Nielsen: iPad maintains 82% of tablet market

No surprises here: the iPad is dominating the tablet market in the US right now, with over 80 percent of users owning a version of Apple's tablet. The latest survey by Nielsen gives that figure, and says that 3G and Wi-Fi versions are almost equally split among owners, with 39% sticking with Wi-Fi, and 43% preferring 3G. "Dominating" is exactly the right word, too -- the Samsung Galaxy is the next tablet on the list, with only a 4% market share, and the Motorola Xoom only showed up with 2%. Sure, the tablet market is still developing quickly, but for now, Apple has it locked down and then some.

Nielsen also polled about how people use their tablets, and over half of users are the only people who use the tablet they own, so it's still a very personal device. 35% of tablet users say they use their desktop computer less, and 32% of tablet and laptop owners say they use the more traditional laptop less. And as for why users are using their tablets, the portability seems to be a big draw, with 31% of respondents listing tablets as "easy to carry/take with you."

[via AppleInsider]