Ipad users younger, Kindle users richer

[Alle Meine Entchen]

Owners of Apple's iPad tend to "skew younger and more male," while those who have Amazon's Kindle e-reader "tend to be wealthier" and more educated, according to a new study from The Nielsen Co.
Nielsen's first-ever "Connected Devices Playbook" report surveyed more than 5,000 consumers who already have tablet devices, e-readers, smart phones, netbooks and media players, and included 400 iPad owners.
Among the findings:
• iPad owners "skew younger and more male. Sixty-five percent of them are male and 63 percent of them are under the age of 35."
• Kindle owners "tend to be wealthier," with 44 percent of them making "more than $80,000/year compared to 39 percent of iPad owners and 37 percent of iPhone owners. They also tend to have more education: 27 percent of Kindle owners have Master’s degrees or doctorates."
• iPad owners "are more receptive to advertising on their touchscreen tablet than owners of other devices. Thirty-nine percent of iPad owners say ads on their connected device are new and interesting, compared to 19 percent of all connected device owners. And 46 percent say they enjoy ads with interactive features compared to 27 percent of all connected device owners."
Also, Nielsen noted, "Perhaps most important to advertisers, iPad owners are also the most likely to have made a purchase as a result of seeing an ad on their connected device."
The least expensive model of the iPad is $499 for a Wi-Fi only version. The latest version of the Kindle, also Wi-Fi only, costs $139.

Just thought it was interesting, if not exactly true in my case.

[MichelleR]

Kindle users are richer because they didn't drop all that cash on an iPad. 

[Muddypawz]

Kindle users are richer because they didn't drop all that cash on an iPad. 

That's a good one, Michelle!  lol

Melissa

[BTackitt]

I was thinking something similar Michelle..
Richer? iPad $500 for the CHEAP version, Kindle $139...

Younger? Dh has iPad he's 49, I have Kindle I'm 39.. seems to me it's azzbackwards.

Wait.. out of the MILLIONS who even own these devices, they surveyed 5 THOUSAND? where? a college town? students had iPads, professors had Kindles? huh?

[Nicolas]

Wait.. out of the MILLIONS who even own these devices, they surveyed 5 THOUSAND? where? a college town? students had iPads, professors had Kindles? huh?

That might well be the case... There's a great push (probably with the help of tablet-manufacturers) to exploit the advertising potential of the iPad. The image they're currently building - device for young audience who are open to new ideas, products and willing to spend heavy bucks for it - for the iPad is part of that campaign. That "survey" is merely a tool.

[tommyr]

  I'm not rich, therefore I don't have an iPad. Don't NEED an iPad anyway.

Love my Kindle 3 though!

[SusanCassidy]

Oh my god, does that mean I'm young and rich?  I wish!!!

[CoffeeCat]

Interesting . . . my DH wants an iPad and he'll be 28 in January. He refuses to get one right now because of the cost of the device, and because he doesn't want to pay $30.00 a month for the service. He says he would love it for work documents in the field, but I doubt he'd bring it to a job site and want it around heavy machinery all day.

He enjoyed playing with my K2, and while he's not as avid of a reader as I am, I'm sure that once we find him an author he can't put down, he'll want a K3 too.

[sixnsolid]

Oh my god, does that mean I'm young and rich?  I wish!!!

Why yes, yes it does....move over on that bench, I'm apparently young and rich, too 

[SusanCassidy]

If you want 3G on the iPad, you can get it for only $15/month, if you use only 250Mb of data or less :
250 MB   $14.99
2 GB   $25.00

Plus, you can get it only for the months you need it.  I disabled 3G on mine after the first month ran out.  I'll get it when we go on vacation.  Otherwise, I use wi-fi.

[CoffeeCat]

If you want 3G on the iPad, you can get it for only $15/month, if you use only 250Mb of data or less :
250 MB   $14.99
2 GB   $25.00

Plus, you can get it only for the months you need it.  I disabled 3G on mine after the first month ran out.  I'll get it when we go on vacation.  Otherwise, I use wi-fi.

