Quote:
Originally Posted by Alexander Turcic
As the saying goes, the only statistics you can trust are those you falsified yourself. That said, according to a survey conducted by Heathrow Airport, seven out of ten people going on vacation would rather schlep paper books than opt for a slim e-reader.
Heathrow Airport Retail Director Muriel Zingraff-Shariff said: "There’s no doubt that the popularity of eBooks has boomed in recent years, but when it comes to relaxing on holiday it seems you just can’t beat a good book. People want a break from technology whilst they’re abroad, so it’s understandable that people would rather swap their Blackberry for Malorie Blackman."
Which makes sense of course since the retail director of an airport would much rather have you buy paper books from the local WHSmith bookstore than buy them online, let's say via Amazon Whispernet.
The survey also found that people worry about e-readers not coping well with sun, sea, and sand, which is true, I suppose, especially if you run out of ziplock bags.
Related: Taking e-books to the beach - share your tips, E-Reader on the beach |
I think you have a point there Alex. You can prove just about anything via statistics if you pick and choose them the right way. And since it's human beings who do the statistical information gathering in this case you have to figure that there is some unconscious bias involved as well. i.e. why do they stop and talk to this person but not that one etc.