Study finds most e-reader owners are happy with their devices

Apple take note: According to a study by the NPD Group, a whopping 93% of e-reader owners are very happy with their devices and only 2% said they were totally unhappy. When asked what their favorite features were, 60% said wireless connectivity while 23% said it was the touch screen.

“Both the display technology and available content on e-Readers are optimized for those interested in books, said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. “Pairing these optimizations with wireless technology for transparent access and touch screens for easy navigation has resonated with the avid readers that have been early e-Reader adopters.”

Despite the high level of satisfaction, the owners surveyed had many suggestions for improvement, among them longer battery life, color screens, and more book title availability.

This study is good news for established e-reader makers Amazon and Sony but may not be for Apple, which is positioning its iPad as the ultimate e-reader. As a Kindle and iPod Touch owner, I believe the Kindle has nothing to worry about. The iPad, which is basically a giant iPod Touch, is a nice gadget, but simply doesn’t include the features users wanting a multiuse device are looking for. It doesn’t multi-task, doesn’t have Flash, and displays videos in 4:3 rather than widescreen. As far as it’s e-reader capabilities, while being able to use multiple e-reader apps is a plus, the backlit LCD means extended reading will likely result in painful eyestrain.

What do you think? If you own an e-reader are you happy with it? Do you plan to trade it in for an iPad? Why or why not?

Read [NPD Group]