I'm glad my husband isn't reading this, but good to know. Thanks!

[akpak]

Oh my god, does that mean I'm young and rich?  I wish!!!

Right?

[meromana]

Fascinating stats, thanks for that.

It pulls me back to the debate a week or two ago that some of us were having on/about Joe Konrath's blog post with regard to ebook prices.  He and a few others strongly feel that $2.99 is the sweet spot for ebook pricing, while another group argued for higher.  If the average Kindle owner is making $75K (extrapolating here), it wouldn't seem that a couple bucks either way would have much influence on their purchasing decision.  For the younger, less wealthy ebook owners, perhaps it would, but still, for anyone who is paying several hundred for the device and $20 a month in data fees, it hardly seems logical that they would be so sensitive to the book price.

--Maria

[Jason G. Anderson]

Kindle users are richer because they didn't drop all that cash on an iPad. 

Luckily for me (and my desire to get an iPad), I had parents who sold a block of land just before my birthday.

I'm surprised the article didn't try and sell some sort of health benefit for using an iPad - my one complaint about it is that it's a little heavy to hold for long term use. I'm sure Apple planned the secret muscle building program as part of their design, but for just ebook reading I think the Kindle's weight would be much better.

(My wife thinks so too, so she's getting a Kindle for Christmas).

[caracara]

So it is probable that I am rich and have Masters/Doctorate degree.

This is coming from the no-job (by choice) teenager who is also in Statistics, and has stopped believing in all surveys because it is so easy to sway them.

Just sayin...

[David McAfee]

Wait.. out of the MILLIONS who even own these devices, they surveyed 5 THOUSAND? where? a college town? students had iPads, professors had Kindles? huh?

That's the problem with statistics. They can be manipulated to say anything you want.

[Ron]

I'm in my mid sixties and today I discover that I am young, extremely handsome and rich. Wish I had found this out 30 years ago.

[Marine Mom]

Kindle users are richer, because as the article says, they are better educated.....that's because they're READERS!

Ipad users, on the other hand, surf the net, watch videos, and play 'angry birds' 

[David McAfee]

Kindle users are richer, because as the article says, they are better educated.....that's because they're READERS!

Ipad users, on the other hand, surf the net, watch videos, and play 'angry birds' 

I play Angry Birds. Love that game.

[MrTsMom]

Wonder what that says about me, a late 40's, (sort of) poor, female, who has (and enjoys) BOTH a Kindle and an iPad?

[larryb52]

I have the kindle , no ipad but no cash , but I hoard e-books

[w5jck]

Oh my god, does that mean I'm young and rich?  I wish!!!

In my case, I'm afraid my youthful ship sailed a long time ago and my wealthy ship sunk at sea with no survivors! I am well educated though, and very well read.  

[SongbirdVB]

WOO HOO!!!  I'm young and rich!  While we're playing... can I be THIN too? 

I love my Kindle, but am not rich by any stretch of the imagination.  A couple of my favorite things about the K have been the free books, and the inexpensive books by the indie authors.

[VictoriaP]

Why yes, yes it does....move over on that bench, I'm apparently young and rich, too 

Sweet!  All the fanboys who think Apple products work miracles are right--I'm suddenly young and rich!   

Seriously "studies" like these are worthless crap due to small, very skewed sample sizes.

(And while I think Angry Birds is a blast, I spend WAY more time on these boards than I do gaming.  Or reading, lately.  LOL!)

[mooshie78]

It's just because of age.

Older people are further into their career, making more money, have more savings etc. on average than younger people who are earlier in their careers etc.

Thus Kindle owners--who are older on average--have more money than iPad owners who are younger on average.

[SongbirdVB]

It's just because of age.

Older people are further into their career, making more money, have more savings etc. on average than younger people who are earlier in their careers etc.

