Kindle sales challenge: 71 percent in small survey wouldn’t buy digital book reader, even without price as a factor
Seventy-one percent of 344 people in an Internet survey said they wouldn’t buy a digital book reader even without price as a factor. The good news is that this still leaves 29 percent who might. Piper Jaffray & Company conducted the survey.
"The most common reasons for not wanting a digital book reader," reports StreetInsider.com, "were: like the experience of reading traditional books, digital books would not be comfortable for the eyes, digital books and device are too costly, unfamiliarity with the item, prefer to borrow books from library or friends." While Piper Jaffray did the survey with the Kindle especially in mind, results could also apply to other machines.
Meanwhile, despite price not being the factor, PJ&C thinks that the Kindle won’t take off without being more affordable. Hardly a surprise. Within five years or so, I suspect, we’ll see a $99 Kindle equivalent or better from Amazon if past trends in electronics apply. Maybe sooner. For now, Piper Jaffray is recommending that Amazon do a better job of educating people about the machine, which would jibe well with Joe Wikert’s feelings.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
I wonder if the same percentage of horse and buggy users felt the same reluctance when they were first told of the automobile.
June 28th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Excellent point, Mark. Also do you notice something else, in the story I linked to? There’s the repetition of 71 percent for (1) people not wanting to buy a digital book and (2) those not wanting to buy it with or without price as a consideration. A mistake, or did the two categories overlap exactly? Regardless, it’s clear that most people are at the buggy stage, and that actually could be good in one sense–since it leaves more upside.
David
June 30th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
[...] TeleRead e-books, encuesta, lectores, libros, libros electrónicos El Sony Mylo 2 actualiza su [...]