iPad Bests Galaxy Tab In Perceived Value; Neither Live Up To RRP

Samsung's plastic chassis for the Galaxy Tab may make the 7-inch Android slate more pocket-friendly than the iPad, as well as easier to hold for longer periods of ebook reading, but it doesn't appear to be helping them in the perceived-quality stakes. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster gathered a 65-person strong group of tablet novices together and asked them how much the iPad and the Galaxy Tab were each worth: the group put the Apple slate on average $134 more than the Samsung rival.

It's not quite the good news for Apple that you might think, however. The actual suggested figures worked out to $417 for the iPad and $283 for the Galaxy Tab, well short of their actual sticker price and suggesting that, at least from first-impressions, consumers might have a hard time justifying them at first glance. Asked on their general preference, 85-percent opted for the iPad and 15-percent for the Galaxy Tab.

The sample size is small, mind, and with a relatively new segment like consumer-centric tablets it probably takes a while longer for the value proposition to trickle into common acceptance. What will be interesting is seeing how those opinions change over time: if, in twelve months, the iPad 2 and next-gen Galaxy Tab are deemed worthy of higher prices because their functionality is greater prized by a better educated audience.