Tablets are the preferred choice for people reading ebooks, according to Pew Internet.

A research conducted by Pew Internet shows that more and more Americans are now reading e-books, with the percentage rising to 23 percent this year from 16 percent of last year. The study also discovered that the percentage of people who used to read printed books decreased to 67 percent from 72 percent over the same period.

The poll, conducted between October and November, also revealed that the percentage of people who now owns a tablet of an e-reader rose to 33 percent from just 18 percent a year ago.

However, the tablet appears to be in a strong position compared to dedicated e-readers.

Twenty five percent of the survey respondents own a tablet as of November 25, while only 19 percent said they owned an e-reader .  Both devices were more or less at the same level last year, while surveys taken between 2010 and 2011 showed that e-readers were more popular that tablets.

More libraries are also embracing e-books. A five percent increase of the number of people who borrowed  electronics books from local libraries from about 3 percent a year ago was observed in the poll. There is also an increase in share of people who are now aware that their libraries offer e-books from 24 percent of last year to 31 percent this year.

According to the survey, the people who tend to read e-books are those with college or graduate degrees, those whose age range between 30 to 49 years old, and households whose incomes are over $ 75,000 annually.

Men and women are neck to neck, though people living in urban areas tend to read more compared to those living in suburban or rural areas.

The data of Pew is based on a survey of 2,252 Americans aged from 16 and above. The study was conducted between October 15 to November 10, 2012.

The survey demonstrates that the popularity and convenience of tablets and e-readers are increasing today, although printed books may still linger for a little while in the coming years.

source: cnet

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