Editor's note: This article appeared in the July 28, 2010, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.

When it comes to the technology trends consumers are most excited about, online content delivery ranks at the top of the list, according to a study from Boston research company Chadwick Martin Bailey. When asked which of the recently-hyped technologies they are most excited about, consumers chose movie rentals via the Internet, with 29 percent being extremely excited by this. Having the ability to surf the Web via TV also came in high in at 26 percent.

The second-highest excitement ranking (26 percent) was the possibility of the iPhone being available on a mobile carrier other than AT&T. Considering this research was conducted prior to the announcement that AT&T Wireless has the exclusive iPhone contract until 2012, it is interesting to note that 30 percent of consumers in this study said they are highly to moderately likely to switch carriers to get a device their current carrier does not offer. 

Even with all the media attention and sizable advertising campaigns around Android-based phones and the iPad, excitement for these two devices ranked lowest on the list at 15 and 16 percent, respectively. It's clear for most consumers that content delivery is more exciting than the device the content is delivered on.

"After many years of media hype and false starts, we're finally starting to see the concept of accessing feature-length films and TV shows through the Internet cross the chasm into the mainstream. Industry developments like increasingly-fast and ubiquitous broadband access, Netflix's shift to online movie rentals, TV networks making more shows available on their Web sites, online video services like Hulu, growth in iTunes video downloads and massive peer-to-peer video sharing through social networks are all helping to break down the mental divide between a TV screen and the Internet," says Chris Neal, vice president, technology, Chadwick Martin Bailey.

Additionally, while consumers seem to be drawn to the content more than high-tech gadgets, devices such as the iPad that allow simultaneous usage (watching TV while also online) don't appear to influence online usage habits when they're watching TV versus when they are not, according to New York researcher The Nielsen Company. Nearly 40 percent of people use TV and the Web simultaneously each week, and people are on the computer when they are watching television about 4 percent of the time.