iPad Users Interested in Productivity Apps, iPhone and iPod Users in Games

[MacRumors]

According to data obtained from AppShopper, iPad users are disproportionately interested in productivity apps, while iPhone and iPod Touch users seem to love buying games.

The following graph shows the relative percentages of each app category with respect to its distribution in the Top 100 Paid Apps and All Apps in the App Store:

Despite the fact that games only represent 15% of the over 200,000 iPhone/iPod touch apps, games currently make up 54% of the Top 100 Paid apps in the App Store. The findings are likely reflective of the large iPod Touch population that make up nearly half of the 85 million iPhone OS devices out there. Apple has pushed the iPod Touch as gaming device in their advertising.

In fact, Apple has been so successful that Nintendo sees Apple as their biggest threat in the future.

Meanwhile, amongst iPad-specific apps, games make up a more representative sampling of the Top 100: 29% for Top 100 vs 25% of all iPad apps. Instead, productivity apps for the iPad are proving to be very popular representing 19% of the Top 100 while only making up 5% of all iPad apps:

The findings aren't particularly surprising given the older demographics for iPad owners. It also reflects the added functionality that a large-format device offers over a handheld device.

Article Link: iPad Users Interested in Productivity Apps, iPhone and iPod Users in Games

 

[kyleh613]

This isn't to surprising, the much bigger screen on the ipad allows for better productivity. I always found things like web browsing on the iphone to be a pain because of the small screen. The ipad is perfect for this.

 

[Xavier]

Could be because of the lack of iPad oriented games and applications.

Who wants to run an iPhone game at twice the size on the iPad?

 

[mmccaskill]

Could be because of the lack of iPad oriented games and applications.

Who wants to run an iPhone game at twice the size on the iPad?

I was going to say the same thing. Give it time, more games will available on iPad.

 

[Tailpike1153]

Could be because of the lack of iPad oriented games and applications.

Who wants to run an iPhone game at twice the size on the iPad?

Agreed.

 

[Gorilla Power]

However, the same thing is actually happening that happened with iPhones - the App Store is getting filled with utter garbage that has the potential to put your iPad to shame. Only a single figure percentage of apps are of appreciable quality IMO.

 

[atari1356]

I think a lot of that could be attributed to Apple's own Pages, Numbers and Keynote apps.

What would the numbers look like if you took those out I wonder?

 

[Lesser Evets]

Well, naturally.

I'll be using the iPad for a bunch of productivity when I get one (Rev. 2). The thing will be primarily for internet connectivity and productivity on the road, but also for entertainment and a game or two.

The eBook fad still hasn't made me see any particular reason to buy or publish an eBook. I prefer paper. For fictions and valued books it seems like crap, but for research/technical stuff I can understand ramming them all in there as easily portable documents.

 

[ValSalva]

Productivity? I guess that may be the case but efficiency sure must not be a priority. Once the novelty of the iPad wears off these people can get back to actually being productive and efficient using a Mac. Typing ten words a minute on that screen is annoying.

 

[Surely]

I'd buy more games for my ipad if there were more interesting games to buy. I've been waiting for the devs to catch up and start releasing more ipad-specific games. There are a few really amazing games out there already, but I think there will be more to come.

I don't use my ipad at all for productivity (unless you want to count email). For me, the ipad is a fun device, not a work device.

 

[dacapo]

According to data obtained from AppShopper, iPad users are disproportionately interested in productivity apps, while iPhone and iPod Touch users seem to love buying games.

I don't think this is a result of any difference in demographics. I'm an iPhone user and I'd love some productivity apps for the iPhone but there aren't that many good ones. I'd say it's just the limitation of the device, not the fact that iPhone and iTouch users "love" buying games.

 

[cmaier]

I don't think this is a result of any difference in demographics. I'm an iPhone user and I'd love some productivity apps for the iPhone but there aren't that many good ones. I'd say it's just the limitation of the device, not the fact that iPhone and iTouch users "love" buying games.

Indeed. The iPad is better suited to productivity.

 

[spazzcat]

I know my app buying has gone up about 1000% with the iPad...

 

[spazzcat]

I'd buy more games for my ipad if there were more interesting games to buy. I've been waiting for the devs to catch up and start releasing more ipad-specific games. There are a few really amazing games out there already, but I think there will be more to come.

I don't use my ipad at all for productivity (unless you want to count email). For me, the ipad is a fun device, not a work device.

Pinball is awesome on the iPad

 

[Surely]

Pinball is awesome on the iPad

It really is. It's my favorite iPad game.

 

[ClaireL]

My iPad has a nice balance of games, news apps, weather, entertainment. I play games on it more than anything else, but it's definitely not just a gaming device for me.

 

[lifeinhd]

Interesting. Games are what I use my iPod touch for the least. Mainly it's used for Internet access. I have two pages of games, but I hardly touch them. Gaming with the crappy, jumpy accelerometer is not my idea of fun.

 

[emrventures]

Skewed by newness of iPad

The iPad has only been in the wild for like a month. During that first month, people are downloading the basic apps they want and need to make the thing functional. As more people have the basics covered, the number of games downloads will go up.

 

[RalfTheDog]

Well, naturally.

I'll be using the iPad for a bunch of productivity when I get one (Rev. 2). The thing will be primarily for internet connectivity and productivity on the road, but also for entertainment and a game or two.

