“The e-Reader market has essentially become a two horse race between the Amazon Kindle and the Apple iPad, according to ChangeWave’s latest survey of more than 2,800 consumers,” Paul Carton reports for ChangeWave.
“The Amazon Kindle (47%; down 15-pts) is hanging on to a rapidly diminishing lead over the Apple iPad (32%; up 16-pts) among current e-Reader owners,” Carton reports. “However, the iPad’s share of the overall market has doubled since the last time ChangeWave surveyed e-Reader owners in August.”
Carton reports, “The rest of the market includes the Sony Reader (5%) and the Barnes and Noble Nook (4%). In terms of owner satisfaction ratings, here’s how the Apple iPad stacks up to the Amazon Kindle.”
Carton reports, “We also asked e-Reader owners about the types of content they’re reading on their devices — and found major differences between iPad and Kindle owners.”
“iPad owners are nearly five times more like to read Newspapers and Magazines than their Kindle counterparts, and 15 times more likely to read Blogs and News Feeds,” Carton reports. “The ChangeWave survey shows the Apple iPad will be the biggest beneficiary of the expanding e-Reader market this holiday season. The following chart shows the percentage of respondents who plan to buy an e-Reader in the next 90 days and who they’ll buy from.”
More info and link to the complete report available in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Kindle, schmindle.
“Duh”
I’ve been reading books on my iPhone recently (mostly using the Kindle app), and it’s become my favorite way to read. I don’t have an iPad (yet), but here’s why I like using my iPhone as an “e-reader.”
+ With the iPhone held in landscape orientation, one line of text is the perfect length. To me, that’s the most important thing, not how much text is displayed on the screen at one time. In fact, having fewer lines of text on the screen causes less eye strain for me, because it puts more focus on what I’m reading at that moment.
+ I can read before going to sleep with the lights turned off…
+ … and, it is light and small, so I can read in any position. I don’t have to prop myself up to look downward at the book or larger screen.
+ It is easy, convenient, and non-abtrusive to pull out my iPhone anywhere I have to wait for a few minutes, and continue reading. I would not carry around a book, iPad, or Kindle everywhere I go.
+ Compared to Kindle, I can use the app (and e-store) of any e-book seller.
+ Compared to reading a physical book, I like being able to “look up” the meaning of an unfamiliar word just by highlighting it and do other things like “search.”
Most of the current e-readers (including using an iPad) try to somewhat replicate the experience of reading a paper book. The iBooks app even simulates “turning the page” with some animation. But it’s really not necessary to reproduce characteristics that are actually “limitations” of paper books. For example, there is no need to fill a larger screen with text (like the page of a real book), when you only focus on one line (or a few lines) at a time.
Amazon (or someone) should produce a dedicated pocketable e-reader that is about the size of an iPhone (or even thinner like an iPod touch), that is designed to be used with the e-ink screen held horizontally. It would show about ten lines of text at one time, with a button to turn the page forward and another to go backward. Throw in a music player. No live Internet connection; sync with computer to buy and load e-books. And sell it for $50 or less.
Ha. While this “looks” close, it omits one very important point:
How many people out there are buying iPads that do not have eBook reading even on their checklist? 1 out of 5 or more!?
Now, how many of those iPad owners will never consider an eBook reader because they discover the iPad really does a great job at that – or at least good enough? Virtually all of them.
So while the survey does not show it, Apple’s wiping out the overall addressable eBook reader market.
I have an iPad and no interest in picking up a Kindle. But the book selection from Apple is absolutely pathetic, so I use the Kindle reader on the iPad to read books I buy from Amazon.
I just bought a Kindle because of the iPad’s price. I have an iPhone that I use for occasional reading but for serious reading Kindle is still better. I’ll get an iPad 2 when it comes out hopefully with a lower price. Even though my household is exclusively Apple (3 Macs, 3 iPhones, a couple of iPods) the iPad’s entry price is still too high. And when my daughter saw my Kindle she wanted one and she will get it for her birthday. She already has a Macbook that she uses for school work, Internet and media consumption.
I also talked to a person that has both an iPad and a Kindle and he uses Kindle for reading and the iPad for gaming and browsing the Web.
I personally love iBooks on my iPad. Next to Safari and Pages, it’s one of my most used and loved apps. However! The selection in the store seems to pale next to Kindle’s. If Apple truly wants to dominate the E-reader market, they need to correct this.
I’m a magazine and newspaper reader, so for me, since I’d want an iPad anyway, it’s a no-brainer. Though I’d read anything, Anything, rather than waste time on games.
Not that there’s anything Wrong with them…
All of my books (except for one for Nook reader app) are for the Kindle. My heavy reading is always on my Kindle, mostly because it’s way lighter to hold and is easier on my eyes for longer reading periods. However, I can also read the same book at the same spot I last read to, on my iPad, MacBook Pro, iPod Touch, or my HTC EVO 4G. I will probably never buy from the Apple bookstore, as for me it is just way too restrictive and inconvenient.
I have read 5 books on the iPad… great device, but eye strain does happen…
I had a defining moment a month or two back, when I woke up in the middle of the night…
…reached out for a paperback book to read for a few minutes…
…kept pressing its non-existent button to read it in the dark.
Realised I’d got so used to reading on my iPhone that I’d forgotten all about having to switch a light on to read a book!
I have read numerous books on my iPad, mostly old classics that are free on iBook, but a couple that I bought. I am disappointed in Apple for being so slow in building up the number of books available for purchase. I have had to use the kindle app and purchases from Amazon for several books not available from Apple. The kindle app for the iPad continues to get better so I hope Apple gets their act together on the supply side before kindle wins the reader war on the iPad.
The beauty of the iPad is that you can read books from many sources using either iBooks or the Nook, Kindle or Stanza, Comixology or Comics Zeal apps. I’m sure that there are more apps out there, but why carry multiple devices to read your books, comics, magazines, documents or newspapers when the iPad will do it all?
Ironically, I bet Amazon is loving the iPad as it is still the premiere online bookstore, IMO.
The iBooks store is on the same level as your average book club: mainly chick-lit, bible, right-wing memoirs, patriotic history, anti-science, self-help, pseudo-financial expertise, violent mysteries, two-year old bestsellers, children’s books, cookbooks and a few 19th Century classics.
I get the Powell’s Daily Dose email which makes me aware of more books worth reading than I could possibly read. Enough of them are available on iBooks that I have a pretty full bookshelf in the app that I’m slowly working my way through. I have never noticed eye-strain. I sold my Kindle as soon as it became clear that the iPad was coming out. The only time (or place) that I could imagine using the Kindle over the iPad is on the beach on a sunny day. iPad shuts down after several seconds under those circumstances.
@Rdiddly Eyestrain may not be a problem for everyone. Mine do get tired, at least more so than if I’m reading on my Kindle directly. Nevertheless, I have the best of both worlds because I have the Kindle 2 and the iPad.
Oh, and for those who like comics, the Marvel app is awesome on the iPad. But my fav is still Netflix. Movies look so sweet on the iPad. And I can watch in bed at night without disturbing my wife, that is unless I choose a really good comedy and catch myself laughing out loud
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