iPad closing in on kindle - Page 2

JLeighs · 12-03-2010, 11:53 AM

I don't really understand comparing the market share of iPad vs. Kindle/Nook/Sony etc. Isn't that kind of like saying that the Black & Decker food processor is closing in on the KitchenAid mixer?

Or am I missing something?

MsAstoria · 12-03-2010, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

In another survey, half of iPad owners buy kindle books so Amazon is likely very happy with the ipad's success.

Lee

Exactly! I had a K2 but i totally love the iPad! Like this poster, I access my amazon library and read my books through the free Kindle app. As for those who dislike LCD brightness, I just turn mine down to 50% when in the reading app and it's quite comfortable to read at that setting. Battery life of ten hours is plenty for me. I just plug it in before going to sleep and it's ready to go when I wake up.

leebase · 12-03-2010, 04:17 PM

The iPad and kindle are indeed different, but the iPad can replace the desire/need for a kindle. There's a thread in the Apple section, and a good majority of the folks who had an ereader have abandoned it once they got their iPad. Some haven't, but clearly, the iPad is competition for the kindle.

However, I'm not one who thinks that eInk readers will go away. They will simply have a smaller marketshare than they would have had otherwise.

Have folks seen the new Kindle Books Tv ads? Shows a woman who bought a lot of kindle books for her iPhone, then she moved to an Android phone and was able to take all her books with her. Ends with a display of all the devices that kindle runs on. It wasn't an add for the Kindle, but for Kindle books.

In another survey, more iPad owners bought books from Amazon than Apple. There's a good chance that both more kindle books and more kindles will be sold because of the iPad raising the awareness of ereading through it's own advertising.

Lee

L.J. Sellers · 12-03-2010, 04:54 PM

Conversely, the majority of iPad owners are young and male. Some analysts say there's no point in comparing iPads to e-readers because they're not truly competitive, appealing to different consumers for different reasons.
L.J.

Ankh · 12-03-2010, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

The iPad and kindle are indeed different, but the iPad can replace the desire/need for a kindle.

Maybe it can.

Do all us want iPads instead of Kindle, though? I am not so certain. At $140, lots of Kindle shortcomings (lock-in to Amazon store, lack of access to library) are becoming less and less of an issue, at least for me.

leebase · 12-03-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ankh

Maybe it can.

Do all us want iPads instead of Kindle, though? I am not so certain. At $140, lots of Kindle shortcomings (lock-in to Amazon store, lack of access to library) are becoming less and less of an issue, at least for me.

I agree. Maybe I didn't make that clear. I think there's a market for both. I just wouldn't say because the iPad does more stuff it's not really a competitor for dedicated readers.

Lee

leebase · 12-03-2010, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.J. Sellers

Conversely, the majority of iPad owners are young and male. Some analysts say there's no point in comparing iPads to e-readers because they're not truly competitive, appealing to different consumers for different reasons.
L.J.

???? Did I say otherwise? I'm not one saying that no one will want a dedicated reader. But I do think the iPad and forthcoming Android slates will reduce the market for dedicated ereaders. By the end of next year, it's likely that more Kindle books will be read on an iPad than on a kindle.

Lee

emellaich · 12-03-2010, 08:18 PM

... and building on what everyone else has said. The problem with the survey is that it calculates a market based on ereaders plus iPads.

More appropriate would be ereaders plus the number of iPads that are used for book reading (not someone who has tried it once, but someone who regularly reads books on it).

For me, I am addicted to books. This means that I read (listen using TTS) while I work out and drive. I bring a 'book' along when I am going to wait on line, and etcetera. In the old days this meant reading on my pda, but the eyes can't handle print that small anymore, so now it means the Kindle. My iPad is too big to carry with me all the time. Furthermore, a unit that I have with me all the time is likely to take a few knocks. I'd rather replace a Kindle, than an iPad.

J. Strnad · 12-03-2010, 10:59 PM

I've gotten three checks from Amazon for Kindle versions of Risen, and one from Smashwords. Each of these checks was within a few bucks of the same amount.

If 25% of my sales are through Smashwords, and Smashwords distributes through its own site and Sony and B&N and Kobo and Diesel and Apple, then my iPad sales are a small fraction of my Kindle sales. Say, 75% (Kindle) vs. maybe 5% or less for Apple?

So, when people talk about the iPad killing the Kindle, I just don't believe it.

leebase · 12-04-2010, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

So, when people talk about the iPad killing the Kindle, I just don't believe it.

The article said the iPad was gaining on the kindle, which it is. It's not killing the kindle. Also, half of those who use the iPad for reading are buying kindle books. That's about 2million or so people. Your kindle dollars likely include iPad sales as well.

Lee

HansTWN · 12-04-2010, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

The article said the iPad was gaining on the kindle, which it is. It's not killing the kindle. Also, half of those who use the iPad for reading are buying kindle books. That's about 2million or so people. Your kindle dollars likely include iPad sales as well.

Lee

Only a small portion of Ipad owners use the device for reading (no, Mobileread members are not representative). So how do you get to 2 million, should be a few 100K at the most. Kindle sales have tripled with the new price, and the price will drop further. So the Kindle is definitely here to stay -- until new color technologies come along and the price for those devices drops to around 200-250.

murraypaul · 12-04-2010, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

I've gotten three checks from Amazon for Kindle versions of Risen, and one from Smashwords. Each of these checks was within a few bucks of the same amount.

If 25% of my sales are through Smashwords, and Smashwords distributes through its own site and Sony and B&N and Kobo and Diesel and Apple, then my iPad sales are a small fraction of my Kindle sales. Say, 75% (Kindle) vs. maybe 5% or less for Apple?

So, when people talk about the iPad killing the Kindle, I just don't believe it.

