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Ebooks and especially ereaders have been slowly gathering momentum over many years, but it has been only the last few, where you could say they have really gone anything like mainstream, and mainstream amongst a certain type of person only, which was what I was alluding to in my previous response.
Many people, and not just what you might call dedicated readers, have been interested in ereaders since the idea first went public (and prior that for some of us). The majority it would be fair to say I reckon, have a love of tech stuff, are attracted to it. Many of those interested, initially held off due to cost and poor implementation.
So in short simplistic terms, you can say there are two main groups of readers - those who love reading and or tech, and those who just love reading but don't particularly care for tech. Most of the early adopters are those who love tech. Many of the other group are yet to be convinced, perhaps because they are slow to see or understand the benefits, but also because of the losses, and a general mistrust of what still seems a tech toy to many of them ... and then there is the cost equation.
Even though all of us know how beneficial and ultimately cost saving it can be to stock our freezers with bargain food purchases, how many actually do it?
When it comes to forking out for an ereader, many still struggle with the initial cost, and need incentives beyond cost saving. One of those is multipurpose, which is why iPads and other Tablets are so popular. Getting bang for buck is a real motivator.
I also reckon, that a huge number of current ebook readers, are incidental ones. They got a tablet device mainly for other reasons than ebooks, though it might have been another slight factor in their reason for purchase, as a possible later option. They then tried an ebook, and in many cases I expect, got hooked.
And of course, many are infrequent readers ... if at all.
An interesting note about that last, is that I have found people to usually read more once getting an ereading device ... probably mostly those enamored of tech. And of course, those devices, especially color tablets, go well beyond just novels. They also go beyond the realm of play and into work, schooling, etc. So reading that is not purely entertainment or that at all.
While I know you can't go on E-Ink device sales alone to determine people who deliberately bought a device to read with, I still think you can look at the sale of E-Ink devices to gauge how mainstream ereaders have become. Taking into account all the factors I mentioned above. And it must be remembered, that true converts probably have at least two devices ... especially over a few years. Some as you know, regularly update to the latest and greatest.
Apart from my three listed devices, I also have a 7" cheapy tablet, that has sat in a draw since getting my much superior 9.7" Samsung tablet, plus I had another 10" cheapy tablet that died. Many here have had far more devices ... some going way back into the never never.
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