Survey Reveals 49% of iPad Owners No Longer Want an eReader

[BenLee]

Found this interesting article about a recent survey done on iPad users.

The findings were that iPads appeal to mostly females and new Apple users.

But the part I found most interesting was this segment here:

According to the survey, 49 percent of iPad users said they would not be buying an e-reader now. More interesting was the fact that 38 percent said they wouldn't be buying a portable gaming device and 32 percent said they are not in the market for a laptop or netbook because of their iPad.

So, half of the iPad owners no longer want to consider buying an eReader. Considering the 3 million (?) iPads that have sold or will be sold.... that's a lot of people who have been eliminated as possible eReader users.

Another interesting bit was this

For people who intend to buy the iPad, the main reasons are entertainment (58 percent), cool factor (42 percent), convenience (40 percent) and brand (28 percent).

I knew entertainment and "cool" had something to do with the iPad's success, but wow. Amazing. Plus, nobody even mentioned anything about utility or reading. "convenience" is somewhat vague. Convenient to do what?

[Teddman]

Hmm... Rather meaningless without a statistic of how many iPad owners were interested in buying a dedicated e-reader before they had bought an Ipad.

Actually, I'm surprised they left out that question because it would have been the most telling point of comparison.

[HansTWN]

I think it actually is pretty good news for e-readers. Doesn't it mean that 51% would consider buying an e-reader? And many of these 51% probably never even thought about that before they got the iPad. So perhaps using the iPad and experiencing some of the shortcomings helped them warm up to getting a dedicated reader.

[Hadel]

Originally Posted by Teddman

Hmm... Rather meaningless without a statistic of how many iPad owners were interested in buying a dedicated e-reader before they had bought an Ipad.

Actually, I'm surprised they left out that question because it would have been the most telling point of comparison.

I second that.
iPad was never about reading e-books, but about "coolness" and "iSomethingness"

They could also have added a question like:
"Do you consider buying now a water pistol?". I bet 80% would have answered "no"...

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Hadel

I second that.
iPad was never about reading e-books, but about "coolness" and "iSomethingness"

They could also have added a question like:
"Do you consider buying now a water pistol?". I bet 80% would have answered "no"...

Not if it is an Apple water pistol. They would be lining up for days before launch...

[Maggie Leung]

Someone else posted this link to the same survey, with more info:

http://mashable.com/2010/07/08/ipad-usage-report/

As for "coolness": It's not something you can buy.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by BenLee

... "convenience" is somewhat vague. Convenient to do what?

I'm guessing that convenience is determined by each owner. I wanted a tablet long before Apple announced one. My priorities were portable e-books, e-mail and Internet, with long battery life and access whenever I wanted.

iPad does a variety of things that buyers might want portably, such as games and movies. So if any of those features are of specific interest, they would be made more convenient to the individual buyer.

[LDBoblo]

I'm not sure how useful these data are, excepting some of the market perception stuff. The "would not buy after owning an iPad" part is oddly phrased and doesn't appear to consider how many "would buy without owning an iPad".

However, since the iPad is an ebook reader, I'm not exactly sure what the issue is. After buying an ebook reader, some people don't want to buy another one. Seems reasonable, though a bit out of character for the Apple buyer stereotype.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

I'm not sure how useful these data are, excepting some of the market perception stuff. The "would not buy after owning an iPad" part is oddly phrased and doesn't appear to consider how many "would buy without owning an iPad".

However, since the iPad is an ebook reader, I'm not exactly sure what the issue is. After buying an ebook reader, some people don't want to buy another one. Seems reasonable, though a bit out of character for the Apple buyer stereotype.

The stereotype seems questionable if one-third of buyers hadn't bought an Apple product before iPad.

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

The stereotype seems questionable if one-third of buyers hadn't bought an Apple product before iPad.

Thus two thirds are repeat customers. That's pretty high. Further, they're gaining customers, and they even refer to the iPad as a "gateway" product.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Thus two thirds are repeat customers. That's pretty high.

Yes, as the link I reposted mentions, iPod helped bring many first-time customers to Apple. iPhone probably did likewise. I'm guessing that they're not selling tens of millions of devices on "coolness" alone. I think people found the devices user friendly. Look at how many dowdy people are walking around with iDevices. I think that's a bigger pool than the hip-and-trendy buyers, which there are, of course.

[Donnageddon]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Thus two thirds are repeat customers. That's pretty high

Not really considering the ubiquitedness of iPods. I had't owned an apple product in over 15 years, and then got an iPod Touch. That is what convinced me to get an iPad. And I have no regrets.

But I am still waiting for the next gen eInk readers, cause I need the portability. iPad is a great home ereader, but I still want a 6 inch eInk reader.

[hapmas77]

Hmmm... I guess that if you spend so much money for iPad, you will not buying any ereader (or tablets) for some time.

Anyway, I'm considering to buy one.... Just need a correct reason to tell my wife.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by hapmas77

Hmmm... I guess that if you spend so much money for iPad, you will not buying any ereader (or tablets) for some time.

Anyway, I'm considering to buy one.... Just need a correct reason to tell my wife.

Lol. Note that many MobileRead users own multiple devices, which add up to near or more than the cost of iPad.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

Lol. Note that many MobileRead users own multiple devices, which add up to near or more than the cost of iPad.

Several times more, for some of us .

I'm not sure what this thread means when it says that "iPad owners will not be buying an e(book)reader". The iPad is an ebook reader, along with many other things too. It's a pretty good ebook reader. The only thing it's really not good at is reading outside in sunlight.