Apple Inc. commands the highest satisfaction rating of all tablet sellers among U.S. consumers—along with the vast majority of sales and a high degree of loyalty among owners—according to the new IHS iSuppli U.S. Tablet Consumer Preference study from information and analysis provider IHS (NYSE: IHS).

To measure consumer satisfaction, U.S. tablet owners surveyed were asked how likely they would be to recommend their tablet to friends or family members. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 0 indicating the owner would not recommend it, 10 indicating the owner is very likely to recommend it, and 5 being neutral, iPad owners gave an average rating of 8.8 to their Apple iPads, the highest rating of all the 11 top-ranked brands mentioned by consumers surveyed. More than 80 percent of Apple owners rated their tablet at 8 or higher on the recommendation scale. Fewer than 1 percent gave a rating of less than 5.

In a surprise, China’s Shenzhen GreatAsia Technologies Co. Ltd came in a close second at 8.75, although the overall sample for that model was comparatively small, while Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., with a much larger respondent sample, was third, scoring an average of 8.5.

"Apple’s competitors in the tablet market already are facing major challenges in offering products that can match the iPad’s combination of optimized hardware, software, operating system, applications, content and app store," said Rhoda Alexander, director of monitor and tablet research at IHS. "Now they are facing the reality that consumers in the key U.S. market really love their iPads, with owners expressing satisfaction with Apple’s products in a variety of key measures. Owners not only said they would be more likely to recommend the iPad than a competing product, they also indicated that they will look to Apple for future tablet purchases. With the iPad dominating tablet sales in the United States and worldwide, this high level of consumer satisfaction commanded by Apple represents a major barrier to entry for new competitors."