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News & ArtsMonday, January 23, 2012
Tech / Books Roughly One-Third of You Own Either a Tablet or an E-Reader
Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Jan 23, 2012 at 4:40 PM
Pew says that the number of Americans who own tablets and e-readers almost doubled over Christmas:
The share of adults in the United States who own tablet computers nearly doubled from 10% to 19% between mid-December and early January and the same surge in growth also applied to e-book readers, which also jumped from 10% to 19% over the same time period.
The number of Americans owning at least one of these digital reading devices jumped from 18% in December to 29% in January.
Between these enormous numbers and Apple's e-textbooks, I think this year could inspire a huge evolutionary step for e-books.
2
i like dead trees and actively tell friends and family not to buy me an ereader even if it seems like the perfect gift for a book nerd. i like my bookshelves and hundreds of books.
but for the first time, today i required an ereader.
the new SSH bible (an important tome for IT nerds) is e-book only, so i bought myself a kindle using my company card and it will never leave the office.
but for the first time, today i required an ereader.
the new SSH bible (an important tome for IT nerds) is e-book only, so i bought myself a kindle using my company card and it will never leave the office.
4
How do dorks like me with both a tablet and an ereader fit in? Do we get counted twice?
I can't help but wonder if the numbers are inflated by technological double-fisting.
I can't help but wonder if the numbers are inflated by technological double-fisting.
5
I've had a Kindle for about a year now, but I've only recently started to use it a lot. It's a good little device. My main gripe is that ebooks seem to have a lot more type formatting problems than printed books. This is particularly problematic with free classics typeset by bored volunteers.
6
My father turned 90 last month, and announced that he wanted an iPad, which my brother got for him; both his vision and hearing are shot, so he'll be using the iPad to read very large print. Meanwhile my 87-yr-old mom cruises along on her Kindle that my brother got her several years ago.
7
Flying back on Southwest this aft. Person to left had Kindle keyboard style. Person road ahead to right had Fire (which he was using to read an eBoo). I had $79 Kindle. So of those two rows, 50 percent of the people were using an Amazon reader product.
11
When the kindle first came out, I was a huge skeptic. Why would I want to be attached to an electronic leash with Amazon.
Then my wife got one. She loves it. So I bought the 79.00 one too. I love it. It's super light. I can read it and turn the pages with one hand. I can subscribe to the Guardian for 10.00 a month have it downloaded automatically every day. Most important, I can get book samples and read what I want whenever I want.
Then my wife got one. She loves it. So I bought the 79.00 one too. I love it. It's super light. I can read it and turn the pages with one hand. I can subscribe to the Guardian for 10.00 a month have it downloaded automatically every day. Most important, I can get book samples and read what I want whenever I want.
12
I'm a little suspicious. First they talk about ADULT tablet and e-reader numbers increasing from 10% to 19% each (9+9=18%). Then they talk about AMERICANS and say there was an 18% increase. Could be coincidence but I'm guessing whoever did this write-up, f'ed up.
13
I finally got one when Kindle came out with the Touch. It still will never replace paper for me, particularly for serious books. You don't have a good sense of where you are in a book, and it's incredibly difficult to move between sections, go back and find something you read previously. And I have a hard time getting flow going, it's just more of an effort to physically read. Plus the Touch is buggy and balky, it slows down and freezes regularly, and reboots itself at least 4 times a week. That said, it's very light, it's great for fluffy recreational reading, and I can check out library copies of books I wouldn't normally buy. And sometimes there are good selections in the cheap books section.
15
#13
Thanks for the scoop on the Touch.
I went with the $79 hardware button model and I never looked back. I think paging is more natural with the side buttons.
At this point I have read more books in a certain time period than ever before. The e ink is eminently readable.
Thanks for the scoop on the Touch.
I went with the $79 hardware button model and I never looked back. I think paging is more natural with the side buttons.
At this point I have read more books in a certain time period than ever before. The e ink is eminently readable.
17
As long as e-books are still roughly the cost of printed books, what's the point right now? We, as consumers, know that e-books don't cost that much to produce, so why gauge your customers on that price?
E-books will die because the people making them are greedy.
E-books will die because the people making them are greedy.
18
An iPad, because it helps with my being legally blind and requiring both glasses and contacts (at the same time). I don't have any books on it as of yet. I love the feel and smell of books. Still it is handy for e-mail and reading Slog.
19
I have an antique Sony e-reader that I use mostly for library books. It saves me a fortune in overweight bag charges when I fly, as I no longer have to haul 10 books with me in order to have something to read.
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