New Study Shows Ereader Ownership Growing Faster than Tablet Ownership

[cfrizz]

I do, on my pc & my reader. I usually have my stereo going as well. It is a major source of my entertainment. I generally read for a few hours every day, and on the weekend that number goes up.

Originally Posted by Ditchleyportrait

...but in this day and age, who really sits down and reads, and reads only?

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by vxf

I am extremely skeptical of all polls and similar... you know what they say.... '90% of statistical results are made up'...

...

As reported above, the sample is about 2800 people. That doesn't sound bad. I wonder if that is the number of responses or of contacts. They claim a margin of 2% - which makes sense, if those are actual responses.

...

I know, that is only a possibility, I am grasping at straws. But I just can't believe 12%.

While I share your surprise at the results -- abt 28 million US adults own ereaders (and how many own more than one?) vs abt 19 million US adults who own tablets -- it's unreasonable to dismiss these results out of hand. The research body, Pew Research Center, is a professional, highly respected independent group using accepted research methodologies. The 2800 are responses, not contacts, you can be sure.

FWIW, I have seen other studies by high profile reputable research firms (the likes of Nielsen and Ipsos) showing similar 4:3 ereader:tablet splits in recent weeks.

But I do find the overall percentage does not ring true with expectations. Nonetheless, suppose the numbers are more like 8% readers and 6% tablets? By the end of the summer or mid-autumn, they will have reached 12% and 8% anyway, right? So, I wouldn't fuss too much on the numbers as the direction and implications are likely accurate.

As in the old adage: if it's not quite true right now, wait five minutes: it will be.

[anamardoll]

I heartily encourage viewing polls and studies with skepticism. Always.

However, the numbers don't seem surprising to me. Granted I come from a techie social circle where we definitely have money to spend on electronics. But.

I have 3 eInk devices and 1 LCD eReader (NC). My husband and step-daughter both have their own Nook Colors based on my ownership. My mother has a Sony 350, based on my encouragement (and she owns an iPad). I know at least 5-6 people at my job who have eInk devices; several more have iPads or other tablets.

I honestly can't think of anyone I know who doesn't have a tablet or eInk device in their household. Maybe they, personally, don't own one, but their spouse or kids or parents do...

Well, that's been my experience, anyway.

[DMB]

I'm in my 70s and don't know many people with either. There are a few Kindle owners in my family, but that's because they saw mine first. In general friends of my own age group take much longer than I do to adopt technology. I waited for quite a few years before I could email most of them!

[Ken Maltby]

Well... let me guess. I would guess that a high percentage of people with ereaders and
or tablets have access to the internet. Gee I did that without even asking anyone!

I would think my guess to be correct, unless people are getting their ebooks at garage
sales.

Another guess: I think most who read ebooks have access to a computer of some kind.

Another guess: I think most get their ebooks through their computer not their device,
even among those with ereaders that provide a means to buy from the device.
(That could change over time, but I doubt that it ever well.)

Another guess: None of the many gadgets that "will replace the computer", will ever
do so.

Luck;
Ken

[fjtorres]

[QUOTE=Ken Maltby;1637081]
Another guess: None of the many gadgets that "will replace the computer", will ever
do so.

L/QUOTE]


Strictly speaking, all the "computer killers" to date are computers themselves.

[Andrew H.]

I don't really find the numbers that surprising. And Pew is a reputable polling organization, so the numbers are likely pretty accurate. It's not a poll that only tracked respondents.

The most interesting data to me is the change in the 30-49 y.o. age group - their e-reader ownership has almost tripled, but their tablet ownership rate only went up by 50%.

[Dulin's Books]

i'm a little skeptical of the numbers as its hard to wrap your head around the actual number suggested by the poll.

Its saying that 14 MILLION adults in the US bought ebook readers in the 6 months from November to May.

Thats a huge number. I can understand a bunch were purchased in Nov and Dec. Then there was a big empty range from January through Feb. Then sales pick up again March-May. but 14 million people increase in ebook reader ownership is a huge number.

[magicmonster]

This does not take in account those who have a reader that can also be a tablet (nookColor).

[Dulin's Books]

well the study results differentiate between who owns a reader, who owns a tablet and who owns both.

the questions were

As I read the following list of items, please tell me if you happen to have each one, or not. Do you have...

An electronic Book device or e-Book reader, such as a Kindle or Nook?

A tablet computer like an iPad, Samsung Galaxy or Motorola Xoom?