Microsoft’s Surface Windows 8 Pro tablet is at the top of the wish list for information workers, as is Apple’s iPhone, according to a report on mobile trends released by Forrester Research last week.
The report, 2013 Mobile Workforce Adoption Trends, which has a list price of $2495, is based on interviews more than 9700 information workers around the world.
Nearly a third of those workers (32 percent) told Forrester’s researchers that they want their next tablet to be a Windows slate.
A similar proportion of the workers (33 percent) said they want their next smartphone to be an iPhone. Only 10 percent of the workers said they wanted a Windows Phone handset in their future.
Forrester via MacRumors
The interest in Microsoft tablets may be driven by the practical rather than any appeal the slates may have for the workers, maintained one self-proclaimed enterprise information worker on a MacRumors thread discussion of the study.
“I could see people in my world saying they would want a Microsoft tablet because all of us are trapped in the Windows world forced upon us by IT,” the worker wrote. “People in this position most likely think ‘I want a tablet, but IT makes us use MS software, so we should probably get a MS tablet.”
“If MS ever did come out with Office for iPad, then iPad’s would top this list,” the worker added.
Early sales called strong
Forrester’s data for its report was gathered before Microsoft released the Pro version of its Surface tablet. That version, which went on sale Saturday, has experienced some brisk sales, especially for the model with a 128GB solid state drive.
However, questions have been raised as to whether Microsoft deliberately understocked the 128GB Surface Pro in order to create a sellout buzz. On the other hand, since Microsoft experienced supply problems with its Surface RT tablet during the holidays, it could be that the Pro shortages are a continuation of those supply snags.
Microsoft may be able to build on the initial momentum behind the Surface Pro Sunday night when it airs its first TV ad for the hardware during the Grammy awards. The ad is directed by John Chu, who also directed the snappy ads for Surface RT.