Of the people surveyed, how many had researched it enough to know it didn't have a replaceable battery, no IM, and you couldn't install any apps? How serious were they? I had a 'strong interest in buying one' myself before maybe two weeks ago when more info about the device was revealed. And I have great motivation to get one since I have friends that work for Apple asking me if I want one for a cool $350 with their discount. But I bought a Treo instead for $240 (and no limiting contract) because it is the minivan as opposed to the Ferrari.
Again, you are talking apples to my oranges. You assume that IM, apps and battery are issues for everyone. (for instance, how many phones actually have IM? of the hundreds of millions out there?) When you are stating your preferences not speaking for the entire public. That's why the number is at 9%, not 99%.
Just because these particular preferences are not available does not mean the number will be lower--you can't tell. The number might be higher or lower depending on what people think when they "test drive" it. However, strong buy interest usually translates to a purchase. Even if the number is 1/2 of the 9% that would still blow away target goals set by Apple (1%).