “standout” at 4%.

Demand for tablets is also up this year. Last year just 4% of all respondents said they would be purchasing a tablet in the next 90 days, while this year the number was up more than three times to 15%.

These numbers are in line with recent sales estimates, which show Apple shipping about 65% of the tablets this year. The past twelve months has shown how challenging it is enter the tablet space, as RIM’s PlayBook has fizzled and HP’s TouchPad met a rapid and ignominious end. Android tablets have fared somewhat better, but have received mixed reviews and overall sales are dwarfed by the iPad 2.

The Kindle Fire seems to be the first threat to steal market share, although some analysts feel that the Fire and the similar Nook Tablet from Barnes & Noble may be more of a threat to other Android tablets than to the iPad. The first Android tablets sporting Ice Cream Sandwich are due out in the next couple weeks, so it will be interesting to see how market share evolves across the holiday season and into Q1 of 2012.



source: electronista