Who will fill the gap if B&N collapses

[HarryT]

It does seem slightly curious. It would interesting to know if people were asked if they owned an ereader, or if they used one. If it were the latter, that could well account for the lower number.

[DiapDealer]

It's just in how the data is collated. All of Americans didn't get asked if they own an ereader in the initial report to come up with the 32%. Just as all of Americans didn't get asked if they own an ereader for the later report to come up with 19%. And sure as shootin'... the same Americans didn't get asked each time.

I'm not saying the different numbers don't indicate that less dedicated eink ereaders are being purchased (mostly because I think it does indicate that). I'm saying the 13% change doesn't say much of anything about whether previous eink device owners are destroying them (or giving them away).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

It's just in how the data is collated. All of Americans didn't get asked if they own an ereader in the initial report to come up with the 32%. Just as all of Americans didn't get asked if they own an ereader for the later report to come up with 19%. And sure as shootin'... the same Americans didn't get asked each time.

I'm not saying the different numbers don't indicate that less dedicated eink ereaders are being purchased (mostly because I think it does indicate that). I'm saying the 13% change doesn't say much of anything about whether previous eink device owners are destroying them (or giving them away).

True, although organisations that do polling are generally (although certainly not always, I agree) reasonably good at coming up with sample populations that are representative of the population as a whole. The poll has no value otherwise.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The poll has no value otherwise.

Which is more and more the case in this day and age of micro-analytics. It's not about what polls say, it's about what they can get people to believe they say.

Like I said, I already believe that more and more people are reading on tablets/phones. I just don't think there's a reliable poll that can tell us how many people who are currently reading on a tablet/phone have destroyed or gave their previously owned eink device away. Nor exactly what knowing how many were given away would even indicate. "Given away" is a change of ownership. Unless the new owner is asked whether or not they still use it ...

They should just stick to new sales for their polling.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

In 2014, some 32% of adults in the US owned a dedicated e-reader device. In 2016, that number had fallen to 19%, a very big drop, yet ebook sales and revenue continues to grow.

Do you have a citation for that?

I was under the impression that the majority of US adults are not book readers and that the majority of book readers read paper books and that for some years now the majority of ebook reading is done on tablets and phones. That makes 32% of all adults owning a dedicated ereader seem dubious.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Do you have a citation for that?

I was under the impression that the majority of US adults are not book readers and that the majority of book readers read paper books and that for some years now the majority of ebook reading is done on tablets and phones. That makes 32% of all adults owning a dedicated ereader seem dubious.

Google is your friend. I just googled "dedicated ereader 32" then followed the links.

http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/2...ice-ownership/

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Which is more and more the case in this day and age of micro-analytics. It's not about what polls say, it's about what they can get people to believe they say.

Like I said, I already believe that more and more people are reading on tablets/phones. I just don't think there's a reliable poll that can tell us how many people who are currently reading on a tablet/phone destoyed or gave their previously owned eink device away. Nor exactly what knowing how many were given away would even indicate. "Given away" is a change of ownership. Unless the new owner is asked whether or not they still use it ...

They should just stick to new sales for their polling.

As I said, it all depends on what the actual question is, and how the individuals answered that question. Technically, I have four or five ereader devices. However, I don't really use any of them and I think that only 2 will actually power up any more. I use my iPad to read on. Depending on how the question was phrased, I might answer 5, I might answer 1 (the most recent) or I might answer 0.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

As I said, it all depends on what the actual question is, and how the individuals answered that question. Technically, I have four or five ereader devices. However, I don't really use any of them and I think that only 2 will actually power up any more. I use my iPad to read on. Depending on how the question was phrased, I might answer 5, I might answer 1 (the most recent) or I might answer 0.

Which is further proof that the numbers presented don't really offer much useful information concerning ownership, no?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Google is your friend. I just googled "dedicated ereader 32" then followed the links.

http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/2...ice-ownership/

OK, Pew is reputable, and they were checking on phones, computers, etc in the same survey. It seems likely their questions were precise and clear. My only guess is that a lot of Kindle Fire owners responded: "Sure, I have a Kindle."

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

OK, Pew is reputable, and they were checking on phones, computers, etc in the same survey. It seems likely their questions were precise and clear. My only guess is that a lot of Kindle Fire owners responded: "Sure, I have a Kindle."

My mother refers to her iPad as her Kindle since she uses the Kindle App. In some minds Kindle is a bit like Keenex.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Which is further proof that the numbers presented don't really offer much useful information concerning ownership, no?

it's useful, but has to be taken with a degree of salt. Most numbers we see are from polls and estimates rather than exact numbers. At best you can look at the trends. I would say that the basic point that people are moving from dedicated ereaders to tablets is true in general. Sure, there are individuals who like the eInk, but tablets are much more common.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

I would say that the basic point that people are moving from dedicated ereaders to tablets is true in general.

I had no trouble believing that before I ever saw those Pew numbers.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

My mother refers to her iPad as her Kindle since she uses the Kindle App. In some minds Kindle is a bit like Keenex.

OK, then. Unless most dedicated e-readers were bought as christmas, birthday, or graduation presents that were unused but not forgotten, I still doubt adult e-reader ownership ever hit 32% in the US, and words meaning what people want them to mean defeats successful communication again.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

My mother refers to her iPad as her Kindle since she uses the Kindle App. In some minds Kindle is a bit like Keenex.

You've slightly lost me there. Like it in what way?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You've slightly lost me there. Like it in what way?

I think it was a typo for Kleenex. A brand name that in the US is used for any paper tissue, rather like Hoover is used as a generic term for vacuum cleaner in the UK.

"Kindle" is on the way to meaning "generic device on which one reads books".