This past holiday season, sales for both technologies went through the roof
Tablets and e-readers were the gift-of-choice for adults this holiday season, with sales for both devices nearly doubling between mid-December and early January.
Tablets and e-readers were popular gifts this past month. (Via: digitaltrends.com)
The report, put together by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, found that the number of adults who owned tablet computers rose from 10% in the middle of December to 19% in early January. The same increase was seen in adults owning e-readers during this time.
A summary of the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project’s findings.
Even more remarkable is the report that the number of adults owning at least one of these digital reading devices went from 18% in December to 29% in January.
Looking into the numbers
The Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project survey was conducted in November and December with 2,986 people aged 16 and older. In January, Pew surveyed 2,008 adults 18 and older. Both reports have a margin of error of plus or minus 2%.
The reason why this report is so noteworthy is that it shows a dramatic increase in numbers seen over recent studies. Just a few months prior, from the middle of 2011 through autumn, ownership of tablets and e-readers hardly increased at all. Then you look to over a year ago, and the numbers become even more jaw-dropping. In November 2010, the percentage of adults who owned a tablet computer was 5%. Those who owned an e-reader: 6%.
Motivated to buy
What spurred the sudden increase in sales was not only the gift-giving season, but also the near-simultaneous launch of the much more affordable Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook tablets. These devices were both priced at a couple of hundred dollars less than the leading tablet on the market right now, Apple’s iPad.
Tablet results.
Worth noting in this particular category is the increased ownership of tablets among highly educated people with a household incomes of $75,000-plus. The report indicates that nearly one-third of people with college degrees now own a tablet.
For the first time this holiday season, we saw e-readers drop in price below $100. Just as with the tablet, cost-conscious customers were quick to scoop up this bargain.
E-reader results.
Specific to e-reader sales, the Pew study showed that women were bigger buyers than men. This is worth pointing out, as it is consistent with other surveys that show that women, in general, tend to purchase more books than men.
About the study
The Pew Internet Project is studying the ownership of both devices to see how people use them to access the web, and how mobile connectivity has come to affect its users. This is all part of the larger research agenda of the Project, which is supported by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal is to look at how these devices are affecting people’s relationship with their local libraries, the services these libraries offer, and the general role of libraries in communities. ■
Reference and charts via: pewinternet.org
Read the full report: pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/E-readers-and-tablets.aspx?src=prc-headline
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