Apple, Zenithink(!) most satisfied with tablet purchases, IHS survey finds

While it’s no surprise that Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPad came in first place in a U.S. customer-satisfaction survey from IHS Inc., the fact that China’s Shenzhen Zenithink Technologies Co. Ltd. came in at a close second was unexpected.
The survey, which polled 1,400 people on how likely they would be to recommend their tablet to others, on a scale of one to 10. The iPad got an average rating of 8.8, while Zenithink came in at a close second, with 8.75, although the pool of customers was smaller, IHS noted. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. came in third place, with an average score of 8.5. Archos and Motorola rounded out the top five spots, respectively.
“Apple’s competitors in the tablet market already are facing major challenges in offering products that can match the iPad’s combination of optimized hardware, software, operating system, applications, content and app store,” said Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor and tablet research at IHS. “Now they are facing the reality that consumers in the key U.S. market really love their iPads, with owners expressing satisfaction with Apple’s products in a variety of key measures. Owners not only said they would be more likely to recommend the iPad than a competing product, they also indicated that they will look to Apple for future tablet purchases. With the iPad dominating tablet sales in the United States and worldwide, this high level of consumer satisfaction commanded by Apple represents a major barrier to entry for new competitors.”
Nearly 80% of tablet owners surveyed said they owned an Apple tablet. Of survey respondents likely to purchase new tablets, more than 50% said they would probably choose an Apple-branded product. Dell Inc. came in at a distance second place, with 11% probably choosing that brand.
IHS said it believes Apple will account for the majority of tablet sales in 2012 and remain the top-ranked seller through 2015.