“Survey on Students and Tablets 2012″ (PDF) polled 1,206 U.S. college students and 204 college-bound high school seniors. Some findings:

–College students prefer digital over print for “fun” reading (57 percent) and textbook reading (58 percent), “a reversal from last year, when more students preferred print over digital.” Pearson says the trend is also apparent among high-school seniors (though it doesn’t break out which format the majority prefer), “and is mostly driven by an increase in the preference to use tablets for reading.” The study doesn’t ask whether students are using tablets or e-ink e-readers for reading.

–A quarter of college students now own a tablet, compared to just 7 percent last year. Seventeen percent of college-bound high school seniors own a tablet, compared to four percent last year.

–Thirty-five percent of college students who own a tablet also own “an e-book reader or small tablet device.” (Not sure what a “small tablet device” is! Asking Pearson.)

–Among college students who own tablets, the iPad is the most popular (63 percent), followed by the Kindle Fire (26 percent) and Samsung Galaxy Tab (15 percent).

via INFOdocket

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Apple has until 4 p.m. local time Friday to file an application for permission to appeal to Australia’s High Court to see if it might reinstate the preliminary ban. Patent expert Mark Summerfield, speaking to Australia’s ITNews, thinks Apple’s counsel may decide to pass on an appeal attempt, which he sees as relatively unlikely to succeed, given the unanimous decision by this court, and the precedents it cited from High Court rulings in passing judgement. Apple at this point, however, intends to apply for special leave in time for the deadline. Apple is also responsible for Samsung’s legal costs incurred during the appeals process, according to the ruling.

After the 4 p.m. deadline on Friday, Samsung will immediately be free to sell its Galaxy Tab in Australia through whatever channels it has in place, with the caveat that it document and track each tablet and related application sale in case a permanent injunction hearing should later go against the South Korean company, and in case Apple is later awarded damages.

Samsung hasn’t yet revealed what its plans for launching the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia are at this point. It earlier argued that if it was prevented from selling the device after mid-October, there would effectively be little to be gained by a launch. But Samsung’s lead counsel in the case argued against the stay that gave Apple until Friday to file for permission to appeal, saying that it would “continue to cause substantial injustice and hardship to Samsung,” as a result of “the pendency of the Christmas trading period.” The statement definitely makes it sound like the Tab 10.1 will hit store shelves in Australia in short order.

The ruling is a major setback for Apple, since it basically takes away the iPad maker’s initial successes in its case against Samsung. That means the burden will once again be squarely on Apple’s shoulders when it seeks a permanent injunction in the full trial to be held next year.

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Samsung had already agreed not to sell the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, pending a formal decision by the court. Last week, the Korean company’s lawyer in the case talked about how further delays might result in Samsung abandoning its plan to sell the Tab 10.1 in Australia altogether, since Samsung’s ability to sell it during the lucrative Christmas season would be basically null.

Bennett said she considered that problem, but also weighed it against the potential damage to Apple’s business the Galaxy Tab 10.1 could pose, if it was allowed to be sold. Further explanations for the ruling will be released Friday by the court, but the judge clearly found that Samsung showed strong signs of having infringed upon two of Apple’s touchscreen and gesture control patents, which FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller describes as “very broad” and difficult to work around.

In fact, Mueller thinks the patents are so basic as to go way beyond the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Mueller believes no Android-based touchscreen product can avoid infringing on said patents, something Apple could use to help it block the sale of other new Android-powered iPad and iPhone competitors in Australia.

Intellectual property lawyer Mark Summerfield, speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald, suggested it might still be possible for Samsung to “launch what was, in effect, a hobbled version of the tablet,” but Mueller contends it would be difficult to do so without the specific patents in question.

A full hearing in this case likely won’t take place until next year. If Apple prevails there, I suspect we’ll see it use that victory to broaden its attack on many more Android manufacturing partners.

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The latest version of the Free the TV Challenge is focused on apps developed to bridge the divide between the TV and mobile phones, tablets and PCs. By doing so, Samsung hopes to tap into consumers’ increasing use of so-called second-screen devices while they are watching TV. So far, that activity has mostly been limited to sending text messages to friends or commenting on social networks like Twitter or Facebook. However, a growing number of interactive applications are creating real connections between the events on-screen and the applications on devices that users are holding in their hands.

