By AppleInsider Staff
Published: 03:35 PM EST (12:35 PM PST)
As Apple's iPad continues its strong sales pace, the touchscreen tablet has narrowed the gap with Amazon's Kindle in terms of e-reader hardware market share.
ChangeWave on Tuesday released the results of its survey of
e-reader owners. Of the 2,800 consumers polled, 47 percent said they own an Amazon Kindle, a "rapidly diminishing lead" it continues to lose as Apple's iPad gains market share.
In terms of the e-reader market, the iPad went from a 16 percent share in August to 32 percent in November. In the same time, Amazon's share plummeted 62 percent to 47 percent.
The survey also found that iPad owners are more satisfied with their purchase than those with a Kindle. Of those who own an iPad, 75 percent said they are "very satisfied" with the device, compared to 54 percent for the Kindle.
Apple also holds an advantage in terms of potential buyers. ChangeWave also found that 42 percent of customers looking to buy an e-reader in the next 90 days would get Apple's iPad, while 33 percent would opt for the Amazon Kindle.
The market for e-readers is growing as well, as 5 percent of total respondents said they are "very likely" to buy an e-reader in the next 90 days, and other 10 percent said they are "somewhat likely" to buy one within three months.
In March, before the iPad was even released, ChangeWave found that consumer interest in the Kindle
had waned since Apple announced its touchscreen tablet. That survey predicted that reading books, magazines and newspapers would be a major use for the iPad, something the latest survey reaffirms.
