iPad Usage Patterns Differ From Other Platforms

Ewh, I can only imagine on which sites those people are surfing....

Interesting. On lazy days for me I do tend to transition from my Mac to my iPad as it gets later so that I can use it from bed.

The iPhone follows the same pattern as the iPad, being below everything else during the day but above everything else in the evening, though not to as great an extent.

I don't understand what the second chart is showing... what do the different colored lines represent?

Edit: Oh, I figured it out. They're the different days of June 2011. The 6th was a Monday and the 12th was the following Sunday.

Technology becoming more personal and intimate as the Post-PC era develops. Nice to see.

*LTD* said:

Technology becoming more personal and intimate as the Post-PC era develops. Nice to see.

Click to expand...

How is this more of the Post PC era BS. All it tells me is people are willing to use their iPad are more likely to be used in bed or when people are relaxing in bed.

Boy I bet if you look at lets say kindle usage pattern it would have a very similar spike in the evening as well.

To me I find it interesting and tells you that the iPad is replacing other devices for relaxing in the evening after work. It is not an items that sits at a desk where get more real work done.

Honestly I find the graph rather interesting to look at over all to see how different devices break down. Look at the blackberry earlier in the house and then come 5-6am you see all the smart phone OS jump above everything else. That tells you that first thing people do in the morning is grab their phone and check their email.
During the day seeing Android keep up with the desktop OS I find is intersting as well and kind of wondering why that is.

This makes sense to me, as I tend to relax in my chair during the evenings. I don't want to take my MBP with me, and the iPad is just right. Plus it shuts off if I fall asleep with it much sooner and more reliably than my Mac.

Rodimus Prime said:

How is this more of the Post PC era BS. All it tells me is people are willing to use their iPad are more likely to be used in bed or when people are relaxing in bed.

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Since the days of people relaxing in bed with their iMac were.... well, never, you seem to have answered your own question.

Key takeaway:

Using your iPad for pleasure and relaxation at that time, means you're *not* using your PC for pleasure and relaxation at that time.

Do note that many of us have to use lousy Windows-based PCs (often with XP, yecch!) while in an office environment. No real chance to use our iPads for any significant length of time, unfortunately. That'll change, but at the moment some of us are required to use company equipment, like it or not.

Smartphones naturally see more action throughout the day.

batchtaster said:

Since the days of people relaxing in bed with their iMac were.... well, never, you seem to have answered your own question.

Click to expand...

I think that is the point. You start tracking other leaser activity say take for example reading a book and it would follow a very similar usage trend.
That to me is the key take away is the iPad is a leaser device. It really does nothing to replace the PC. Just provides us with a different electronic device.

Hell another thing to follow is Netflix usage it spikes around the same hours and hell internet bandwidth over land lines has a pretty interesting demand. Come prime time it goes sky high.

I don't like having to switch between my Blackberry and my iPad if I want to send a quick text or a fast phone call, it's a pain. Give the next iPad phone & texting capabilities, thanks.

Eoff believes it's because the iPad is "used as an entertainment device" more than both smartphones and browsers.

Click to expand...

surely it's more that, if you're surfing websites on your ipad at work, it's quite obvious because of the size of the device. but you can quite easily read macrumors.com on your phone or desktop browser and people will think you're answering emails or checking your meeting schedules in the calendar.

i think it's more likely because the ipad is a device that people can use to continue browsing while at the same time spending quality-time with their family. you're going to get shouted at for sitting in your bedroom/study on your own surfing the web, but as long as you're in the same room as the rest of the family, while they rot their brains watching reality tv so-called-entertainment, no one minds

illitrate23 said:

i think it's more likely because the ipad is a device that people can use to continue browsing while at the same time spending quality-time with their family. you're going to get shouted at for sitting in your bedroom/study on your own surfing the web, but as long as you're in the same room as the rest of the family, while they rot their brains watching reality tv so-called-entertainment, no one minds

Click to expand...

Perfectly said. I saw the iPad as a familial device since the day one. Who is the owner of the one that everyone uses in my family? My mum...

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Rodimus Prime said:

*LTD* said:

Technology becoming more personal and intimate as the Post-PC era develops. Nice to see.

Click to expand...

How is this more of the Post PC era BS. All it tells me is people are willing to use their iPad are more likely to be used in bed or when people are relaxing in bed.

Boy I bet if you look at lets say kindle usage pattern it would have a very similar spike in the evening as well.

To me I find it interesting and tells you that the iPad is replacing other devices for relaxing in the evening after work. It is not an items that sits at a desk where get more real work done.

Honestly I find the graph rather interesting to look at over all to see how different devices break down. Look at the blackberry earlier in the house and then come 5-6am you see all the smart phone OS jump above everything else. That tells you that first thing people do in the morning is grab their phone and check their email.
During the day seeing Android keep up with the desktop OS I find is intersting as well and kind of wondering why that is.

Click to expand...

