How popular are ereaders? Not very I would say. - Page 7

DMB · 06-17-2011, 04:49 PM

I regularly fly between Switzerland and the UK and I usually see ereaders (Kindles) on the flights. Quite a few netbooks and iPads too, but I don't know whether they are being used for reading or not.

On the rare occasions when I grit my teeth and travel by British railways, I usually see a few ereaders (usually Kindles).

I carry my K3 around with me when travelling, going to the doctor, etc. But I already had one stolen from an open bag in a pub in London, so now I'm a lot more careful than I used to be. I keep my K3 shut up in my handbag when I'm not reading from it.

Chi Cygni · 06-17-2011, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eGeezer

I do agree that few people are voracious readers to begin with. It is probably those who would most likely tend recognize the value of a dedicated ereader's long-term battery life over the convenience of a "does-it-all,-but-requires-daily-charging" glowy device.

Can't say that when I was commuting daily pre-2000 that more than one or two people on the bus (besides me) were ever actually reading anything (book/magazine/newspaper), anyway. So, I don't think there is any way to judge from public use the popularity (or not) of any reading device.

I do, however, believe that the advent of the "does-it-all" glowy devices will severely limit the dedicated ereader market merely because most people aren't dedicated readers to begin with and don't see the point. My wife, for instance, is perfectly happy reading on her iPad. But she uses it constantly for everything except reading unless we are on vacation.

Funny that. I am a voracious reader and love my eink device. Also I have the glowy thingy I use for everything else but reading as I don't like it for books (AT ALL). I'd hate for dedicated ereaders to disappear from the market. Anyway here in Brussels I only saw another person with an ereader once in 1,5 year since I have mine, on the metro. Lots of people have paper books though. I have my ereader with me every day while commuting.

Nyssa · 06-17-2011, 05:48 PM

I think popularity is growing slowly but surely. I know a handful of people who bought their e-readers at least a year ago if not more, and a few who use their iPads instead. Hubby says he knows at least a dozen of his coworkers who own e-readers (but then again they are all programmers and developers so its almost to be expected).

Dazrin · 06-17-2011, 06:06 PM

I was riding the light rail this morning and when I looked up at a chapter break I counted 6 people using Kindles (one might have been another e-reader, couldn't see it well), plus 3 people absorbed in their phones all within 25 feet of me. It wasn't a busy morning either. Based on seats/standing spaces that is probably 1 out of 5 people in that area had one.

GraceKrispy · 06-17-2011, 07:10 PM

I rarely see ereaders in the wild. I see a lot of smartphone action, some ipad action, and almost no ereader action. I take my ereader everywhere with me, but I don't read on it as much as I used to before I got my Droid X. If I know I'm in for a bit of a wait (dr office or something), I'll use the sony. If it's a short few minutes, I'll check email on my phone instead.

On my recent plane trip, I did see a few ereaders on the plane. I saw a lovely older couple sitting near the bathrooms, each with a kindle in hand. One had the original kindle, and one had one of the more recent versions (it was black). When I pull out my ereader, I am still somewhat of a novelty and people turn to look. Or maybe it's my devastatingly good looks...

lestatar · 06-18-2011, 02:18 AM

As I read this thread, I can't help but think back to the days when dedicated mp3 players were first coming online. The huge music lover I am, I was definitely an early adopter of mp3 gear back in the day. And lemme tell ya - there weren't a whole lot of us back then sporting on the go digital tunage.

Same thing with dedicated ereaders IMO, though admittedly, the scenario now is complicated by the relatively new existence of do-it-all smartphones and such.

I do totally agree with the person who wanted to quantify the term "popular". There's a whole lotta people in this world. P books have been around for millenia, ereaders and digital books for a fraction of that time. But every day that passes, more and more people are aware of the "digital" option. Will it change the traditional p-book paradigm overnight. No.

But eventually? Maybe

However...given the current mass hysteria re: Apple products, and their brilliance at creating a sense of nearly irrational lust by consumers for their stuff, I would guess that if Apple ever decided to market a "pure" ereader [that was even remotely reasonable in price], this might push more people into wanting such a thing. The exact same thing happened with mp3 players when they stormed into the field.

my 2cents FWIW

winspiration · 06-18-2011, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

In the last year, I've seen LOTS of Kindles here in the UK. They are by far the dominant reader here.

I know a lot of people who have bought readers over the last year or so, almost all Kindles too. Most people who see mine ask if it is a Kindle - they don't seem to have heard that there are other options...

DianNC · 06-18-2011, 03:16 PM

Oh, well, my e-reader was a gift or I'd have probably bought a Kindle, too. Heck, even our government likes the Kindle more than the Nook if you go by the U.S. procurement records.

Why the Dept. of Agriculture needs so many Nooks is beyond me, though.

http://gizmodo.com/5812233/

Shushan · 06-18-2011, 06:11 PM

because they have to check every Nook and Cranny

(and I am sure they will! Just as soon as someone invents a Cranny.

