You love your tablet - now it's official

Your tablet is a homebody.  And you love it more than any other tech gizmo in the house.

A new study by Viacom shows that three-fourths of tablet usage occurs at home, and that tablet usage is mostly a solitary activity.  The "Tapping Into Tabletomics" study draws on a national online survey of more than 2500 people ages 8 to 54, as well as interviews with "dedicated" tablet users in Los Angeles and New York, Viacom says.

The preference for home "tableting" may explain why slate owners overwhelming prefer Wi-Fi-only devices over those with cellular connections.

I Love My Tablet

One peculiar finding of the Viacom survey reveals that tablet users have a stronger emotional bond with their slates than they do with other consumer devices.

More than half of respondents said their tablets make them feel "happier and more relaxed;" 40 percent said their slate "brings out the best in me."

Here's how one respondent summarized her feelings for her tablet:  "The iPad is my form of entertainment, relaxation, fun, and opportunity to get information. It's my personal space, in a sense."

PCs and smartphones aren't as loved as tablets, either.  Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they'd replace their laptop before their tablet, and more than three-fourths would replace their iPhone before their iPad.

Somewhere, an iPhone 4S is Crying.

Other key findings of the Viacom study:

• 62 percent of tablet owners use their slates daily
• Daily users spend about 2.4 hours per day with their tablets
• 85 percent of tablet use is for personal, not business, activity
• Most tablet-based "media activities," such as playing games and watching TV, peak with users between 18 and 24.
• Tablets have surpassed computers as a "second-screen device" for viewing full-length TV shows.

Do you have strong feelings for your tablet?  Let us know.

Contact Jeff Bertolucci at Today@PCWorld, Twitter (@jbertolucci) or jbertolucci.blogspot.com.