Although since this is only tracking web browsing, it doesn't really reflect using the iPad for "real work." If I spent the day typing my novel and not reading Macrumors, whatever the device, I'd show up as no use on these graphs.

A key takeaway is that this is measuring web traffic. It cannot measure what people are doing with these devices when NOT surfing. Therefore any meaningful conclusions cannot be made. It's interesting in how it related to web traffic only. And I'd say a subset of traffic at that considering the source of the data.

Rodimus Prime said:

During the day seeing Android keep up with the desktop OS I find is intersting as well and kind of wondering why that is.

Click to expand...

Here's my take on it, from one who uses & enjoys both an iPhone 4, and a new Galaxy S II.

Because the Galaxy has a full fledged file system like a computer, I use mine to carry work and personal files.

Because it handles .PDF files so well, and has a larger more easily used display, I can do things such as edit files, create & review files, and other tasks while away from my desk, or while waiting at the airport, etc.

I find that while I enjoy my iPhone for fun, music ,& the occasional game, its more of a consumer entertainment device. Whereas my Android phone is a wonderful alternate to my laptop. When I have a few minutes to do some work. It simply assists me in ramping up my productivity.

In turn, I end up with more free time for myself.

Therefore it's one if the reasons my company migrated away from iPhones to Android Galaxy S II Models. The IT staff is very pleased with how well the Android platform is performing.

The freedom of not having to be locked into iTunes was another big advantage. These new Galaxies are stand alone devices, just like ones laptop.

I must say, as much as I enjoy my iPhone, I'm using my Android far more. Yet in fairness to Apple, it's also because my Galaxy is a far better phone, with clear calls and no drops. This alone proves what I've known all along & that's that AT&T is an excellent carrier.

maclaptop said:

Because the Galaxy has a full fledged file system like a computer, I use mine to carry work and personal files.

Click to expand...

We've been doing this with our iPhones for the last couple of years.

maclaptop said:

Because it handles .PDF files so well, and has a larger more easily used display, I can do things such as edit files, create & review files, and other tasks while away from my desk, or while waiting at the airport, etc.

Click to expand...

As above.

Apps have their own file systems, or you can use a file manager of your choice (i.e. GoodReader or iFiles as a central location) from which you can migrate files from app to app and then save them within the particular app's own filesystem if you like. One can do any number of things with a single file this way.

batchtaster said:

Since the days of people relaxing in bed with their iMac were.... well, never, you seem to have answered your own question.

Click to expand...

Wat? You don't have an iMac in your bed? What have you got against iMacs?

Since the shift from desktops to laptops, I think a lot of people would use laptops in bed. It's not a huuuge shift to using an iPad.

Hmm Well

Its funny I use my iPad in this exact way. I Have an iPhone and find the iPad completely useless for anything other then a bigger screen. I think apple should take this as a wake up call in that the iPad is basically useless for anything other then laying in bed watching porn.. i mean reading the news and angry birds

I look at the iPad like a beautiful and elegant female its nice to say you have one and they are fun to show off to your friends. But really only useful at night for about 10 minutes before you goto bed.

Interesting stats...and to me, more indicative of our time spent "Less" with the TV, Radio, Landline, writing letters, reading magazines, etc...especially for those of us with families, mortgages, full time gigs, et al...the less TV we watch, the more we use our computers, smart phones, the iPad...etc, in the evening. I've been in radio for two decades...and as an employee of the world's largest radio employer, it's tough to watch the "Big 3" (what used to be "contemporary) choices and their inevitable "demise" as we know them today (Radio, TV, and Print). Seventy years ago, families gathered around the radio in the evenings to "listen" to a "show"! Fifty years ago, families gathered around the 19" Magnavox to watch one of the three network station's broadcast of the evening....Bonanza! Little House on the Prairie, Gilligan's Island and M.A.S.H. Johnny Carson, ABC's "Wide World of Sports"!!! I've lived in Alaska for 30 years...when I first came up, we'd watch Monday night football games...Wednesday! Everything was delayed at least a day or two...a decade before I got here...the delays, including Nightly National News, were up to a WEEK long!!! Anyway...I digress. Point is, our choices change...and it seems these days, the web is it. It's everything...no matter WHAT you're in to...hobbies, How To's?, movies, music, pictures and people....fetishes, and the darker side....gambling, you name it....if you WANT it, you'll find it on Al Gore's Internet!!! Fortunately...for many cable companies across the country, they've protected themselves by monopolizing the "high speed" cable internet...but now, as 3g moves to 4g...and the cell companies have gotten involved...more "Free" Wi-Fi spots, et al...even the cable companies could find themselves in jeopardy sooner than later.

