The iPad may have sparked the wild demand in tablet computers, but it is the humble e-reader that has gained ground this May.
According to a May report released by the Pew Research Center, 12% of all U.S. adults own an e-reader while 8% of all adults own a tablet computer. This is a dramatic increase from last winter’s statistics, where 7% owned a tablet and 6% owned an e-reader.
Price is the biggest factor affecting the e-reader’s apparent lead over tablets. A brand-new Kindle comes at a relatively low price of $114, while even the cheapest tablet starts at $400 without a data plan subscription.
The study has a 2% margin of error, though, meaning that the real number of e-reader owners is anywhere around 10% to 14% all adults, with tablet owners floating around the 6% to 10% mark.
The lead of e-readers is still undeniable despite the low possibility of a “tie” at 10%.
The same study has also revealed other enlightening statistics about e-reader users – Hispanics, parents, students, college graduates, adults under the age of 65 and those earning less than $75,000 are most likely to own an e-reader.
Both the e-reader and the tablet, however, are still behind older technologies like cell phones, desktops, laptops, DVRs and MP3 music players, with cell phones topping the popularity list.
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In another unrelated tablet's news, Amazon is gearing up to give its Kindle the tablet treatment. This much-anticipated Kindle tablet might be launched as early as August 2011, but whether it shall be yet another iPad knockoff is yet to be seen.
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