Half of those familiar with tablets and ereaders plan to purchase one in the next year
Tablets and their not-too-distant relatives, ereaders, have become prized platforms for consuming digital media. 2010 sales of both types of device were strong, according to International Data Corporation (IDC). Worldwide, 10.1 million tablets were shipped in Q4, up from 4.5 million in Q3. Ereader shipments rose from 3 million in 2009 to 12.8 million in 2010. eMarketer estimates worldwide tablet sales will reach 24 million this year, about 80% of which will be iPads.
Research from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) confirms that tablet and ereader purchase intentions are high, especially among those who are already familiar with the devices. Half of internet users in the US who knew about tablets and ereaders planned to buy one in the next year, and 70% were considering a purchase in the next three years. Worldwide interest was nearly as high.
BCG’s research suggests that multipurpose tablets are in greater demand than single-purpose ereaders, as respondents indicated a desire to consume a variety of digital content on their devices. Most respondents in the US and abroad agreed that enhanced web access and the ability to purchase and play back a variety of entertaining content, including music, video and games, would be key to driving usage of tablets and ereaders.
And internet users also indicated they were by and large willing to pay for such content. An analysis of the optimal price most respondents were willing to pay found potential tablet users thought $5 to $10 was about right for digital books or monthly subscriptions to digital book or digital newspaper services. Prices for digital magazine subscriptions or single copies came in a bit lower.
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Check out today’s other article, “Case Study: How BlackBerry Used Online Video to Engage Young Men.”