• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, July 14, 2011

The latest consumer research from GfK MRI shows that adult owners of eReaders and Tablets are also heavy readers of the printed versions of magazines and newspapers. Tablet owners are 66% more likely than the average U.S. adult to be heavy users of printed versions of magazines, while owners of eReaders are 23% more likely to be heavy magazine users. 

Owners of these digital devices are also more likely than the average adult to be heavy newspaper readers; Tablet and eReader owners are 54% and 63% more likely than the average U.S. adult, respectively, to be heavy newspaper readers.  Not surprisingly, given the connectivity of eReaders and especially Tablets, their owners index high for Internet usage.  Tablet owners are 79% more likely than the average adult to be a heavy Internet user, while eReader owners are 36% more likely to be a heavy Internet user.

Traditional Media Consumption by Tablet and eReader Owners
	Heavy Readership Index
Own	Magazine	Newspaper	Radio	TV	Internet
Any Tablet	166	154	92	63	179
Any eReader	123	163	96	65	136
iPad	160	156	88	63	171
Kindle	125	166	90	58	143
Source: Gfk  MRI Survey of the American Consumer, 9/2010-4/2011, July 2011 (Definitions: Heavy magazine: 13/mo; heavy newspaper; 25/mo; heavy Internet: 22.5 Hrs/week)

In addition, a gender difference in terms of digital ownership has emerged. The report sas that women are 52% more likely than men to own an eReader and men are 24% more likely than women to own a Tablet.  At the brand level, women are 63% more likely than men to own an Amazon Kindle and twice as likely to own a Barnes & Noble Nook, while men are 16% more likely to own an Apple iPad. 

The report suggests that men's affinity for Tablets may be a reflection of the way they view ownership of technological gadgets with respect to their peers.  For instance, men are much more likely than women to report: "I want others to say 'Wow!' when they see my electronics."

Gender Difference in eReader vs. Tablet Ownership
Own	Index Women vs. Men	Index Men vs. Women
Any eReader	152	66
Kindle	163	61
Nook	202	50
Any tablet	81	124
iPad	86	116
Source: Gfk  MRI Survey of the American Consumer, 9/2010-4/2011, July 2011

Books are still the medium of choice among eReader owners, with 87% having read a book on their device in the last six months. Magazines and newspapers trailed at 15% and 14%, respectively. The media consumption gap is narrower among owners of Tablets.  57% of Tablet owners, on average, read a book on their device in the last six months compared to 39% who read a magazine and 41% who read a newspaper.

Media Usage on Tablets and eReaders Among Owners
	Owners Of:
Media Read Last 6 Mos	Any eReader	Any Tablet	iPad	Kindle
Book	87%	57	57	87
Magazine	15	39	41	12
Newspaper	14	41	43	13
Source: Gfk  MRI Survey of the American Consumer, 9/2010-4/2011, July 2011

Personal ownership of Tablets and eReaders skyrocketed after the 2010 Holiday gift-giving season, says the report.  Average ownership of eReaders was 2.3% of the U.S. adult population in the four months prior to Christmas; that rose to 5.1% of adults, on average, in the four months after Christmas.  The same growth curve is true for Tablets.  Average Tablet ownership in the four months prior to Christmas 2010 was 1.8% of adults; after Christmas average ownership rose to 3.5% of U.S. adults.

Risa Becker, V.P. Research at GfK MRI, says that this study reinforces the fact "... that for a device that's been in the market for a little more than one year, Tablets have caught on in a big way... publishers will be encouraged to know that Tablet owners are devotees of both magazines and newspapers."

For additional information from GfK MRI, please visit here.