Thus Kindle owners--who are older on average--have more money than iPad owners who are younger on average.

Oops.  Looks like I'm OLD (not that 50 is old... but it's older than 20-something) and rich.  One out of two isn't bad, but I would rather have the OTHER one.  Poo. 

[Shastastan]

They just can't stop, can they?  It always has to be ereader v. ipad.  More and more "pads" are coming out all the time now.  We have K2's , but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to have a color screen to read magazines and newspapers, maybe even a few games.  Although I can afford it,  I'm going to wait for the "pads" to come down in price.  I don't want to pay monthly for the use of the device either.  We are not rich but we both have advanced degrees.  Yes, if I have to choose then I choose reading.  That's what an ereader is for.  We do not have smart phones either.  I guess we would rather read than play with gadgets but whatever floats your boat.

[Thalia the Muse]

I would love to have an iPad! I'm just too cheap to buy one at the current price. I'm sure I'd find plenty to do with it -- I love to read, but that's not all I love to do.

[mooshie78]

I would love to have an iPad! I'm just too cheap to buy one at the current price. I'm sure I'd find plenty to do with it -- I love to read, but that's not all I love to do.

Same.  And reading is actually below tv, movies, sports and video games on my hobbies list personally.

But I want a tablet with a screen big enough to handle 8.5x11" documents, has a stylus for marking them up etc., so the iPad doesn't fit my needs.  Price is fine.  Heck, I'd probably pay up to $1000 for a tablet that fit my needs (screen size, stylus, 8-10 hour battery life, pc like file system etc. etc.).

[BooksGalore]

Meromana,
I'd pay $3.99 without a thought, $4.99 I'd think about, but still buy it if I truly wanted it.  Just finished a couple nonfiction and a classic so it was time
for something different, bought your book.  Love romance/suspense combo.  This family doesn't like apple products, but I do have a 20something
nephew who buys all their latest gadgets.

[meromana]

Meromana,
I'd pay $3.99 without a thought, $4.99 I'd think about, but still buy it if I truly wanted it. 

This is pretty much how I think.  The time I invest is more valuable than the dollar amount, but a book is easily worth more than a cheeseburger at the Golden Arches.

Just finished a couple nonfiction and a classic so it was time
for something different, bought your book.  Love romance/suspense combo. 

Gee whiz, thanks!  I hope you enjoy it, but I value all feedback, so don't hesitate to let me know if I missed the mark.

--Maria

[Roger Knights]

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/09/28/kindle-ipad-study/

"Apparently, of the 400 Apple tablet owners in this survey, 65 percent were male. Compared to Sony PSP and Amazon Kindle owners, who were 62 percent and 52 percent male, respectively, ..."

"Kindle buyers tend to be wealthier, however, as 44 percent make more than $80,000 a year next to the iPad group’s 39 percent. Kindle owners are further described as better educated, since 27 percent of them have Master’s or PhD diplomas."

[mooshie78]

A lot of that, particular income is probably due to the age difference.  Older people are further into their careers and thus more likely to have bigger incomes etc.--as well as to have finished advanced degrees etc.

Surprised a bit by the Ph D thing though.  I'm a prof myself, and don't know any other profs with Kindles--but several with iPads.  Most of the reading we do is PDFs of research articles--which are better on the iPad (bigger screen, faster page turns etc.).  I'd have one if it had a bigger screen.  I don't like reading in landscape and getting a half page at a time, so I'm holding out for something with a bigger screen that can handle letter sized documents in potrait orientation without having super tiny fonts.

[PeterW]

Surprised a bit by the Ph D thing though.  I'm a prof myself, and don't know any other profs with Kindles--but several with iPads. 

I wondered about that, too, and so looked for the actual Nielson report - which used the term "doctorates" instead Ph.Ds.  Meaning that the term would include physicians and lawyers as well as Ph.Ds.