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comScore: iPad and E-Readers Poised to Be ‘Incredibly Disruptive' Tech


Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Steve Smith

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If consumer awareness and interest in the emerging wave of digital reader technology are fair indications, then the market could be looking at a real game changer in coming months, says a comScore survey of more than 2,000 users released today. Less than a week away from its formal launch on April 3, Apple’s iPad device matches the Amazon Kindle in consumer awareness (65%), with 1% of the polled audience having already ordered the device and 15% seriously considering its purchase in the next three months. The Kindle has been purchased already by 6% of the Internet users polled, with another 14% poised to buy in the next quarter. “These devices have the potential to be incredibly disruptive to the way consumers currently access digital content,” said Serge Matta, evp, comScore, in the report. “While only time will tell exactly how consumer behavior will change, our research suggests that not only will a variety of markets be impacted by the introduction of these devices but also that there are substantial opportunities for those in the digital content ecosystem.”


An overwhelming majority of respondents have been researching the digital devices, the study finds. The bad news for print media is that reading books, newspapers and magazines on the upcoming Apple iPad ranks well below the desire to surf the Web and get email. In fact, even Apple’s own ambitions for the iPad, as a platform for its massively popular App Store, could be thwarted by the user's love of the Web. Only 26% considered app downloads a likely scenario for use, with only 30% looking to play games. These are curious statistics in that much of the pre-release development buzz around the iPad has been focused on books, magazines and games. For content publishers looking to maximize their exposure on the device, they may look first to optimizing their Web sites for best viewing on a tablet device that uses the Safari mobile browser and cannot run Flash.

The anticipated iPad behaviors among current iPhone/iPod Touch owners is markedly different from the general digital user, however. This group of what comScore defines as “iOwners” is much more receptive to purchasing digitized newspapers and magazines (52%). Among this group that also owns e-readers, 50% spent $60 or more on e-books in the last three months.





Publishers hoping that the coming wave of e-devices will restore a paid content model may want to aim their efforts at the sweet spot of younger users. The 25-35 year old segment showed more willingness (68%) to pay for news and magazines formatted for the device than the 59% of 35-44 year olds. Still, both numbers suggest that consumers are more willing to pay for content on these devices than they ever have been on the Web.

To be sure, comScore’s numbers are a bit skewed in favor of the digitally aware. It seems unlikely that 6% of the general population owns a Kindle, for instance. Most market estimates of Kindle penetration are far south of 3 million units. Nevertheless, the comScore numbers suggest among consumers a genuine curiosity about the new platforms and a willingness to engage digital alternatives to print that are unprecedented.

If you have breaking news to share please contact Steve Smith at ssmith@accessintel.com


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