It's official: People like Microsoft's tablets better than the iPad

Consumers officially like Microsoft's Surface tablets more than they like the iPad.

J.D. Power released its 2017 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study on Thursday and noted that customers are more satisfied with Microsoft's Surface tablets than they are with Apple's iPad and tablets built by Samsung, LG, Amazon, Acer and Asus.

Microsoft topped J.D. Power's consumer survey in three key areas including internet connectivity, availability of official accessories and the variety of pre-installed applications. Microsoft also beat the iPad when it boiled down to consumer preference for tablet attractiveness, quality of materials and size of the tablet.

Here's something investors who have watched the decline in sales of Apple's iPad will want to note, too: 51 percent of Microsoft customers believe they're "among the first of their friends and colleagues to try new technology products."

In other words, people who want the newest technology — early adopters — are picking up Microsoft Surface tablets instead of iPads.

Overall, it appears that the large range of support for full Windows apps may have helped the Microsoft Surface's case, especially among consumers who wanted to get work done.

"The Microsoft Surface platform has expanded what tablets can do, and it sets the bar for customer satisfaction," J.D. Power's vice president of service industries, Jeff Conklin, said in Thursday's news release. "These tablet devices are just as capable as many laptops, yet they can still function as standard tablets. This versatility is central to their appeal and success."

Despite a decline in quarterly sales, Apple remains the king of the tablet market. Consumers are enjoying their Microsoft tablets more than iPads, though, and that could chip away at Apple's market share.

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