When Apple launched its iPad, many observers speculated that it was only a matter of time before e-readers, with their more limited functionality, would be replaced by the more versatile tablets. But a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that e-reader ownership has recently been growing faster than tablets.
The study reports that the share of adults in the U.S. who own an e-reader doubled from six percent to 12 percent in the November 2010 to May 2011 time period. Pew began measuring e-reader use in April 2009, and this is the first time that ownership has reached double digits among American adults.
Tablets at Eight Percent
By contrast, only eight percent of U.S. adults reported in May that they owned a tablet such as the iPad, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, or the Motorola Xoom. Nearly the same percentage -- seven percent -- also reported owning a tablet in January, and the current level is only three points higher than last November. Before that, Pew said, tablet ownership had grown rapidly.
Some consumers own both a tablet and an e-reader -- about three percent, according to Pew. But sole ownership still favors e-readers, with nine percent owning an e-reader but not a tablet, while five percent owned a tablet but not an e-reader.
The likeliest demographic for e-readers are Hispanic adults, owners younger than 65, college graduates, and people living in households with incomes of $75,000 or more.
While parents and non-parents were more likely to own e-readers in November, ownership among parents has increased more rapidly since then than among non-parents. Additionally, e-readers are being acquired by Hispanic adults at a faster rate than among white or African-American adults. The fastest-growing demographic overall is adults 18-49.
Trend Toward Mobile
Compared to other consumer electronic devices, both e-readers and tablets have a long way to go. MP3 players are owned by 44 percent of the American public, DVRs by 52 percent, laptops by 56 percent, desktop computers by 57 percent, and cell phones by 83 percent.
These figures for other devices confirm the trend toward mobile. Pew said this survey is the first time laptops were as widely owned as desktops. Among owners under 30, laptops are already more popular, and Pew said it's only a matter of time before portable computers clearly take the lead among all adults.
Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for consumer technology at the NPD Group, noted that there is a major price difference in the two product types. He pointed out that the best-selling Kindle e-reader is $139, as is the new nook, compared to about $500 for the category-leading iPad tablet.
Besides the price difference, he said, there is no practical technology that can meet both the needs of e-books and digital media. There are e-paper displays on devices with long battery lives, Rubin said, and there are tablet displays optimized for color and video. Eventually, he said, products will emerge that offer displays optimized for both uses.
The study was conducted in April and May among 2,277 adults aged 18 and over. The survey included both landlines and cell phones, and was given in either English or Spanish. Pew said the margin of error is plus or minus two percent.
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