Tablets aren’t the most popular mobile devices on the market, but of the ones that are available, customers are most partial to those made by Microsoft. On April 7, J.D. Power announced that Microsoft won the award for U.S. Tablet Satisfaction, edging past Apple and its iPad. This marks the first time the Seattle-based company has won the award, which has previously been claimed by the iEmpire.
Microsoft’s aggregate score of 855 points out of 1,000 (Apple achieved 849) was due largely to its tablets’ high marks in terms of features and styling and design. “These [Microsoft] tablet devices are just as capable as many laptops, yet they can still function as standard tablets. This versatility is central to their appeal and success,” said Jeff Conklin, vice president of service industries at J.D. Power in a release.
Customers were most impressed with Microsoft in three performance areas: pre-loaded applications, internet connectivity, and availability of manufacturer-supported accessories. As it turned out, Microsoft Surface owners also use their accessories the most (in particular the Type Cover and Surface Pen). Tablet enthusiasts were also impressed with Microsoft’s variety of input/output connectivity and the amount of internal storage.
And while Apple generally hangs its hat on design, it would appear that customers are quite taken with Microsoft’s aesthetics, too. Indeed, when it came to tablets, Microsoft won over users in terms of tablet size, quality of materials, and attractiveness of design. That said, both Apple and Samsung produce tablets that leave customers quite happy as well, but just not quite as happy as Microsoft, apparently.
On the other end of the spectrum were Acer and Asus, who this year were below average when it came to customer satisfaction. Amazon, surprisingly enough, scored in the middle of the road — apparently, book lovers are quite pleased with its e-reading options.
So if you’re looking for yet another device to add to your stash, you may want to look at Windows and its Surface lineup.
