Sunday, August 26, 2012

An investigation concerning eBook-reading: The old like eBook readers better than the young


With the booming development in the industry of eBooks and eReaders, eBook-reading is doing well in English-speaking countries. BWM Books has made an infographic on eReaders and eBooks, which demonstrates the statistics of four countries’ eBook markets: US, UK, Canada and Australia.

The devices used for reading



                 


According to the data provided by Pew (for the US), the two primary reading devices are computer (42%) and eReader (41%). Smartphone accounts for a proportion of 29% and tablets comes last (23%). 

The advantages of eReaders
In terms of the advantages of eReaders, people hold respective views. 83% people think that it’s exceedingly fast and convenient to get the purchased eBooks. 73% people read eBooks on their journey. 53% people like eReaders for a massive selection of electronic resources. 43% people read eBooks in bed.
A typical eReader, Kindle, is much slighter than print books with affluent eBook resources furnished by Amazon.
On the contrary, we should not ignore the merits of traditional books. 81% people choose paperback books for children while 69% people share their beloved books with others.

The age distribution of the customers

Different from young folks who are fond of smartphones, old people are inclined to choose proprietary eReaders. According to the statistics from US market, around 33% customers with eReaders are over 55. Customers between 25 and 34, who occupy the largest proportion of smartphones, constitute approximately 23% of people who possess eReaders.   
Smartphones appeal to young people as they integrate various functions. Thus young people maybe find it unnecessary to purchase additional eReaders as eBook-reading has been supported on smartphones already. Conversely, old people have more leisure time and would like to spend their time on comfortable eReaders.  

The diversity of countries
In the main English-speaking countries, the amount of eReaders and tablets used for reading has surpassed 120 million, among which the US market has made up 100 million. In the meantime, there are 46 million eReaders in the US, which is much higher than other countries.  

For the number of people who have ever downloaded eBooks, four countries show similar statistics. 20% adults in the US have downloaded at least one eBook while 21% adults have done so in the UK and Australia.

The overall eBook sales in Australia is predicted to reach $ 200 million this year, which accounts for 10% of the print book market. The proportion is estimated to go by 25% in 2014.

According to a report from BWM Books
Click the image below to view the full size version.


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