In my country (in 2007):
62% of the population over 6 y/o never reads a book.
14,8% reads 1 to 2 books / year
15,2% 3 to 5
8% more than 6
The average expense in books is 65€/year, textbook included.
Is there really a marketplace for ebooks and ereaders?
Somebody talked about iPods.
Here almost everyone under 40 have got one (or more). Given what iPod does with middle frequencies, it's like to have an ebook reader that prevents the reader from reading the final chapter...
Nonetheless everybody's got one or is longing to.
Why?
Because iPod is not a media player, or a tech gadget or an useful device. It's rather a stud, a fashion accessory, like a bracelet or a diamond ring.
So, if somebody wants to get those market shares with an ereader, they have to get Prada design it, and make it fully visible and ostensible.
Or go for that 8% of the people, knowing that at least 1/3 of them will never manage a reading device, for the love they have with tho book as a physical object (NLP experts call them
kinestethic people), and another third doesn't read enough to justify the expense...