Tablets high on holiday wish lists, survey shows

Tablet computers seem destined to be this holiday season's No. 1 gift, as a study from online retailer Expansys finds the technology will be the most welcome present under the Christmas tree.

In a survey of 1,000 Expansys customers, 56 percent of respondents say the tablet is their most-wanted gift this year, putting the mobile devices right up there with other perennial technology presents, including the laptop, the cell phone and the camera.

At the other end of the spectrum, the study reveals the tech lover's least-wanted gift this year is soap-on-a-rope, followed by knitted jumpers and socks.

"It's very clear that customers know what they want for Christmas, and the tablet is set to be this year's hottest gift," says Expansys CMO Julian Neal.

"And if it was ever in doubt, we can now officially confirm that tech lovers don’t want soap-on-a-rope for Christmas," he adds.

Trade group the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) projects consumers will spend an average of $246 on electronics gifts this holiday season, a 6 percent increase from 2010. Similarly, the CEA anticipates tablets to be high on the most-wanted list this year as well.