• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, January 10, 2012

Confirming what has already become apparent in the mobile market, a new study finds that screen size makes a difference when it comes to devices. The report from research firm NPD In-Stat looked at consumer attitudes toward -- and use of -- devices including smartphones, portable media players and tablets.

The majority of tablet owners have a screen size between 9 and 11 inches -- think iPad and Galaxy Tab -- optimized for sophisticated tasks that require a high level of interaction. “The top uses for tablets are Web browsing, email and downloading and using applications, which are productivity-based uses,” noted NPD In-Stat senior analyst Stephanie Ethier, who authored the study. “The larger screen supports more heavy text consumption and greater user interaction.”

By contrast, people turn to portable media players, often identical to tablets except for the under-5-inch screen, mainly for entertainment-focused use like listening to music and watching video.

The survey also found that the iPad was the favorite tablet among 652 survey participants, and that smartphones were the device used most often while watching TV. 

Since the survey was completed before the release of the Kindle Fire, it does not focus on consumer response to the 7-inch tablet (which also includes the Nook Tablet) as an alternative to larger-screen tablets or portable media players.

But strong early sales of the Amazon tablet, which analysts estimate will hit 5 million in the fourth quarter, suggest there is a market for the in-between screen size it represents. The Kindle Fire’s $199 price tag -- $300 less than the iPad -- has also been a key reason for the device’s appeal.

The NPD In-Stat research also found that more than half (54%) of people cited personal information management as a top use for laptops and notebook computers. Demand for tablets, however, far outstripped PCs in the last year. Tablet shipments increased an estimated 256% in 2011 compared to a 12% gain for notebooks, according to NPD’s latest DisplaySearch quarterly report.