Creating interactive second-screen apps is also one way to promote sales of other devices that Samsung makes. While the contest will be open to any mobile or computer operating system — whether it be Android or iOS, Windows or Mac — Samsung is clearly hoping that some of these second-screen experiences will use the contest to create deeper experiences among its TVs and its own mobile and tablet devices.

In the same way that Apple’s introduction of AirPlay — which enables owners of both an iPad and Apple TV to stream content from their tablets to the big screen — has made a purchase of both products more compelling, Samsung believes that deeper integration between its products could give consumers more reason to buy not just a Samsung connected TV but also an Android-based Samsung mobile handset or Samsung Galaxy Tab.

With the exception of Apple, however, very few CE manufacturers have been successful with such a strategy. Sony, for instance, tried for decades to convince consumers to buy across its ecosystem of TVs, laptops, handheld media players and the like, with little success. That said, Samsung is in a strong position, with solid mobile products and a leading TV product line, to offer a compelling cross-device solution.

Interestingly enough, Samsung has already had some notable converged applications from previous app developer contests. That includes MOVL’s WeDraw, which enables users to create images on their mobile devices that can be seen on the TV screen and was the winner of last year’s challenge. Since then MOVL has gone on to create similar apps for Google TV and PCs.

More than just reaching a big audience of Samsung connected-TV owners, there’s a sizable cash prize for developers to compete for: First prize in the latest edition of Samsung’s app contest will win $100,000, as well as a 65″ TV priced at around $6,000, a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and a spot at CES. Second and third prize will win $75,000 and $50,000 respectively, as well as a 55″ TV valued at around $3,500 and a Galaxy Tab 10.1 each.

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The FCC’s schematic diagram offers both clues, although one is obvious while the other isn’t. According to the PDF document, the model under test is named Opal. The original TouchPad, currently on sale now with a permanent $100 list price reduction, was codenamed the Topaz. So the device tested by the FCC isn’t a slightly different version of HP’s current tablet. This isn’t the first mention of the Opal name either; it appeared on a leaked HP device roadmap. The second data point is the size of the device’s required label, which is 2.067-inches by 1.161-inches. A forum member at the WebOSEnthusiast webOSroundup site extrapolated that size to the tablet drawn in the FCC documents and derived a device with a screen size of 7.32-inches.

HP planning to use webOS across a number of devices shouldn’t surprise. The company spent $1.2 billion to acquire Palm last year and has repeatedly said it would use webOS on phones, tablets, printers and even traditional PCs. HP bought a platform, and a few devices — such as the Palm Pre smartphone line — came with it. I think the company is betting that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t the best strategy for smartphones, nor for tablets.

If the Opal is indeed a 7-inch tablet, it could help spur webOS device sales for those who don’t want to carry a larger slate. Although I’m likely in the minority here, I actually prefer a smaller tablet device for portability and ergonomic reasons. A 10-inch slate is great for media, web-surfing, email and more, but eventually, it gets heavy to hold. My experience with a 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab shows the device can easily be used anywhere, and for longer periods of time. Think of it as combining the portability of a smartphone with the usability and productivity of a larger slate. Heck, if HP added cellular voice capabilities to a 7-inch slate, I’d consider using it to replace a smartphone.

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Samsung’s Honeycomb tablet isn’t yet for sale, although in an update earlier this week, the company said the device would ship with Android 3.1 “in a few days,” so availability should be close. The launch scenario is very different from the company’s first Galaxy Tab, a 7-inch model, which first arrived with 3G radios in September of last year. It wasn’t until April that Samsung finally debuted a version without the mobile broadband capabilities.

Although Samsung could hold off on selling the Wi-Fi model, there’s no reason to do so. Unlike when it debuted the smaller model eight months ago, consumer awareness of Android tablets is on the rise due to devices from Motorola, LG, Acer, ASUS, HTC and others. Back in September, Samsung needed the carriers to show off the small slate, else risk the device becoming overshadowed by other gadgets on electronic retailer shelves.

A Wi-Fi model of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is likely to be similar to the limited edition version handed out to all Google I/O event attendees earlier this month. That device has a customized back, covered with the Google Android logo, and has no mobile broadband capabilities. The GT-P7310 model would likely be identical except for the limited-edition covering. Our first look at the device is here and I just received the tablet yesterday, so a full review is forthcoming:

The question of Wi-Fi or mobile broadband in a tablet is one we’ve asked before. Back in March, more than three-fourths of our poll respondents interested in a tablet said they’d prefer a Wi-Fi model over a device with mobile broadband.

