For the first time in tablet history, Apple's iPads drops below Microsoft's Surface according to a powerful marketing research firm, the JD Powers. The firm's 2017 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study shows that Microsoft has an overall satisfaction score among tablet owners of 855 (on a 1,000-point scale).

The study cites Microsoft’s achievement as largely due to its high rankings in the design, styling, and features factors. Jeff Conklin, vice president of service industries at J.D. Power explains the expansion of Microsoft Surface platform has come to set the bar for customer satisfaction. He further commends Surface's versatility as the central reason for its appeal and success.

According to J.D. Power, Microsoft beats out Apple in terms of its stellar performances in three areas. First is the variety of pre-loaded applications that give customers convenience and enjoyment in using it. Second is the strength of internet connectivity, Finally, availability of manufacturer-supported accessories is also deemed important by buyers.

The report shows that Surface users have the highest incidences of accessory use, underscoring the device’s versatility. Included in the high-ranked satisfaction accessories are a stylus, physical keyboard, and mouse. Additionally, the company that built Surface also achieves the highest ratings in the variety of input/output connectivity and the amount of internal storage available.

According to The Next Web, the sorts of consumers that both Apple and Microsoft attract also play a huge part on their popularity and satisfaction rating. Surface buyers are more likely to be using their tablets for productivity, whereas iPad users where never assured that their tablets are as productive as the MacBook. Other key findings from the study include the rising overall satisfaction of tablet users, lower price and past experiences are drivers for satisfaction, tablet screen size matters, and a data plan in the tablet also increases satisfaction.