Analysts Predicted People Wouldn't Read On Their iPads. Were They Right?
August 17, 2010
Some call it a gadget and some call it a fad, but a new survey seems to show that this is anything but the case.
The results of a recent survey of over 1,000 iPad users in the UK was published on TechCrunch.com, revealing that 43% of iPad owners use their device more than 10 hours per week. For comparison, UK residents spend an average of 25 hours a week on their most popular optional activity; watching television. Like a laptop, the iPad may be considered a travel device, but the majority of those 10 hours reportedly were spent while the owner was at home.
The iPad's weight, display and price set it apart from dedicated reading devices like the Kindle and Nook, but it appears that reading is just what owners like to do with this device as well. Thirty-one percent of owners surveyed said the iPad is their preferred device for reading periodicals, staggeringly close to the number of those who prefer a desktop or laptop. When it comes to reading books, the number goes up to 41%. Contrary to the best guesses of many analysts, it does appear that people who buy iPads really do like reading on it.
It is also worth noting that 38% of iPad owners called it their preferred device for web browsing and 37% said it was their preferred device for games. With all of the numbers in the survey being so similar, it is very likely that about 1/3rd of owners have made their iPad the center of their digital life.
Do you have an iPad? If so, are you using it as part of your everyday life? Let us know in the comments.
