iPad Makes Up 95 Percent of Tablet Web Traffic

The iPad secured 68 percent of the tablet market during the first quarter, according to recent stats, so it should come as no surprise that most of tablet-based Internet traffic is coming from Apple's gadget.

But just how much traffic? According to data from Chitika, the iPad accounts for almost 95 percent of all tablet Web traffic.

"In conducting this analysis, we queried our vast ad network for impressions stemming from a tablet of any sort. From there we sorted our data into categories of the various tablet devices," the company said in a Friday blog post. "As we had hypothesized, the iPad was overwhelmingly dominant versus the competition."

What about the remaining 5 percent? The Samsung Galaxy Tab made up 1.22 percent, followed by the Asus Transformer Prime, Motorola Xoom, BlackBerry Playbook, Amazon Kindle Fire, and the Barnes & Noble Nook, which landed at 0.53 percent (click chart below for more).

"In defense of the Nook, it is used primarily as an e-reader, with the capabilities of a tablet," Chitika said.

Though NPD DisplaySearch said this week that Apple's tablet market share will drop to about 50 percent in the next five years, Chitika said manufacturers will be "hard pressed to find a way to overthrow the seemingly omnipotent Apple."

"Not only do they offer a great product they have the undying devotion of their enthusiasts," Chitika continued. "Thus far Apple's iPad offering has been able to thwart any attempt by competitors to develop a rival (or even equivalent product). Apple produces a product that is both aesthetically pleasing and technologically robust."

Rivals can't just throw in the towel, though. "Increasing market share will be imperative for all tablet producers in the future if they want to remain competitive," Chitika said. "The tablet has become an increasingly popular computing device and it seems evident that this trend will be persistent in the future."

Chitika suggested focusing on Asia, which has a "penchant for Android operating systems."

The DisplaySearch report estimated that shoppers will soon choose tablets over laptops.

"As the market matures and competitors become better attuned to consumer preferences and find opportunities to break new ground, we expect the landscape to change dramatically, giving consumers more choices, which will drive demand for more devices," Richard Shim, NPD DisplaySearch senior analyst, said in a statement.