July 15, 2010 – A recent study done by Dr. Jakob Nielsen compared the reading times of 24 users on the iPad using the iBooks application, the Kindle 2, a PC monitor and the paper. It was found that reading on an electronic tablet was up to 10.7 percent slower than reading a printed book. However, despite it being slower, users preferred the electronic version over the print.
Knowledge Speak shared this study in their article, “Reading on paper faster than on reading devices, says Nielsen Norman study”. Though some of us will always prefer the feel of the printed paper and hard covers in our hands, the convenience factor is increasing the e-reader’s popularity. According to estimates by the Association of American Publishers, e-book sales are currently growing at a rate of 217.3 percent versus 2009. Easy access to data continues to rule.
Melody K. Smith
Sponsored by Data Harmony, a unit of Access Innovations, the world leader in indexing and making content findable.
