All We Want For Christmas (Hanukah, Kwanzaa) Is An iPad, Surveys Say

Two separate consumer surveys came to the same conclusion: the iPad is on top of everyone's gift wish list. But 3D TVs? Not so much.

Fortunately, your chances of getting an iPad are pretty good -- as both of those studies also said that people plan to spend more this holiday season, mostly on consumer gadgets, compared to 2009.

Indeed, a report on planned consumer holiday spending by Retrevo said that people are actually giving up their holiday travel so they can buy cool electronics. Of the 1,000-plus respondents, 16% said they will spend more on electronics in 2010 over 2009 spending levels while 28% will spend less on travel.

The No. 1 desire? A tablet -- and that means the iPad for most people. "Unless Android gets it together in the tablet department, Apple could have a very good holiday season. When the study asked what was on consumers' wish lists this year, the product on the top of most people's electronics wish lists was a tablet followed closely by a laptop, HDTV set, and smartphone. Netbooks and 3DTVs were lowest on the lists," the Retrevo report said.

This echoes an October survey by online retail site Black Friday in which the iPad topped the list of 15 items people expected to be hot sellers this year. The survey showed that 60 percent believed they would spend more this year than last. Given that all 15 items on the hot product list were electronics, we'd have to agree. The Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect was hot item No. 2, followed by the iPhone and the Sony HDTV. Laptops, the Kindle, cameras and camcorders were also on the list.

Interestingly, Black Friday's respondents said Samsung's 3D TV would be a hot item, it was No. 8 on the list, a rare vote of confidence for the new viewing format. A plethora of other surveys disagree. For instance, earlier this month, Motorola Research [PDF], completed a survey of 1,000 U.S. buyers and found that only 4% of US respondents own a 3D TV and only 11% plan to get one in the next 18 months.

Indeed, even Black Friday didn't really think 3D TV would wind up under many trees or Menorahs. "If these 2010 Black Friday predictions ring true, it appears 2010 will be the year of LCDs--from iPads to large flat-screens TVs. Given the price and uncertainty that surrounds 3D TVs, we expect most people will be happy sticking with flat-screen HDTVs," the site concluded.