Publishers are expected to rake in big e-book sales in January, it has been reported. However, some critics believe that the success of e-readers is only temporary. According to them, many consumers will opt for tablet computers such as the iPad in the next few years. Many tablet devices offer e-reader apps, and considering the amount of tablets launched at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show, companies are banking on big adoption rates.
Forrester Research estimates that one-third of US online users will own a tablet by 2015. This is eight times more than the 10.3 million people using them now. According to principal analyst Jeff Orr of ABI Research, e-reader devices have a lot of life in them and may have more staying power than expected. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has also acknowledged the trend.
Bezos credits this to the fact that the Kindle weighs less than tablets, among other benefits. In contrast, tablets are seen to be much more versatile devices, with many using them as a convenient companion to a home computer.
The growth of e-readers and e-books does not, however, indicate the end of print, according to Orr. Consumers also admit that they are not ready to give up certain types of books. A new study conducted by the Book Industry Study Group revealed that 75 percent of college students still prefer print textbooks over e-books.
It has been observed that even though e-book readers are booming in the US, the international market is still undersized. The situation is expected to change in 2013 when momentum will pick up worldwide, according to ABI Research. The firm forecasts that over 30 million e-readers will ship during that year, almost double the 2012 total.
While voracious North American e-book consumers may now own more than one reader so as to ensure a wide selection of content, Orr said the majority of these devices made worldwide are not designed and manufactured there. Most are made in China, even though tablets have yet to make an impact in overseas markets. He further notes that success will increasingly depend on the strength of the relationship between reader and content provider. Non-US markets will be less driven by booksellers and more by publishers and perhaps even network operators.
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