iPad Owners Not Using the Device to Read E-Books?

Approximately 40 percent of iPad owners "have not used the device to read a single e-book," according to a press release issued yesterday regarding a new report from media and publishing forecast firm Simba Information, "Trade E-Book Publishing 2011," based on a national study. This figure suggests that the device is used for games and other media instead, according to Simba.

One could wonder why the 40 percent not using the device to read e-books is being stressed, when the higher number, 60 percent—by the process of deduction—have used the device to read at least one e-book. Is that number not significant?

"The penetration of such a new device is impressive given how many have been sold, but the 60 percent figure" includes everyone who may have read one page of one free book to those who have read many books, explains Michael Norris, senior analyst at Simba Information's Trade Book Group and author of the report.

In addition, Norris stresses, "I've always been of the mindset that we, as an industry, spend far too much time with the people we already know to be book buyers. If we're serious about growing our industry, we have to start with the people just don't buy books. There are over 100 million people like that in this country alone, and we're screwing ourselves if we don't sell the activity of reading to them," he says.

"I'm stressing the 40 percent figure because when the industry talks about devices that are sold, they suggest that each one represents a brand-new consumer; but not everybody treats and uses tablet devices the same. So even though book content can be 'accessed' by millions of iPad owners, millions of iPad owners choose not to access it," he continues.

"We also need to remember the iPad has been around a very short while, and given the additional capabilities of the device and the list of non-reading activities consumers can do on it getting longer by the day, I just wonder if the 40 percent figure this year will grow to 45 percent next year," he notes. "So after the iPad has been around a while, we'll see what extent people are using it for reading books versus who is using it to play Angry Birds.