You are comparing the Apple bookstore to the iPad, which doesn't make sense.
With an iPad you can buy books from Apple, but also from Amazon, B&N or anybody else. Amazon say that 20% of their sales are now to people who don't own a Kindle. I'm one of them.

Eastlondonboy · 12-04-2010, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StanByk

Hi,
found an interesting article on macrumours.

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/11/30/...der-ownership/

Do you think that classical ebook reading devices will ever be able to become main stream devices? With tablets becoming more common and being much more versatile, I am wondering if ebook reader sales have reached a peak and will go downhill from now on?

For me, at the moment the biggest advantages of an ereader are battery life, the screen technology and the weight.
I really like my Sony PRS650 and use it on a daily basis to read fiction, but it is - as most ereaders - completely unsuitable to read biomedical research papers (I work in biomedical research), an area where for example tablets such as the iPad are clearly superior (at least in my opinion).

Whats you opinion?
Robert

I think the iPad isn't necessarily a threat to Kindle as it's likely iPad users will order via Kindle anyway. Most iPad users buy not for its book app but overall versatility. I'm very interested in how Kindle UK sales will progress - hasn't kicked off here to the extent that it has in the States. As a self-published author, I am keenly watching developments.

Penforhire · 12-04-2010, 10:29 AM

The majority of the public doesn't see E-ink as a reading advantage, just a buzzword. When they play with one in a store they are disturbed by the page flash (which we know disappears from our consciousness in a day or two). Given a limited budget how can the iPad NOT be considered a drain on market share for dedicated e-readers, Kindle or other?

You need to look at the big picture to see where the future lies because smart surviving major companies angle for maximum market share. Technically superior-for-the-application products do not always win, Betamax vs. VHS for example. Or more recently iPod vs. almost any Cowon PMP.

J. Strnad · 12-04-2010, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Your kindle dollars likely include iPad sales as well.

Yeah, I forgot about that. Thanks for pointing it out.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Closing The Gap	indie	Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers	6	09-25-2010 02:04 AM
Bloglines is closing shop	Bob Russell	Lounge	1	09-12-2010 01:53 AM
Closing duplicate threads.	daffy4u	Feedback	41	12-12-2009 12:15 AM
Closing Threads	tompe	Feedback	21	03-22-2009 10:29 AM
iLiad How to get 2.7.1 without closing holes	Mike Kostousov	iRex Developer's Corner	7	10-25-2006 01:17 PM

12-03-2010, 11:53 AM	#16
JLeighs Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 1208646 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wisconsin Device: K3, PW	I don't really understand comparing the market share of iPad vs. Kindle/Nook/Sony etc. Isn't that kind of like saying that the Black & Decker food processor is closing in on the KitchenAid mixer? Or am I missing something?

12-03-2010, 04:17 PM	#18
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,960 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	The iPad and kindle are indeed different, but the iPad can replace the desire/need for a kindle. There's a thread in the Apple section, and a good majority of the folks who had an ereader have abandoned it once they got their iPad. Some haven't, but clearly, the iPad is competition for the kindle. However, I'm not one who thinks that eInk readers will go away. They will simply have a smaller marketshare than they would have had otherwise. Have folks seen the new Kindle Books Tv ads? Shows a woman who bought a lot of kindle books for her iPhone, then she moved to an Android phone and was able to take all her books with her. Ends with a display of all the devices that kindle runs on. It wasn't an add for the Kindle, but for Kindle books. In another survey, more iPad owners bought books from Amazon than Apple. There's a good chance that both more kindle books and more kindles will be sold because of the iPad raising the awareness of ereading through it's own advertising. Lee

12-03-2010, 04:54 PM	#19
L.J. Sellers Novelist Posts: 287 Karma: 387979 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Eugene, Oregon Device: Kindle	Conversely, the majority of iPad owners are young and male. Some analysts say there's no point in comparing iPads to e-readers because they're not truly competitive, appealing to different consumers for different reasons. L.J.

12-03-2010, 08:18 PM	#23
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	... and building on what everyone else has said. The problem with the survey is that it calculates a market based on ereaders plus iPads. More appropriate would be ereaders plus the number of iPads that are used for book reading (not someone who has tried it once, but someone who regularly reads books on it). For me, I am addicted to books. This means that I read (listen using TTS) while I work out and drive. I bring a 'book' along when I am going to wait on line, and etcetera. In the old days this meant reading on my pda, but the eyes can't handle print that small anymore, so now it means the Kindle. My iPad is too big to carry with me all the time. Furthermore, a unit that I have with me all the time is likely to take a few knocks. I'd rather replace a Kindle, than an iPad.

12-03-2010, 10:59 PM	#24
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	I've gotten three checks from Amazon for Kindle versions of Risen, and one from Smashwords. Each of these checks was within a few bucks of the same amount. If 25% of my sales are through Smashwords, and Smashwords distributes through its own site and Sony and B&N and Kobo and Diesel and Apple, then my iPad sales are a small fraction of my Kindle sales. Say, 75% (Kindle) vs. maybe 5% or less for Apple? So, when people talk about the iPad killing the Kindle, I just don't believe it.

12-04-2010, 10:29 AM	#29
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	The majority of the public doesn't see E-ink as a reading advantage, just a buzzword. When they play with one in a store they are disturbed by the page flash (which we know disappears from our consciousness in a day or two). Given a limited budget how can the iPad NOT be considered a drain on market share for dedicated e-readers, Kindle or other? You need to look at the big picture to see where the future lies because smart surviving major companies angle for maximum market share. Technically superior-for-the-application products do not always win, Betamax vs. VHS for example. Or more recently iPod vs. almost any Cowon PMP.

Advert

Advert