More than 40% of smartphones owners who use Research in Motion BlackBerry, Microsoft Windows Phone and GoogleAndroid platforms prefer Apple's iPad to tablets from their current smartphone operating system makers, according to a recent survey. ^[1]

Owners of RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones showed the least loyalty to their current platform. Around 53% of BlackBerry users said they would buy an iPad, compared to just 8.5% that indicated preference for RIM’s own PlayBook tablet.

iPad 3 ready for a spring launch

According to a recent DigiTimes report, Apple's iPad 3 will be launched between mid-March and mid-April next year. [2] The source claims that during Q4 2011, the iPad 2 production could be around 14-15 million, but Apple will decrease iPad 2 orders to between 4 and 5 million units in Q1 2012. Foxconn will build around 10 million iPad 3 units in Q1 2012.