Impact on iPad?

[BenLee]

Originally Posted by kjk

And, of course, they didn't ask for primary usage, or main reason for purchase.

I think it's safe to guess that it's something BESIDES reading ebooks

[troymc]

Originally Posted by kjk

And, of course, they didn't ask for primary usage, or main reason for purchase.

True. It'd be nice to see what they would have listed. I'm very curious as to why people would buy an iPad. It just seems like an oversized iPod - and I already have one of those.

But if only 38% listed "reading ebooks" in the first place, then no more than 38% could have listed that as a primary purpose.

Do you know of any pages like that which list stats for any other readers?


Troy

[kjk]

Originally Posted by troymc

True. It'd be nice to see what they would have listed. I'm very curious as to why people would buy an iPad. It just seems like an oversized iPod - and I already have one of those.

But if only 38% listed "reading ebooks" in the first place, then no more than 38% could have listed that as a primary purpose.

Do you know of any pages like that which list stats for any other readers?


Troy

Apple products tend to get the bulk of publicity in terms of analyst surveys, research, and statistical data, sadly. There are for-pay reports of course, but for some reason analysts are eager to give out the Apple data for free in many cases :P

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by vaughnmr

And this guy is a "wizard" on MobileRead????

You can set what you want to be called yourself. It's not a set thing based on how many posts or what you know.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by BenLee

I think it's safe to guess that it's something BESIDES reading ebooks

Probably, for many users. A sizable minority likely use their devices with reading as a primary function, but we don't have any real numbers on that.

However that sizable minority may be very formidable compared to the sales of any individual competing ebook reading product. Again, we don't have firm numbers for it, so its mostly assumptions.

I will probably look hard at the iPad again in the next couple months to completely replace my E-Ink reader for heavy reading use. I will use its other functions, and will certainly play with it, but the primary reason I am considering one is reading. If the software isn't there, I'll continue waiting, and continue doing most of my reading on paper and on my PC.

[vaughnmr]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You can set what you want to be called yourself. It's not a set thing based on how many posts or what you know.

I'm sorry, but this guy was calling all ereaders "crippled" devices. I'm very happy with my Kindle, thank you very much, for all I want to do is READ BOOKS, and I don't want to pay $500 - $1000 for a "walled garden" media device and the associated fees from ATT.

If anyone hasn't noticed, there are some nice ereaders now for $150-190, and they work very well indeed.

[DaringNovelist]

Pundits like to turn things into a conflict, but there just isn't one. The thing about Apple is that they tend to create new markets where there was none before. And the media only half understands what business or technology experts tell them.

The iPad isn't really something new. It's more an extension of moves Apple has already taken. It doesn't even take on the dedicated ereader market (not any more than the iPod actually does) it's just that ebooks are hip, and Jobs knows what he's doing with marketing.

IMHO, if you get behind the hype and the media confusion, the importance of the iPad is convergence. It's too big to replace my iPod Touch, which is a critical bit of equipment for me now. I need it as a PDA and web device, and since I have it stuffed with reading apps and books, as well as some music, I have no need to schlep along an MP3 player, or an ebook reader.

The iPad is too big to replace that yet, and it's not enough to replace my laptop, but I will certainly replace my netbook with it, when my poor little Eee goes. And I think that this is only the first generation. There will be other sizes and capabilities.

And in competition, I expect that the dedicated readers like the Kindle will not offer more features as much as they will get cheaper and cheaper. Which I think would be a spiffy way to carve out a niche in this market. There is a huge untapped market in the people who read used books and library books - and they are price sensitive. A dedicated inexpensive reader that gives access to super cheap indie books, free classics and library loaners, will expand the market even further.

Camille

[Anarel]

Ibooks doesn't have Random House books in their store. I think Random House is the biggest of the Big Six publishers..... another minus.

Amazon=Hundreds of Thousands of books.
Ibooks=Tens of Thousands

Another - for Apple.

[leebase]

I bought the iPad primarily for other things. Still, I read a book a week on it. None of the booms are from the Apple store. There is no reason to take iBook sales as indicating the total books read on the iPad.

If 10% of iPad buyers were considering a kindle...that would mean Amazon is losing 100 thousand sales a month.

If 38% bought the iPad primarily for reading...then there are already 1 million such folks already and there will be three million of them by the end of the year.

We can see how influential even the thought of the iPad was with Amazon and the publishers. Now that it's selling a million units a month...you see the steep discounting of the kindle, nook, and Sony.

Lee

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

I said they are crippled devices.

You cannot fly. Therefore, you are a crippled human being.

Your car cannot fly either. Therefore, it is a crippled device.

Your dog ... your cat ... your goldfish ... etc.

And let's not even start on pbooks.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

In numbers terms, how does 10% of iPad sales compare to 100% of Nook sales?

so if more coffee makers sell this year than iPads should we all bow down to the All Mighty Mr. Coffee?

can you guys honestly tell me that the large majority of people who are buying the iPad is for the E-Reader?

[boswd]

Originally Posted by kjk

But what difference does that make, really? If people keep buying the Nook and Kindle FOR e-reading, then they'll be successful, and the market expands. And iPad users who buy iPads for web browsing, streaming movies, and fun apps may discover they like e-reading as well, and the market expands.

because every media pundit is claiming the iPad is the death of e-readers, when the vast majority of people buying iPads would more than likely would never think about buying an e-reader and could probably careless about the e-reader on the iPad outside to show their friends how cool Winnie the Phoo looks when you turn the pages and how vibrate the color is.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

If readers weren't as crippled as they are, they'd have many of the same functions as an iPad, and people would buy them for similarly varied reasons. They are only "specialized" because they cannot do anything particularly well, and displaying badly typeset text is pretty much the simplest thing after a calculator.

My guess is that many people do buy iPads primarily for reading (I've even entertained the idea a few times myself), and many of the other functions are just extra justification. More power to them. I'd like it if the iPad were a bit higher res and wasn't so tethered, and if there were some decent ebook reading programs out there for it.

I don't think they're crippled, they do what they were built to do, read e books and they do them great.
I don't think my couch is crippled because it doesn't turn into a car.

The funny thing I'm not arguing about the need or want of an iPad, I will eventual get one or one of its competitors if the HP ever get's their butts in gear. But I'm not buying it for the ereader.

and that's the point, everyone want to keep claiming that iPad and the Kindle,Nook, Sony market are the same. They're not by and large.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by boswd

because every media pundit is claiming the iPad is the death of e-readers, when the vast majority of people buying iPads would more than likely would never think about buying an e-reader and could probably careless about the e-reader on the iPad outside to show their friends how cool Winnie the Phoo looks when you turn the pages and how vibrate the color is.

Actually every media pundit isn't making that claim.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by kjk

Actually every media pundit isn't making that claim.

ok two aren't