Over one-half (57%) of surveyed US consumers say they plan to purchase an e-reader or tablet within the next three years—29% plan to purchase one within the next year—according to a study by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Should those prove to be actual adoption rates, they would firmly establish such devices in the American mainstream and inject fresh hope into the publishing industry, which is struggling to generate online revenues, BCG said.

"The survey suggests that e-readers and tablets are not a niche product for early adopters but could become the MP3 players of this decade. Grandmothers will soon be carrying them around," said John Rose, the global leader of BCG's Media practice.

There is a strong preference for multipurpose tablets: 53% of consumers say they would like to own a multipurpose e-reader, such as an iPad, compared with 39% who prefer single-purpose e-readers, such as Amazon's Kindle, the Nook from Barnes and Noble, or the Sony Reader.

Below, additional findings from the BCG study.

Consumers Want Cheaper Prices, Content Flexibility

Widespread adoption will depend in part on a drop in prices: The sweet spot for multipurpose devices is from $130 to $200—far below the $499 entry price of the iPad—while the desired price for a single-purpose device is from $100 to $150.

Consumers also want more flexibility in purchasing content rather than being locked into a single source, such as the iTunes store: 91% of e-reader owners and 83% of those interested in purchasing an e-reader say they are likely to buy more content if multiple retailers are available.

Willingness to Pay for Content

Among consumers interested in purchasing an e-reader within the next three years, 97% say they expect to read digital books, 82% expect to read digital magazines, and 73% expect to read online newspapers:

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E-readers, Tablets to Become Mass-Market Devices

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