No one under 30 would buy an ebook reader

Nate the great · 11-27-2007, 07:21 PM

Quote:

My daughter came in from San Francisco for Thanksgiving and I showed her my Sony reader and asked her opinion of the Kindle.

Background info: Erin is 27, an English major with a Masters in Journalism from Medil. She works for Wired Magazine and is about as tech-savvy as a person can get. With this background her opinion really surprised me.

She would never use a Sony Reader or a Kindle, or an independent ebook reader of any kind! Further, she stated, unequivocally, that no person in her age group would use one either.

from: http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/11...-reader-et-al/

I don't think she knows what she's talking about.

I'm under 30, and I have a Kindle. I know of at least one college student who has an ebook reader. In addition, while showing off my Kindle I have encountered 5 college students that are thinking about getting en ebook reader.

What does everyone else think?

kovidgoyal · 11-27-2007, 07:32 PM

Does his daughter provide the non-tech user perspective at wired.com ;-)

RWood · 11-27-2007, 08:13 PM

It seems that a lot of people are looking for a single device to do everything. I guess this is why feature creep is so common in cell phones. When was the last time you heard of a cell phone making a great cup of coffee?

ricdiogo · 11-27-2007, 08:21 PM

I'm 26 and have ordered mine yesterday. Don't know anyone with such devices, though (-30 or +30). Some of my friends read a lot but prefer the "paper's smell"; some of them are quite curious to see my Cybook when I get it; most of them say it's too expensive; most of them agree that they'd buy one if it costed 100€/$.

Roy White · 11-27-2007, 08:51 PM

I bought my Son one when the Credit card deal was 58 bucks.. (After spending 250 for mine aarrgghh...) He is 17 years old... He reads it all the time and is always asking me for any 'new' books I think he would like to read. I've bought a few on Sony connect for him that I otherwise wouldn't have bought. he prefers the reader to Quote.. "Real books!"

I think once people use it for awhile and get over any prejudices they might have they usually recognize the superiority of the reader and other ebook readers... immediately.

desidrj · 11-27-2007, 10:15 PM

I'm 28 and anxiously waiting for mine from my mother for christmas. Had this come out 10 years ago, I would have wanted it then too. But then, I read a few books a week, so I guess I'm a nerd

sea2stars · 11-27-2007, 10:43 PM

Well.. how many people, in the 30ish age group, do you know that regularly read anything beyond their email or the back of their shampoo bottle? I'm 32 and besides my wife I can name only a few. Then again, my wife though my eb1150 was "interesting" after reading a bunch of short stories on it, and hasn't shown any huge interest in my Sony Reader. Yet.

Nate the great · 11-27-2007, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sea2stars

Well.. how many people, in the 30ish age group, do you know that regularly read anything beyond their email or the back of their shampoo bottle? I'm 32 and besides my wife I can name only a few. Then again, my wife though my eb1150 was "interesting" after reading a bunch of short stories on it, and hasn't shown any huge interest in my Sony Reader. Yet.

That's a good point. But, to put that question in context we would first have to ask what percentage of the other age groups read? Is the percentage and absolute number of under 30 readers significantly less than the other age groups?

I don't think it is. But I really don't know.

PHugger · 11-27-2007, 11:01 PM

If it was stated - There are less readers under 30, so there will be less under 30 bookreader purchases.

I might agree......... (c8

PCH

sea2stars · 11-28-2007, 12:38 AM

I think that older and elderly people have an increased proclivity towards reading; compared to those under 30. Of course I really don't have any hard evidence beyond time spent working at B&N through college, and knowing friends and family. *chuckle* Then again, somehow I can't see my great aunt using a Kindle; she's still scared of computers and I'm amazed that we got her to carry around a cell phone.

This woman might have small point though. I often wonder exactly who Sony, Amazon, and the other ereader peddlers, have decided to market their devices towards.

yvanleterrible · 11-28-2007, 09:43 AM

My daughter is 25 and really wants one. Mine.

$300 is too much for her to afford.

tribble · 11-28-2007, 10:51 AM

My niece is 9 and she loves the iLiad and the CyBook. She allways asks me how sales are going, since i promised i will give her a CyBook, if i sell lots of eReaders.

nekokami · 11-28-2007, 10:54 AM

Both of my kids (aged 13 and 16) are quite attracted to ebook readers. My younger daughter is the bigger reader of the two, and is currently using my eBw 1150. Neither of my kids like "smelly" books.

Then again, they might read on their phones if that were an option. (Our phones are too small and cheap to make that feasible.) But my younger daughter doesn't even bother to keep minutes in her phone -- I think she's only using it as a phone book, at this point.

