iPad Mini Raises Demand for Tablet Industry

The fear that Apple's

iPad Mini could cannibalize sales of its full-size iPad may be alleviated by a new study.

According to

, Cowen and Co. asked 1,225 U.S. adults about their tablet purchases. Twelve percent said that they plan to purchase an iPad Mini in the next 18 months. Of those prospective buyers, 52 percent revealed that they do not currently own a tablet. Cowen and Co. also found that 83.4 percent of respondents do not plan to use the iPad Mini as a replacement for another device. In looking specifically at the 16.6 percent of respondents who

plan to use the iPad Mini as a replacement, Cowen and Co. learned that 29 percent may use it to replace the standard iPad. Forty-two percent will use the iPad Mini to replace a Windows PC, but only 13 percent will use it to replace an Amazon

Kindle Fire. A surprising eight percent say they will use it to replace a smartphone. Only four percent will use the iPad Mini to replace the iPod. These results do not guarantee the success of either the iPad Mini or the iPad 4. But they indicate that the Mini may not be as cannibalistic as critics had feared.