The demand for e-readers is nearly insatiable and the trend is likely to continue, at least for a little while. People with e-readers read more, which is good for the e-book industry. “Overall, two in five Americans (40%) read 11 or more books a year with one in five reading 21 or more books in a year (19%). But among those who have an eReader, over one-third read 11-20 books a year (36%) and over one-quarter read 21 or more books in an average year (26%)”, a new Harris Poll shows.

Among those adults who do not have an e-reader, 12% are likely to buy one in the next six months. The report argues e-reader owners have easy access to books because they download them online and that they are more likely to carry the device because it is light and convenient.

E-readers, though, are still a novelty. Those people who own them may show initial enthusiasm which is accompanied by nearly manic buying behavior because of their supposed ease of use. And the excitement may drive e-book adoption, although it is not clear how many of those downloaded tomes are actually read.

The e-reader may not be a mass market product. Several studies have shown that most people believe that e-readers are too expensive. And many readers prefer “old-fashioned” paper books.

The devices could end up with a fate similar to the hula hoop. Millions of the novelties were sold in the early 1960s and people who owned them often used them regularly for long periods of time. But hula hoop owners soon tired of them. There were easier and more traditional ways to get exercise.  Hula hoops are a rare sight today.

Some readers may use e-readers now, but 10 years from now, they may be nothing more than ancient paper weights.

Douglas A. McIntyre

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