According to a survey done by J.D. Power, users of the Surface tablets developed by Microsoft derive more satisfaction from their devices than owners of iPad tablets do. J.D. Power’s U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study was released Thursday. This was the first time in 6 years that the tablet from the Redmond, Washington-based software giant had emerged tops in the annual survey.
On a scale of 1 to 1,000, the Microsoft tablet had a satisfaction score of 855. The Surface tablet beat not only Apple but also other tablet manufacturers such as Amazon, Asus, Samsung, Acer and LG. Surface’s win was mostly based on its superior features, styling and design.
“The Microsoft Surface platform has expanded what tablets can do, and it sets the bar for customer satisfaction. These tablet devices are just as capable as many laptops, yet they can still function as standard tablets,” J.D. Power’s service industries’ vice president, Jeff Conklin, said in a press release.
To conduct the survey, 2,238 users of tablets participated. One condition for eligibility was participants had to have used their present devices for a period of less than one year. User satisfaction was based on how well a tablet performed with regards to 5 major factors that included cost, styling and design, features, ease of operation and performance.
A tablet’s performance contributed 28% of the score while ease of operation contributed 22% of the score. The features also constituted 22% of the score while styling and design constituted 17% of the score. The weight of a tablet’s cost was 11% of the score.
Accessories and applications
Some of the features that made the Microsoft Surface tablet rank highly included availability of accessories, availability of applications some of which came pre-installed and internet connectivity. With regards to associated accessories such as a mouse, physical keyboard and a mouse, the surface tablets ranked higher than industry rivals. This was an indication that users found these accessories more convenient and easier-friendly to install and use in comparison to accessories from other brands.
Also working in Microsoft’s favor was the quality of materials used in manufacturing the Surface tablet, the attractiveness of the device as well as its size. Compared to its rivals, Microsoft had a bigger proportion of younger users and more than half of the Surface owners saw themselves as early technology adopters.
Despite the higher user satisfaction rates of the Surface tablet, Apple’s iPads continued to dominate the market as they held the biggest share.
