http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 4:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
Get off my lawn!
]]>May 1st 2009 11:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 11:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
Oh, wait...]]>May 1st 2009 12:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 4:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
which in my opinion is much, much, better...


I honestly dont think 'more mature' people really know how to do research online.
]]>May 1st 2009 4:08AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 9:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 9:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 11:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 4:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/Dec 27th 2010 9:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 10:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://cyclisman.over-blog.com]]>May 1st 2009 8:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
I love my Kindle. I forget it's an electronic device when I'm reading on it, and it sure is a lot lighter than trying to balance a hardcover for hours on end. ]]>May 1st 2009 10:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 5:16AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
it's all about multi-functionality, and that's what the kindle lacks.]]>May 1st 2009 5:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 11:52AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 1:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 2nd 2009 8:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 5:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/Younger people, less interested to read.
Whoop dee doo. Slow news day?]]>May 1st 2009 5:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
Diminishing eyesight, so very glad of the ability to use a bigger font.

Less time spent going out clubbing and other similar stuff, so more time for reading to unwind after a hard day.

Not every gadget has to be aimed at you young whipper-snappers.

Oh.. and GET OFF MY LAWN!]]>May 1st 2009 10:00AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 11:44AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
So the habit of reading books was already there, there just wasn't a gadget for it.

Mp3 players, handheld consoles, etc are forms of entertainment that are 'new' for older people, but has existed for a much larger proportion of the lives of younger people (Game Boy came out the year after I was born, for example).

Therefore, for younger people there was an equal playing field growing up between books and other things.

For older people, books have the advantage, because that's what those people are used to. No point changing your habits to watching films or playing DS when you're happy reading a book on the bus.

But the kindle takes aim specifically at those people: they finally have a gadget that doesn't require them to change their habits in order to enjoy it.

Obviously I'm generalising - almost everyone reads stuff while commuting, even if it's just a free paper.

Psychologically though, I think the kindle has an appeal to people for whom reading is the assumed primary form of entertainment when travelling.]]>May 1st 2009 6:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 6:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 6:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/Kindle is a waste of time IMO.]]>May 1st 2009 7:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 7:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
This drive to avoid more shelves of books is no different from the reason why people digitize any other forms of paper.]]>May 1st 2009 11:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
It's more like, older, working commuters people can justify the purchase because:
1. it greatly improves the experience, and beats hauling a bunch of paper to and from work, no need to use bookmarks, flip pages, etc when you're crammed in the subway etc.
2. they can afford it
3. they actually get a lot of use out of it.

Clutter is probably a consideration but unless you live in a 1BR in Manhattan, it's not that bad. Personally I give away a lot of the books I own once I realized I'll never have a use for them again.]]>May 1st 2009 11:48AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
* 58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school
* 42% of college graduates never read another book
* 80% of US families did not buy or read a book last year.
* 70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years
* 57% of new books are not read to completion.
* Most readers do not get past page 18 in a book they have purchased.
]]>May 1st 2009 7:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/70% of US adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years

That number is going to keep going up unless you count Amazon as going to a book store. With the Prime program I get free 2-day shipping so why would I go anywhere else for books?

I admit that I only use my Kindle when traveling--most of my reading is technical books where charts, graphs, and tables are necessary. The Sony fans don't seem to get it--Kindle readers want the latest books and bestsellers, not public domain or whatever happens to be on a torrent. When someone other than Amazon has a larger breadth of books then I'll consider it.]]>May 1st 2009 10:39AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 8:04AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
I think Jeff Bezos probably personifies the typical Kindle reader: 40s to early 50s, white, and nerdy (like that Weird Al Yankovik song, "White and Nerdy"). Someone who has a job for which they travel frequently or who has time to kill waiting for stupid corporate meetings or who can bill people for pretending to do work. Someone who got an iPod maybe a few years ago. Instead of relying on airport bookstores, hotel gift shops, and the occasional Border's, they can get a much larger selection of text material almost instantly on the Kindle.]]>May 1st 2009 10:14AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 8:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 8:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
And yes, I have a Kindle 2.

I like it better than the Sony PRS-505 because it has Whispernet, web access, text-to-speech, and still costs about the same as the Sony. It can handle any file the Sony can handle, except that I have to convert some of them with Calibre before transferring to the Kindle (The Sony doesn't display PDFs natively, either. It converts them before displaying them.) If I wanted to I could load software on my Kindle that would do the conversion on-the-fly, but I'm happier doing it in Calibre and managing all my books like I do my music.

My myopia doesn't really have anything to do with my having a Kindle 2. I still have to wear my glasses when I'm reading, and I don't make the font size any bigger than it would be in a regular hardcover novel. I'm not quite in the LARGE PRINT club yet.

Anyway, I'm under 40 (barely) and I love my Kindle, however, I do find that a lot of Kindle owners I meet online seem to be women in their 40s and 50s. The only other Kindle owner I know personally is a woman in her 40s.

And my theory: Why do younger people want the Sony? Because they think it's more friendly to pirated books and media than the Kindle. (It's not any more or less file-compatible, actually).]]>May 1st 2009 10:45AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
Glad you like your Kindle 2. But the Sony *does* handle PDF reflow natively (just Google "Sony Reader native PDF").

And as to your theory of why younger people like the Sony, you may be right. But it may also be because Calibre .mobi support only happened within the last month or two. So up until that time, tech-savvy young people could do more with the Sony than with the Kindle (like get free magazines and newspapers).]]>May 1st 2009 11:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
Sony's reader can handle more than the Kindle when it comes to PDF, for example it supports Chinese and Japanese.]]>May 1st 2009 11:43AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
Sorry, couldn't resist.]]>May 1st 2009 9:30AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 9:49AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
Plus they talk constantly about their tacky Kindle covers. "Look at the purple fairy cover I bought for Francesca to wear!" Oh yeah, and they name the damn things and refer to them like people.

WEIRD.

I like my Kindle but come on....]]>May 1st 2009 11:06AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 9:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 10:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 10:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 11:27AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/
Its an expensive device. Only really useful for people who would otherwise be carrying around multiple hardcover books and stacks of magazines. But if your scenario is that you travel regularly and try to go with only your briefcase and sometimes a piece of carry on luggage, then the Kindle can make sense.]]>May 1st 2009 11:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/RIght now, I am reading a book I got for free from Gutenberg.org in mobi format.
Mobi format is compatible with the Kindle. It is a book on Stoic ideas of Marcus Aurelius.
The Kindle and Gutenberg are great for reading classics for FREE!!!!
Gutenberg has loads of Joseph Conrad.
If younger people don't read, they will have crappy jobs, and the younger folk who do read will be their corporate masters.]]>May 1st 2009 11:54AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 12:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/informal-poll-suggests-nearly-70-of-kindle-owners-are-over-40/May 1st 2009 12:51PM