Dedicated e-reading devices continue to lose ground to tablets in the battle for e-book readers, according to the Book Industry Study Group's Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading survey, conducted by Bowker Market Research.
Over a six-month period, the study found that consumers' "first choice" preference for dedicated e-readers declined from 72% to 58%, with tablet devices becoming the preferred reading device for more than 24% of e-book buyers, up from less than 13% in August 2011. Apple's iPad rose by just over 1%, while non-Apple tablets--primarily from Amazon and Barnes & Noble--increased substantially, from 5% to 14%.
Nearly 30% of respondents reported an increase in dollars spent on books in all formats after they began acquiring e-books, while nearly 50% reported an overall increase in the volume of titles purchased in any format. More than 62% reported an increase in dollars spent on e-books, and more than 72% said they increased the volume of e-titles they are purchasing.
The study also found that more than 27% of Casual Buyers (those who purchase one or two books a month) now exclusively purchase e-books rather than print, compared to 30% of Power Buyers (who acquire e-books at least weekly). Casual Buyers are slightly more likely to play games (37% vs. 35%) or watch video content (23% vs. 21%) on their devices, but only half of Casual Buyers use a tablet regularly, compared to 83% of Power Buyers.
For more information, go to http://www.bisg.org/publications/product.php?p=19&c=437.