There are several likely reasons for this preference. Although the promise of connectivity practically everywhere is appealing, the prospect of another monthly data charge isn’t. An increasing number of handsets have the ability to share their 3G or 4G connection, so a Wi-Fi tablet can be used online in conjunction with such smartphones. And the larger the tablet, the less likely the need to use it anywhere: An April survey of 1,500 tablet owners showed 82 percent of respondents primarily use their tablet at home.

This group, likely made up of folks who own an Apple iPad, can surely get by on a wireless home network. My guess: If Samsung breaks out Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales numbers six months from now, at least two-thirds or more will be the Wi-Fi model.

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Motorola was likely the first device maker to gain such access. As Google unveiled Android 3.1 during its developer conference, Motorola announced that its Xoom tablets for Verizon’s  network would soon receive it via software update. That update has been rolling out since then, with many Xoom owners able to take advantage of the improvements. The Samsung tablets handed out during the same event didn’t have Android 3.1, but the company said it would be “coming soon.” However, the product page for the new 10.1-inch tablet now reflects the device will ship with version 3.1 when it launches in “a few days” according to Samsung Mobile’s Facebook page. Until then, here’s a first look at the device:

Samsung’s situation is a sharp contrast from that of Acer’s. I recently reviewed the Acer Iconia Tab A500, another 10.1-inch Android 3.0 tablet and found it to be a decent device for those on a budget due to the $449 price tag. But like other Android 3.0 devices, it suffers from some issues directly related to Google’s operating system. Android 3.1 should help, and an Acer representative told me via email that the A500 would gain Android 3.1 by the end of May. However, various reports indicate the upgrade is pushed back into June. Earlier this morning, Acer confirmed with me that’s the case.

That may have repercussions for the A100, a 7-inch Android 3.0 tablet that was expected to launch as early as April. DigiTimes today sources industry contacts as saying the A100 is now scheduled to launch in August or September. The cause for the reported delay? DigiTimes says Acer is struggling with app compatibility on the smaller screen and will resolve the issues with Android 3.1. My Acer contact wouldn’t confirm this development, saying earlier today that the company doesn’t comment on unannounced products.

If DigiTimes correct, it suggests Acer may not yet have, or only recently gained, access to Android 3.1 from Google. That’s a possibility, but it also causes me to wonder if Android 3.0, or 3.1 for that matter, simply isn’t suited to a lower-resolution display. Google designed a completely new user interface specifically for large-screened devices, although there are some features that can help bring the operating system to smaller screens. The Fragments API, for example, arrived in Android 3.0 and allows apps to be independent of screen size or resolution.

Since Android 3.1 doesn’t bring new user interface features that would benefit smartphones or smaller tablets, access to the code maybe be irrelevant. Google has already announced the next major version of Android, known as Ice Cream Sandwich, will unify the mobile platform across large screened tablets and smartphones with smaller displays. Seven-inch slates fit squarely in the middle of those two extremes, so my educated guess is that those smaller tablets will see an optimized user experience with that version of Android, currently targeted for the fourth quarter of this year. Personally, I find the prospect of waiting a little sad, because I prefer the added mobility of a 7-inch tablet over a larger device.

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Samsung announced Monday it would offer a software upgrade to bring Android 2.3, or Gingerbread, to its Galaxy S handset line as well as its 7-inch Galaxy tablet. Gingerbread will start rolling out in mid-May to the U.K. and Nordic regions first, followed by other European markets, North America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East Asia, and Africa. Handset and tablet owners in some areas will be able to download the update over Samsung’s Kies service, although here in the U.S., carriers are likely to be involved with the process, which could slow down the rollout.

Carrier involvement in the update process has led some criticism of Samsung in the U.S., as device owners waited months before their Samsung Galaxy S smartphones received the Android 2.2 upgrade, which Google made available last May. As late as October of last year, some U.K. Samsung handsets were still waiting for Android 2.2 due to delays, and it wasn’t until January of this year that U.S. carriers began pushing the software to Galaxy S phones. Samsung’s 7-inch Galaxy Tab hasn’t fared much better: The small tablet debuted for sale in October with the older Android 2.2 and is only just now beginning to see an update to version 2.3. Unfortunately, even with this latest update, the Galaxy devices are behind, as Google has added newer features, such as video chat.

