Web survey finds strong interest in devices if the price hits $200
Nanette Bulebosh -- Library Journal, 05/19/2010
30 to 50 percent intend to purchase within a year
Tablets preferred over dedicated ereaders
12,700 users in 14 countries surveyed
Ereaders and multi-function tablets would become as ubiquitous as MP3 players if prices were cut in half and if consumers were given more choices about content and functionality, according to a worldwide survey of more than 12,000 web users.
“Grandmothers will soon be carrying them around,” said John Rose of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which last week released results of a March 2010 survey that found strong interest in portable devices such as Amazon’s Kindle and Sony’s Reader Touch (single-function e-readers) and Apple’s iPad (which also enables readers to surf the web, send email and view videos).
The survey focused on consumer preferences, and did not mention the potential role of libraries or library content in the respondents’ purchasing decisions.
Reading is primary Respondents worldwide expressed a strong preference for multi-function tablets over dedicated ereaders, even though they see reading as the primary role for all devices.
Two-thirds (66 percent) said they’d prefer a device that enabled them to browse the web, send emails, and view videos. Only 24 percent said they preferred an-e-reader.
Purchase plans BCG reports that more than a fourth (28 percent) of all respondents and more than half of those familiar with ereaders and tablets (51 percent) said they planned to buy one within the next year. Those percentages jumped to 49 percent and 73 percent respectively when respondents were asked if they’d buy a device within three years.
The amounts respondents were willing to pay for these devices, however, are considerably less than current retail prices. Respondents said they would pay up to $150 for an ereader and up to $200 for a multi-function tablet.
Prices for the Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, and Sony Reader Touch range from $259 to$299. Sony’s smaller Pocket Reader sells for $199. The newest multi-function tablet, the iPad, costs $499—though, as with the iPhone, prices are expected to drop.
More findings Among other survey findings, consumers worldwide seem to be relatively familiar with ereaders and tablets. Fifty-four percent of U.S. respondents said they are extremely or somewhat familiar with them; four percent said they own one now.
Also, most respondents said they expected to read books (95 percent), magazines (83 percent), and newspapers (77 percent) on ereaders or tablets. When asked about other content choices, respondents favored, in declining order: web browsing, email, video (including movies and TV), music, and user-generated content.
Cost and content U.S. respondents said they are willing to spend $5–$10 for a digital book, $2–$4 for a magazine, and $5–$10 for a monthly newspaper subscription. As with the devices themselves, these amounts are somewhat less than most current prices.
Amazon, Sony and B&N currently charge $9.99 for most bestselling books, and more for many others. All three charge $19.99 a month for a New York Times subscription, but less for local newspapers. Magazine prices range considerably.
Consumers seek freedom of choice, with 91 percent of existing owners saying they’d buy more content if multiple retailers were available. This suggests potential success for providers such as Google, which is poised to release Google Editions, its “cloud bookstore” of titles, this summer, Baker & Taylor’s newly released Blio platform, and Copia, a social reading network that is part of DMC Worldwide. (See LJcoverage.)
The survey’s findings, if predictive of actual behavior, will likely propel even more dramatic shakeups in the publishing and bookstore industries, but they also present opportunities for librarians who are responsive to patron needs and preferences, as LJ editors have noted.
Survey background
The BCG survey was conducted via the web over a two-day period in March, 2010. A total of 12,717 respondents participated from 14 countries in Asia, India, Europe, Australia, and North America. According to BCG, participation was equally divided between men and women and included at least 600 respondents from each nation.
Respondents were located throughout all regions of each country, except in Australia, South Korea, China and India, where they were concentrated in urban areas. All respondents were web users and readers of print books, magazines and newspapers.
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