Adoption of three new types of computers in Taiwan: Tablet PCs, netbooks, and smart phones

•This study examined the adoption of Tablet PCs, netbooks, and smart phones in Taiwan.•This study used Rogers’ diffusion of innovation model as theoretical framework.•A telephone survey was adopted and 1100 valid questionnaires were obtained.•This study’s findings are generally congruent with the predictions of Rogers’ model.•A pro-innovation bias in Rogers’ model explains the diffusion of netbooks.

Tablet PCs, netbooks, and smart phones are similar to one another in that they possess the basic functions of computers, but they differ in what functions they emphasize. Rogers’ diffusion of innovation model has been widely recognized as a powerful model for predicting technology adoption. This study adopted Rogers’ model to examine the adoption intentions of the three new types of computers. A telephone survey was conducted to collect data. This study made 1757 telephone calls, from which 1100 valid calls were obtained, representing a response rate of 62.61%. The data analysis demonstrates that the findings are generally congruent with the predictions of Rogers’ model. However, this study’s results also reveal one limitation of Rogers’ model, its pro-innovation bias, which explains why the diffusion of netbooks was incongruent with Rogers’ model.