E-reader growth outpaces tablets, preferred by women

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kindle-sidebar.gifIn the six months to May, 2011, the share of adults in the US who own an e-reader device, such as Kindle or Nook, doubled from 6% to 12%, according to Pew.

During the same period, ownership of tablets rose just 3% to 8%.

There is an overlap in e-reader and tablet ownership – 3% of US adults own both devices. Nine percent own an e-reader but not a tablet, while 5% own a tablet but not an e-reader.

Why the growth in e-readers and not tablets? Perhaps price has a role to play. Many e-readers have been slashed in price over the last year, some costing just over $100, while tablets remain relatively pricey.

Recent research from Gft MRI shows print publications have little to fear from e-readers and tablets. Findings reveal that owners of these devices remain heavy print readers.

Tablet owners are 66% more likely that the average US adult to be heavy users of printed versions of magazines and 54% more likely to read printed newspapers. Likewise, e-reader owners are 23% more likely to read printed magazines and 63% more likely to pick up a printed newspaper.

Gender differences were also apparent from Gfk MRI’s research. While men prefer tablets for their “wow factor”, women were more content with the more basic e-reader.

“Evidence suggests that men’s affinity for tablets may be a reflection of the way they view ownership of technological gadgets with respect to their peers,” says Gfk MRI.

“For instance, men are much more likely than women to report: “I want others to say ‘Wow!’ when they see my electronics.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristina Knight-1
Kristina Knight, Journalist , BA
Content Writer & Editor
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Kristina Knight is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience writing on varied topics. Kristina’s focus for the past 10 years has been the small business, online marketing, and banking sectors, however, she keeps things interesting by writing about her experiences as an adoptive mom, parenting, and education issues. Kristina’s work has appeared with BizReport.com, NBC News, Soaps.com, DisasterNewsNetwork, and many more publications.