I LOVE the freedom I'm enjoying with my iPad2...that started on launch day with the original iPad...a freedom, even after owning ALL of the iPhones...I've NEVER found on another electronic device. I can take my books, mags, pics, movies, music, and games everywhere I go...integrating with my work life, inventory...invoicing, receivables/payables, scheduling, email...ALL of our manuals in PDF...etc, etc, etc. My wife and I run our A/V production business, along with our "day jobs"...and as I continue in radio, and see kids running around with twice, three times....sometimes TEN times as many "Tunes" on their phones as I play on my classic rock station...it seems the writing is on the wall for the traditional forms of media moving forward. AM/FM...even XM/Sirius seem so dated now...ESPECIALLY as we all have 3g or wi-fi connectivity moving forward...and access to 100's of THOUSANDS of internet stations...catering to the specific format or multi-format that the listener wants! Podcasts, audiobooks, comedy, sports, music, spoken word...whatever the listener wants to hear on their commute, it's there! That's radio....TV, do any of us even watch LIVE TV anymore? Other than live sports....even then, if you've got obligations....the DVR is your friend (as well as avoiding any other media or people that may reveal the score or outcome of the game)...Netflix, Vimeo, YouTube, Hulu....the younger generation "cutting the cord"...a million videos a DAY uploaded to YouTube...and some of the content is absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!

I could go on and on and on....we all know what's happening these days with our local newspapers....if we even have a local newspaper choice anymore? Books are on our Nooks...Borders closes it's doors...the slow death of the "Local" book store???

Things are a changin'....and in my world (one wife, one son), the iPad is now an essential part of our day...whether, as mentioned....dealing with our business, our social life, or just handing it to our son on the two hour drive up to our cabin to play a game or watch a flick....it's indispensable. We own multiple iPads...and we will from now forward. The need for the "Truck" computer is slowly fading....with the exception of our business work (all audio and video production), our day to day computing needs are being easily met by the iPad, iPhone...and when we need something a bit more hefty, we can through the MacBook Air in the bag.

maclaptop said:

Here's my take on it, from one who uses & enjoys both an iPhone 4, and a new Galaxy S II....

....Therefore it's one if the reasons my company migrated away from iPhones to Android Galaxy S II Models. The IT staff is very pleased with how well the Android platform is performing.

The freedom of not having to be locked into iTunes was another big advantage. These new Galaxies are stand alone devices, just like ones laptop.

Click to expand...

I think Apple has realized this, and are remedying it as we speak...with iOS 5 and the need....or rather, the "No-Need" for iTunes or even a base computer to speak of...completely lives on it's own. I think you've made a great point, but when they do implement iOS 5...we may see a WHOLE new population of those that are ready to buy an iPad...without the need to rely on the iTunes marriage to keep things updated and backed up safely. To me, the way the new iOS 5 and iCloud are being executed is a God-Send! For what we do, the access to our music library and SFX from wherever is going to be AWESOME! Especially without the need to have massive local storage needs in order to have it all on site...assuming there's an internet connection of course.

As always, YMMV...but I found this study VERY interesting!

Jer

*LTD* said:

We've been doing this with our iPhones for the last couple of years.

Click to expand...

As have I, but the lack of a memory card slot is a serious limitation.

*LTD* said:

Apps have their own file systems, or you can use a file manager of your choice (i.e. GoodReader or iFiles as a central location) from which you can migrate files from app to app and then save them within the particular app's own filesystem if you like. One can do any number of things with a single file this way.

Click to expand...

This is a rather convoluted method however. One that I lived with until fast refined Android models like the current crop became available.

I prefer to use my laptop throughout the day, but as night comes, I curl up in bed with the iPad, much more comfy.

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It's all the people browsing the web as they watch tv at the same time in the PM.

maclaptop said:

This is a rather convoluted method however. One that I lived with until fast refined Android models like the current crop became available.

Click to expand...

Actually not that convoluted, especially for all the Rooting-Android-Fanboys.

iPhone homescreen > press Goodreader App Icon > there is your advanced filesystem with .pdf viewer/annotator and much more...(OK, you do have to purchase GoodReader—but the app is so good and all inclusive, that it feels like a native file system for iOS)

I find it funny how all these Android fans who also fancy themselves as uber-techie-guys are unable to understand that one great app solves most of their complaints....

doug in albq said:

Actually not that convoluted, especially for all the Rooting-Android-Fanboys.

iPhone homescreen > press Goodreader App Icon > there is your advanced filesystem with .pdf viewer/annotator and much more...(OK, you do have to purchase GoodReader—but the app is so good and all inclusive, that it feels like a native file system for iOS)

I find it funny how all these Android fans who also fancy themselves as uber-techie-guys are unable to understand that one great app solves most of their complaints....

Click to expand...

I could say it is more Apple fanboys going off and insulting anyone who does not like the way Apple does something.
For the native file system in Android it DOES NOT require root access.

Also as you pointed out that is a backwards way of doing it. You now have to deal with choosing multiple apps first to read and open different file types. Compare that to Android I can say open a file and the OS handles which App it goes to. There is no requirement for me to choose some app first then go threw that method to open a file
The OS should handle choosing the App to open a certain file type not the other way around.