The eBook fad still hasn't made me see any particular reason to buy or publish an eBook. I prefer paper. For fictions and valued books it seems like crap, but for research/technical stuff I can understand ramming them all in there as easily portable documents.

I have dropped out of paper books all together. I mostly read books using the Kindle app. I have tried one Apple book store book. When they get a better selection I will get more.

The quality of print on an iPad is better than paper. You can change the font and print size. The iPad gives you far less eye strain. I find I can read faster on an iPad than I can with a Kindle. The only advantage paper has over electronic books is price. Paper is cheep. In every other way, electronic books provide a far better experience.

I look forward to playing with the Google book store. With any luck they will have some out of print books that are not yet published on Kindle or Apple.

 

[Vulpinemac]

This isn't to surprising, the much bigger screen on the ipad allows for better productivity. I always found things like web browsing on the iphone to be a pain because of the small screen. The ipad is perfect for this.

Actually, it's quite surprising considering all the naysayers who called the iPad nothing but a 'toy' or 'an iPod Touch on steroids.' It also proves that the iPad can be a productivity tool based on how you use it, not on what software it can run. I can really see the iPad able to serve more enterprise needs than the majority of IT 'professionals' want to believe.

Productivity? I guess that may be the case but efficiency sure must not be a priority. Once the novelty of the iPad wears off these people can get back to actually being productive and efficient using a Mac. Typing ten words a minute on that screen is annoying.

As I said above, it all depends on how it's used. As a portable typewriter, I would agree with you whole-heartedly, but as a sales and marketing tool, a checklist tool or something of the sort, it's far more effective than a laptop. For that matter, how many people remember the old portable filmstrip presentation kits sales professionals used to carry? It had the rear-projection screen and projector and a turntable to play custom-recorded 33rpm records to convince customers to buy the salesman's product--usually insurance--and weight 35 pounds or more. Now you can do the exact same thing with Keynote in a 1.5 pound device.

I'd buy more games for my ipad if there were more interesting games to buy. I've been waiting for the devs to catch up and start releasing more ipad-specific games. There are a few really amazing games out there already, but I think there will be more to come.

I don't use my ipad at all for productivity (unless you want to count email). For me, the ipad is a fun device, not a work device.

There are a number of quite interesting games available for free or at a low price already, and they're not just up-sized iPhone/Touch games, either. But oddly, I rarely play any of them, using mine more for research on the side or when I'm stuck in a full-screen app and need to verify some data quickly. If you ask me, tablets should have been doing this ten years ago.

 

[Manatee]

I'm hoping for more, and better, productivity apps -- especially note-taking apps. The iPad would be great for me to use in meetings and classed. It's unobtrusive (unlike a laptop) and has the horsepower to handle real business apps.

Now if only Apple would unlock the file system so we could manage documents. We need to be able to move documents on and off the iPad easily. Could it get any easier than dragging and dropping them from a folder on the iPad to a folder on another device? Has Apple just overlooked this? And I have to laugh when two word processing programs can't access the same document on the device. Separation of apps and data, Apple! It's important.

Anyway, if they see fit to make it *possible* for developers to craft good productivity apps for it, then it will be useful to me. Otherwise, it'll just be a crippled web browsing machine.

 

[RalfTheDog]

I'm hoping for more, and better, productivity apps -- especially note-taking apps. The iPad would be great for me to use in meetings and classed. It's unobtrusive (unlike a laptop) and has the horsepower to handle real business apps.

Now if only Apple would unlock the file system so we could manage documents. We need to be able to move documents on and off the iPad easily. Could it get any easier than dragging and dropping them from a folder on the iPad to a folder on another device? Has Apple just overlooked this? And I have to laugh when two word processing programs can't access the same document on the device. Separation of apps and data, Apple! It's important.

Anyway, if they see fit to make it *possible* for developers to craft good productivity apps for it, then it will be useful to me. Otherwise, it'll just be a crippled web browsing machine.

I think it could be done with cut and paste of files. both apps would need to support it and nether app would have access to the others file space. Apple needs to add this.

 

[Jaro65]

Pinball is awesome on the iPad

Sure is! I finally have a good pinball game and I love the controls.

 

[nagromme]

Both groups seem to be interested in games above all else (can’t blame them!) but I see there’s a distinction in the #2 categories: “productivity” on iPad vs. “utilities” for iPhone/iPod. Which kind of sounds like the distinction between “large-scale productivity” and “small-scale productivity” to me. Makes sense!

(I suspect the most-used functions on both are web and email, which don’t need an app download.)

...
We need to be able to move documents on and off the iPad easily. Could it get any easier than dragging and dropping them from a folder on the iPad to a folder on another device? Has Apple just overlooked this? And I have to laugh when two word processing programs can't access the same document on the device. Separation of apps and data, Apple! It's important.
...

Agreed! Apple has overlooked this—not in the sense of totally forgetting about it (I’m sure they’re aware) but in the sense of back-burnering it so far. I’m sure they’ll address it eventually (just like they did with copy and paste) but for now it’s awkward.

 

[aprilfools]

I must represent the iPad demographic! I just bought an iPad and I have ZERO interest in games. If their was a number less than zero, that would be it. I bought the iPad more for productivity apps.