Pew Internet & American Life Project

Tablet and E-Book Reader Ownership Nearly Double Over the Holiday Gift-Giving Period

January 23, 2012

Sales of tablet computers and e-book readers surged during the holiday season, causing the  share of adults who own either device to nearly double, from 10% to 19%.

These results are based on a pre-holiday survey conducted among people age 16 and older between Nov. 16 and Dec. 21, and two surveys of adults age 18 and older conducted in January.

The findings are striking because they come after a period from mid-2011 into the autumn in which there was not much change in the ownership of tablets and e-book readers. However, as the holiday gift-giving season approached the marketplace for both devices dramatically shifted. In the tablet world, Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes and Noble’s Nook Tablet were introduced at considerably cheaper prices than other tablets. In the e-book reader world, some versions of the Kindle and Nook and other readers fell well below $100.  

Read the full report for more details on the demographics of those who own tablet computers and e-book readers.