I don't think we're exactly a typical "American" family.

jamesdmanley · 11-28-2007, 11:21 AM

im 26, but admittedly, i wouldnt have bought my 500 w/o the sony card offer. its just not at the price point id be comfortable with yet. $300 can buy a lot of pbooks at half-price books! i still visit the $0.50 clearance rack and find all sorts of books ive been wanting to read

mores · 11-28-2007, 11:39 AM

so what.
just like saying "no one under 30 gets a station wagon" .. then again you have a number of young people driving around with them.

i have never seen an eInk device in real life, but i can immagine that it is quite a neat viewing experience.
but would i buy a 400-dollar unit just for reading? i don't think i would. laptop + cellphone + bluetooth headset ... then add another device?
i think i'd prefer a smartphone with eInk screen

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11-27-2007, 07:32 PM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,164 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Does his daughter provide the non-tech user perspective at wired.com ;-)

11-27-2007, 08:13 PM	#3
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	It seems that a lot of people are looking for a single device to do everything. I guess this is why feature creep is so common in cell phones. When was the last time you heard of a cell phone making a great cup of coffee?

11-27-2007, 08:21 PM	#4
ricdiogo Gutenberger Posts: 142 Karma: 700 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lisbon, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen 3	I'm 26 and have ordered mine yesterday. Don't know anyone with such devices, though (-30 or +30). Some of my friends read a lot but prefer the "paper's smell"; some of them are quite curious to see my Cybook when I get it; most of them say it's too expensive; most of them agree that they'd buy one if it costed 100€/$.

11-27-2007, 08:51 PM	#5
Roy White Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 7696 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Turner, Oregon Device: Sony Reader	I bought my Son one when the Credit card deal was 58 bucks.. (After spending 250 for mine aarrgghh...) He is 17 years old... He reads it all the time and is always asking me for any 'new' books I think he would like to read. I've bought a few on Sony connect for him that I otherwise wouldn't have bought. he prefers the reader to Quote.. "Real books!" I think once people use it for awhile and get over any prejudices they might have they usually recognize the superiority of the reader and other ebook readers... immediately.

11-27-2007, 10:15 PM	#6
desidrj Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Sony PRS 505	I'm 28 and anxiously waiting for mine from my mother for christmas. Had this come out 10 years ago, I would have wanted it then too. But then, I read a few books a week, so I guess I'm a nerd

11-27-2007, 10:43 PM	#7
sea2stars Zealot Posts: 104 Karma: 64 Join Date: Dec 2006 Device: eb1150, Sony Reader	Well.. how many people, in the 30ish age group, do you know that regularly read anything beyond their email or the back of their shampoo bottle? I'm 32 and besides my wife I can name only a few. Then again, my wife though my eb1150 was "interesting" after reading a bunch of short stories on it, and hasn't shown any huge interest in my Sony Reader. Yet.

11-27-2007, 11:01 PM	#9
PHugger Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 8443 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: NJ Device: Kindle 3G, Sony PRS-505	If it was stated - There are less readers under 30, so there will be less under 30 bookreader purchases. I might agree......... (c8 PCH

11-28-2007, 12:38 AM	#10
sea2stars Zealot Posts: 104 Karma: 64 Join Date: Dec 2006 Device: eb1150, Sony Reader	I think that older and elderly people have an increased proclivity towards reading; compared to those under 30. Of course I really don't have any hard evidence beyond time spent working at B&N through college, and knowing friends and family. chuckle Then again, somehow I can't see my great aunt using a Kindle; she's still scared of computers and I'm amazed that we got her to carry around a cell phone. This woman might have small point though. I often wonder exactly who Sony, Amazon, and the other ereader peddlers, have decided to market their devices towards.

11-28-2007, 09:43 AM	#11
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	My daughter is 25 and really wants one. Mine. $300 is too much for her to afford.

11-28-2007, 10:51 AM	#12
tribble iLiad Maniac Posts: 1,382 Karma: 2369 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Germany Device: Bookeen Opus (i love that thing) and iPad (what an irony)	My niece is 9 and she loves the iLiad and the CyBook. She allways asks me how sales are going, since i promised i will give her a CyBook, if i sell lots of eReaders.

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11-28-2007, 10:54 AM	#13
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Both of my kids (aged 13 and 16) are quite attracted to ebook readers. My younger daughter is the bigger reader of the two, and is currently using my eBw 1150. Neither of my kids like "smelly" books. Then again, they might read on their phones if that were an option. (Our phones are too small and cheap to make that feasible.) But my younger daughter doesn't even bother to keep minutes in her phone -- I think she's only using it as a phone book, at this point. I don't think we're exactly a typical "American" family.

11-28-2007, 11:21 AM	#14
jamesdmanley Groupie Posts: 156 Karma: 817 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: houston Device: prs-500	im 26, but admittedly, i wouldnt have bought my 500 w/o the sony card offer. its just not at the price point id be comfortable with yet. $300 can buy a lot of pbooks at half-price books! i still visit the $0.50 clearance rack and find all sorts of books ive been wanting to read

11-28-2007, 11:39 AM	#15
mores Guru Posts: 834 Karma: 102419 Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vienna, Austria Device: iPhone	so what. just like saying "no one under 30 gets a station wagon" .. then again you have a number of young people driving around with them. i have never seen an eInk device in real life, but i can immagine that it is quite a neat viewing experience. but would i buy a 400-dollar unit just for reading? i don't think i would. laptop + cellphone + bluetooth headset ... then add another device? i think i'd prefer a smartphone with eInk screen