AfterDawn: News

Kindle losing e-reader market share to iPad

A new survey from ChangeWave Research says that Amazon's Kindle is "rapidly" losing e-reader market share thanks to the popular iPad tablet.

For the three-month period of August 1st to November 8th, the Kindle's market share fell to 47 percent, from a whopping 62 percent.



The iPad took most of that share, rising to 32 percent from 16. Sony's "Reader" line accounted for another 5 percent, and the Barnes & Noble Nook took 4 percent.

ChangeWave surveyed 2800 consumers and found that 75 percent were "very satisfied" with their iPad, compared to 54 percent for Kindle owners.

The bigger question may be to ask if the iPad can be considered in the same market as the Kindle, as it does so much more. The Kindle is a dedicated e-reader. That being said, the survey showed that 76 percent of iPad owners use it to read.

Apple has sold over 2 million iPads. Amazon does not reveal Kindle sales figures.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 1 Dec 2010 20:27

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• 1 comment

• nodam

  I'm not entirely clear what Amazon is planning with the Kindle. Consider that the Kindle App is available for a number of platforms and all of them are free. I have always wanted a Kindle, but the price was always a barrier. But even with the lower price, I would rather spend that money on Kindle books. The day it became available on my iPhone, I installed it. When it came out for the Mac, I immediately got it. I read one or two books a week, so since the Kindle App came out, I've spent well over $500 on Kindle Books. I always thought that the Kindle should come with at least half its price as credits toward books. All the apps and the Kindle itself, Amazon should be make a lot of money on book/magazine/newspaper sales, after all that is what they started out as. These are platforms for generating sales.
  
  I had the Nook app on my iPhone, but one day, I lost my entire library, luckily I only had about 10 books there. I don't know how to get them back. The iBook app, I read one book (not the Winnie the Pooh book) and I got really frustrated with that. Anytime I lay down, the book changes orientation. Since that is the time that I use my iPhone to read, the only option I have to lock the entire phone in one orientation. I invariably forget that it is locked until it won't rotate on Web pages or e-mail. Right now, the Kindle app is one of my main apps.
  
  The one advantage of the Kindle over the apps, and I consider it a big one, is the ability to subscribe to newspapers and magazines. So the one advantage that the Kindle has over the apps is easily covered by the iPad. The iPad feels a lot sturdier than the Kindle or the Kindle DX, and it is backlighted. But battery life on the Kindles is excellent. If I had the money, I would probably opt for the iPad.

  3.12.2010 20:47 #1