Tablet and eReader Ownership Nearly Doubled Over the Holidays

The Pew Research Center has released the results of a recent study that may be valuable to technology experts and device manufacturers today.According to a survey conducted by this independent and nonpartisan organization, 19 percent of the total adult US population have a tablet PC. These figures indicate nearly a 50 percent rise from a survey conducted in the middle of December 2011. The number of users of eReaders such as Amazon’s Kindle, the Nook, and the Notion Ink Adam has likewise seen an increase, which is now 19 percent from the previous 10 percent.Said study was conducted for about three months with 5,000 respondents, and yielded other interesting facts. For example, people who have attained a higher degree of education are more likely to own a slate or an eReader.These two figures combined, the number adds up to 29 percent. In other words, more than a quarter, or nearly one-third of American adults own a slate or an eReader device as of this month. This is a sharp rise, especially considering that in December 2011, the number was only 18 percent.

Analysts attribute this increase to the holidays. Other factors include markdowns, for instance, on Research in Motion’s Blackberry Playbook, or the launch of the Amazon’s Kindle Fire.

via engadget