More excited buyers for iPad than original iPhone

The iPad is going to be bigger than the iPhone, if a new consumer survey is to be believed.

With a rumoured pre-order date later this week, iPad enthusiasts came out in force in the RBC/ChangeWave survey, which showed a higher number of consumers considering buying the iPad than the original iPhone after its 2007 launch.

Mac News Network published the results of the survey, which found that 13% of those polled were "likely" to buy an iPad. The survey polled 3200 people, and before the 2007 launch of the iPhone, only 9% of respondents said it was likely that they would buy one.

But the difference might have everything to do with the pricing, as 28% of respondents said before the iPhone launch that it was too expensive. Only 8% of those recently surveyed said the same about the iPad.

And with rumours circulating that iPad US preorders will start as early as this week, the hype seems to have continued around Apple's newest device. While the iPad already has more than its fair share of critics, with many calling it nothing more than a flattened iPod Touch, it seems that many consumers are still keen to use the device.

When respondents to the RBC survey were asked what they would likely use the device for, 68% said they would primarily use the tablet for web browsing, 44% said to read email and 34% said they would read books on the iPad. Beyond those main uses, 24% of those polled said they would watch videos on the device while 28% said they want to use it to read magazines and newspapers.

The survey also found that 25% of respondents are holding out on buying other Apple products until after the iPad is released.