What does an iPad buyer look like? You may be surprised

That remains to be seen, but new data from BlueKai may shed light on who, exactly, is hoping for a feature-filled iPad this holiday season.

So, which consumers are shelling out the bigger bucks for iPad tablets versus Android tablets or even tablet-similar e-readers? BlueKai reports the following:

• 'Highly Likely' to buy iPads are men, video game buyers and may own pets
• 'Very Likely' iPad buyers work in science/health fields, international or business travelers, live in apartments and like organic foods
• 'Likely' iPad buyers are married couples and college graduates

Why does it matter what an iPad buyer looks like? Because tablets are expected to be huge this holiday season. According to SodaHead the iPad is the most-sought-after holiday gift, with 65% of tablet-hopefuls craving the device. The tech faithful are also hoping Santa might bring them a new smartphone - the iPhone 4S leads that pack - and for those unsure which device to put in the stocking, apps are becoming a hot choice. No longer are people hoping for gift cards (although most won't turn them down), they're also finding that app-gifting is a good idea for the person who has everything else.

Another reason the iPad adopters are important? Data from Jumptap finds iOS users adopt system upgrades and new devices more quickly than Android or Blackberry users. The October Mobile STAT reports finds that three weeks post-iOS 5 launch 32% of iOS traffic within the Jumptap network was from the new iOS. Meanwhile six months after Android 2.3 released less than half of Android traffic was from an upgraded device.

Tags: BlueKai, iPad research, Jumptap, mobile marketing, mobile trends, SodaHead, tablet advertising, tablet usage