ChangeWave: Consumer interest in Apple tablet ‘strong’

According to a January survey of consumer PC purchasing trends conducted by ChangeWave, pre-announcement demand for an Apple tablet is “strong.” 18% of respondents showed interest in the device, with 4% saying they were very likely to purchase an Apple tablet when it becomes available, and another 14% saying they were at least somewhat likely. In terms of pricing, three-quarters of interested consumers said they were willing to pay $500 or more for the device, while 37% said they would pay more than $700. Coincidentally, the 4%/14% ratio is the same as the percentages of consumers who said they would be very or somewhat likely to purchase a new Intel-based Mac following Apple’s announcement that it would be switching to Intel chips for its laptop and desktop computers. The survey was conducted in January 2010 among 3,314 consumers.