I actually couldn’t wait for Samsung, so I followed these instructions to install Android 2.3 on my own Galaxy Tab over the weekend. The software build comes from the official Samsung release, which just became available in Italy last week. Although my tablet still can’t use its front-facing camera for Google Talk video calls, the overall performance of the device has improved.

Samsung’s custom browser is far more responsive that it was prior; it’s so much better that I might use it in lieu of the popular Dolphin HD Browser, although I think I’d miss some features from that third-party application. Pinch to zoom is superb in the Samsung browser since the update. I’d say it’s actually on par with iOS  devices in that area at this point. And although I haven’t done any specific testing, the battery life appears to be improved on the Tab as well. Although the software update may have arrived later than some might prefer, after just a few days of use, I’d say it’s worth the wait.

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Gingerbread Is Baked for the Tab

Although I’m running an unofficial version of Froyo on my current Galaxy Tab, Samsung is now rolling out an official Gingerbread update to device in Italy. It’s a safe bet that other regions will see the same, although Samsung hasn’t published an update schedule. The 7-inch Galaxy Tab has voice calling capabilities in addition to 3G data, so regional-based carrier testing is likely required, which could slow the software rollout. Sadly, this update is reportedly for version 2.3.3 of Android, which isn’t the most recent version of Gingerbread.

My hope was to see the next Gingerbread version, 2.3.4, on the Tab as it brings video chat though Google Talk. Since the Galaxy Tab has a front-facing camera, that functionality would be a welcome addition to the device. My expectation is that the current 7-inch Tab won’t see additional major updates, at least not officially. All the new tablets arriving now pair Android 3.0 with more-powerful dual-core processors than the Tab. I suspect the same will officially hold true for Android Ice Cream Sandwich, a version of Android that will unify the platform for both smartphones and tablets when it arrives in the fourth quarter of this year.

Acer’s Small Honeycomb Slate Delayed?

One of the first companies out of the gate to announce a 7-inch Honeycomb tablet may be slowing up a bit. Amazon’s U.K. page for the Acer Iconia Tab A100 originally displayed a May 14 launch date, but the Carrypad blog says Amazon now shows a June 30 date. In some sense, the tablet can’t technically be delayed if Acer didn’t officially announce a launch date to begin with, but folks hoping for the device sooner rather than later may have to wait a bit longer. I’ve reached out to contacts at Acer for an official statement and will update with a reply. Earlier this year, some blogs reported the device would launch by the end of April, so there’s clearly some confusion.

Regardless of the actual launch date, I’m looking forward to seeing how Honeycomb works on a smaller screen. Due to the application fragments supported in Android 3.0, optimized software should work well on either small or large tablets. Apps will switch to a list view when a carousel view won’t fit, for example. Performance-wise, the A100 should handle Honeycomb nicely, as it’s expected to be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra 2  dual-core processor.

Viewsonic Joins the Game

With a potential delay from Acer, the first 7-inch Honeycomb tablet may come from Viewsonic, according to PocketLint. The site reports Viewsonic will debut the ViewPad 7x at next month’s Computex show in Taipei. The company already makes a 7-inch slate in the ViewPad 7, but, like my Galaxy Tab, it runs the smartphone version of Google’s Android operating system.

Details on the new tablet are scarce and will likely become available at Computex, but PocketLint has some information: Android 3.0, dual-core processor, front- and rear-facing cameras, support for HSPA+ mobile broadband, HDMI support and a weight of 380 grams, making the device highly portable. HTC’s Flyer is likely to hit the market before the ViewPad 7x – the device can now be pre-ordered in Europe —  but the Flyer comes with the Gingerbread version of Android. HTC says Honeycomb will be available as a future update.

Best of Both Worlds?

While I wouldn’t expect these 7-inch devices to rival Apple’s iPad 2 in terms of sales, there’s a growing interest by manufacturers to keep advancing 7-inch slates. Adding voice capabilities to the devices can bring both the smartphone and the tablet experience in a single device. You wouldn’t want to hold one of these up to your head for a call, but Bluetooth headsets, as well as wired ones, work just fine for the 7-inch slates market that isn’t quite dead yet.

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