)

Shushan · 06-18-2011, 06:15 PM

Oh and to return to the intent of the thread, I have noticed only a few dedicated e-readers in the urban wilds, usually Kindles or Nooks. I virtually never see any in the waiting areas of my rural county, though most everyone has phones or tablets, but then we don't take ours into waiting rooms here very often either. We can't afford to replace it right now so we prefer to keep it safely at home. I think many others are doing the same thing.

vxf · 06-18-2011, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

What conclusions can we draw from the results that we see above? Clearly electronic readers are more popular in university towns.

I live in a university town, and they are everywhere. I went to the pool at my apartment complex and more than half the people there were reading on an e-reader (mostly kindles). Same thing at the local Starbucks.

Half of my department (finance) reads the WSJ and FT on ebook readers. The other half on iPads.

I fly a lot - and planes are full of ebook readers. I was sitting between a nook and a kindle two days ago.

Latinandgreek · 06-18-2011, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shushan

because they have to check every Nook and Cranny

(and I am sure they will! Just as soon as someone invents a Cranny.

)

elizilla · 06-19-2011, 07:33 PM

I took my two Sonys to a family gathering yesterday, and they drew a crowd. I couldn't even read, I just passed my readers back and forth and let people play with them. I fully expect to hear, at the next such event, that several of them have bought readers.

The teenagers all prefer tablets - they already knew about this stuff and were explaining to their moms and grandmas. The moms and grandmas all liked the eInk - this was an outdoor picnic type event so my readers showed to great advantage. The menfolk wouldn't get involved in the ooh and ahh fest because men only want to talk about things like that at a family gathering like that if they are the greater experts. But their wives will buy the devices - tablets for the kids and eInk for themselves, and the ereader habit will spread.

I didn't have my Nook with me to show off at this event because I loaned it to a friend and can't seem to get it back. That's the other way that ereader appreciation spreads.

(I didn't take the tablet because it's just not as portable, and I knew it wouldn't be good to read on at an outdoor event. But if I'd had it, the kids would have loved to play with it.)

Poppaea · 06-20-2011, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elizilla

I didn't have my Nook with me to show off at this event because I loaned it to a friend and can't seem to get it back. That's the other way that ereader appreciation spreads.

Same here! 350 moved in with one of my friends and now she says she is reading her second book on it (she seems to be a VERY SLOW reader) and I can't get it back. Whenever I nudge her to buy one for herself she murmurs something about "needing a German menu" or "have to see it in the wild first" as in: "yours is a tad expensive, but show me something less expensive, with German menu, more features than yours has and I MIGHT buy it. Because as it is, I can use a top end product for free". All she does is fighting to look smug whenever I ask for my sweet 350

I think it is hard to imagine for avid readers to let go of their beloved books. You have to make the reading experience on a reader for half an hour.

Latinandgreek · 06-20-2011, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Same here! 350 moved in with one of my friends and now she says she is reading her second book on it (she seems to be a VERY SLOW reader) and I can't get it back. Whenever I nudge her to buy one for herself she murmurs something about "needing a German menu" or "have to see it in the wild first" as in: "yours is a tad expensive, but show me something less expensive, with German menu, more features than yours has and I MIGHT buy it. Because as it is, I can use a top end product for free". All she does is fighting to look smug whenever I ask for my sweet 350

I think it is hard to imagine for avid readers to let go of their beloved books. You have to make the reading experience on a reader for half an hour.

Oh, no! Don't let her get away with that! Make sure you get your reader back

How are you liking reading on your 650? I know that you love your 350 and I'm curious to see how the 650 is faring?

06-18-2011, 02:18 AM	#96
lestatar LB's lolz Mutt Minion Posts: 2,902 Karma: 5700001 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Hong Kong now but NYC forever Device: Kindle3, GalaxyTab, BB Bold9700, BB 8300, Sony Clie, Palm Vx, Palm III	As I read this thread, I can't help but think back to the days when dedicated mp3 players were first coming online. The huge music lover I am, I was definitely an early adopter of mp3 gear back in the day. And lemme tell ya - there weren't a whole lot of us back then sporting on the go digital tunage. Same thing with dedicated ereaders IMO, though admittedly, the scenario now is complicated by the relatively new existence of do-it-all smartphones and such. I do totally agree with the person who wanted to quantify the term "popular". There's a whole lotta people in this world. P books have been around for millenia, ereaders and digital books for a fraction of that time. But every day that passes, more and more people are aware of the "digital" option. Will it change the traditional p-book paradigm overnight. No. But eventually? Maybe However...given the current mass hysteria re: Apple products, and their brilliance at creating a sense of nearly irrational lust by consumers for their stuff, I would guess that if Apple ever decided to market a "pure" ereader [that was even remotely reasonable in price], this might push more people into wanting such a thing. The exact same thing happened with mp3 players when they stormed into the field. my 2cents FWIW Last edited by lestatar; 06-18-2011 at 02:23 AM.

