Of the more than 2600 consumers participating in the survey, only 22 percent already own a tablet.

From the survey results, the greatest attraction of an iPad Mini would be price, something Apple showed some sensitivity to when it decided to keep the iPad 2 in the market at $399 when it the third generation iPad earlier this year. That move was seen by some as a to the market's desire for lower priced tablets as evidenced by the slate during the holiday season.

When asked about their reasons for buying an iPad Mini, almost two-thirds (64 percent) of the consumers cite a lower price point compared to the new iPad or iPad 2. What's more, when the consumers in the survey were asked what features they'd like to see in an iPad Mini, their top choice is a lower price (84 percent).

Size, though, also seems to be important. More than half (54 percent) acknowledge that size matters to them and feel a smaller iPad would be more portable. On the "wish list" question, though, size (60 percent) trailed 3G connectivity (65 percent) as a desired feature.

Consumers in the survey also show enthusiasm for giving an iPad Mini as a gift, with one in two (51 percent) saying they'd consider buying a pint-sized iPad as a present for the upcoming holiday season.