In a poll conducted for business software specialists Sybase, over half of the 2,500 US consumers quizzed said they were planning to use their iPad for work. Meanwhile, 20 per cent intend to harness its richly colourful 9.7-inch screen for presentations.

And there’s more. Apparently, around 75 per cent of the participants are so convinced of the merits of the iPad as a work tool that they think that it will make them more productive.

Conversely, just over 35 per cent and 48 per cent of the sample are planning to use their none-more-sleek bit of kit for gaming and watching videos respectively. It’s not clear whether they were asking about the much-vaunted Ereader capabilities of the phone.

Either way, the survey’s findings are surprising. And proof positive of Cyberpunk sage William Gibson’s maxim that people find their own uses for technology, irrespective of what was intended by manufacturers.

What’s more, Sybase’s survey also ought to be food for thought for those people who thought that a lack of a physical keypad (unless you stump up £45 for the add-on) made the iPad impractical for large amounts of text entry.

In fact, it would appear that the spread of touchscreen technology to almost every phone even in the mid-range market means that people are now perfectly comfortable with technology that was positively cutting-edge when the first iPhone dropped back in 2007.

Alas, despite rumours that Vodafone is leading the charge, there’s no word yet on whether Apple’s latest wonder device will be available on mobile broadband deals. But we’ll be keeping ‘em peeled on your behalf. And as soon as we hear anything you’ll be the first to know.