Apple’s recently introduced iPad has been criticized by many analysts as being just a big iPod touch.

A new survey, though, suggests that people are really interested in a handheld computer that’s basically a big iPod touch.

RBC/Changewave found that 13% of the people they interviewed were very likely  or somewhat likely to buy an Apple iPad when it comes available:

Even more interesting is the fact that this is nearly 50% higher than the percent of people that were interested in the Apple iPhone when it was announced.

RBC analyst Mike Abramsky attributes much of the interest to the device’s unexpectedly low $499 starting price. “Only 8 percent (of respondents) appear unwilling to pay Apple’s indicated iPad prices,” Abramsky notes. “That’s below the 28 percent who balked at initial iPhone pricing.”

Top planned uses for the device are:

• Surfing the Internet (68 percent),
• Checking e-mail (44 percent), and
• Reading e-books (37 percent).

Expect lines when the iPad is released.

via DigitalDaily