E-book readers are a satisfied lot

Or were before the iPad was announced

Owners of e-book readers - well, US-based ones at least - are very happy with their purchases, local market watcher NPD has revealed.

We say 'are' because NPD made its announcement this week. But 'were' might be a more 'accurate' term since the research that led to this conclusion was carried out more than two months ago, in November 2009.

Since then, Apple has announced its headline-grabbing iPad, a tablet device that combines e-book reader functionality with internet access and iPod media playback.

Punters may now be less satisfied with their purchase, having seen reports and videos of the iPad's colour screen in action, but back in November 2009, 93 per cent of e-book reader users were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with their device.

A mere two per cent expressed any level of dissatisfaction.

Interestingly, 60 per cent of owners said wireless access was their gadget's favorite feature. This pretty much means they're all Amazon Kindle owners, so rare - back then, at least - are rival e-book readers with online access.

The 23 per cent who favoured touchscreen technology are presumably mostly owners of Sony's Reader PRS-600 Touch Edition.

Both features are key iPad components, which bodes well for Apple.

That said, only 34 per cent of owners were keen on a colour screen. Compare that to those keen on better battery life - not an iPad strong point - at 39 per cent and those who want a superior selection of reading material (42 per cent). ®

E-Book Reader Reviews
Amazon Kindle DX International Edition
iRiver Story
Amazon Kindle International Edition
Sony Reader PRS-300 Pocket Edition
Bookeen Cybook Opus
Sony Reader PRS-600 Touch Edition
Interead Cool-er