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06-17-2011, 04:49 PM	#91
DMB Old Git Posts: 958 Karma: 1840790 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Switzerland (mostly) Device: Two kindle PWs wifi, kindle fire, iPad3 wifi	I regularly fly between Switzerland and the UK and I usually see ereaders (Kindles) on the flights. Quite a few netbooks and iPads too, but I don't know whether they are being used for reading or not. On the rare occasions when I grit my teeth and travel by British railways, I usually see a few ereaders (usually Kindles). I carry my K3 around with me when travelling, going to the doctor, etc. But I already had one stolen from an open bag in a pub in London, so now I'm a lot more careful than I used to be. I keep my K3 shut up in my handbag when I'm not reading from it.

06-17-2011, 05:48 PM	#93
Nyssa Series Addict Posts: 6,180 Karma: 167189477 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Florida, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite (2nd Gen)	I think popularity is growing slowly but surely. I know a handful of people who bought their e-readers at least a year ago if not more, and a few who use their iPads instead. Hubby says he knows at least a dozen of his coworkers who own e-readers (but then again they are all programmers and developers so its almost to be expected).

06-17-2011, 06:06 PM	#94
Dazrin Wizard Posts: 2,724 Karma: 75825105 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: PDXish Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices	I was riding the light rail this morning and when I looked up at a chapter break I counted 6 people using Kindles (one might have been another e-reader, couldn't see it well), plus 3 people absorbed in their phones all within 25 feet of me. It wasn't a busy morning either. Based on seats/standing spaces that is probably 1 out of 5 people in that area had one.

06-17-2011, 07:10 PM	#95
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	I rarely see ereaders in the wild. I see a lot of smartphone action, some ipad action, and almost no ereader action. I take my ereader everywhere with me, but I don't read on it as much as I used to before I got my Droid X. If I know I'm in for a bit of a wait (dr office or something), I'll use the sony. If it's a short few minutes, I'll check email on my phone instead. On my recent plane trip, I did see a few ereaders on the plane. I saw a lovely older couple sitting near the bathrooms, each with a kindle in hand. One had the original kindle, and one had one of the more recent versions (it was black). When I pull out my ereader, I am still somewhat of a novelty and people turn to look. Or maybe it's my devastatingly good looks...

06-18-2011, 03:16 PM	#98
DianNC Banned Posts: 1,431 Karma: 5222495 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Nook Color, Entourage Pocket Edge, iPod Touch 5th Gen	Oh, well, my e-reader was a gift or I'd have probably bought a Kindle, too. Heck, even our government likes the Kindle more than the Nook if you go by the U.S. procurement records. Why the Dept. of Agriculture needs so many Nooks is beyond me, though. http://gizmodo.com/5812233/

06-18-2011, 06:11 PM	#99
Shushan Bibliophile Posts: 75 Karma: 695816 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Nook Simple Touch, Pandigital Novel, PC	because they have to check every Nook and Cranny (and I am sure they will! Just as soon as someone invents a Cranny. )

06-18-2011, 06:15 PM	#100
Shushan Bibliophile Posts: 75 Karma: 695816 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Nook Simple Touch, Pandigital Novel, PC	Oh and to return to the intent of the thread, I have noticed only a few dedicated e-readers in the urban wilds, usually Kindles or Nooks. I virtually never see any in the waiting areas of my rural county, though most everyone has phones or tablets, but then we don't take ours into waiting rooms here very often either. We can't afford to replace it right now so we prefer to keep it safely at home. I think many others are doing the same thing.

06-19-2011, 07:33 PM	#103
elizilla Addict Posts: 271 Karma: 610286 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Michigan, USA Device: Kobo Elipsa, Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Sage, others	I took my two Sonys to a family gathering yesterday, and they drew a crowd. I couldn't even read, I just passed my readers back and forth and let people play with them. I fully expect to hear, at the next such event, that several of them have bought readers. The teenagers all prefer tablets - they already knew about this stuff and were explaining to their moms and grandmas. The moms and grandmas all liked the eInk - this was an outdoor picnic type event so my readers showed to great advantage. The menfolk wouldn't get involved in the ooh and ahh fest because men only want to talk about things like that at a family gathering like that if they are the greater experts. But their wives will buy the devices - tablets for the kids and eInk for themselves, and the ereader habit will spread. I didn't have my Nook with me to show off at this event because I loaned it to a friend and can't seem to get it back. That's the other way that ereader appreciation spreads. (I didn't take the tablet because it's just not as portable, and I knew it wouldn't be good to read on at an outdoor event. But if I'd had it, the kids would have loved to play with it.)

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