Tablet computers attract the affluent and well educated

by Steven Mostyn - Oct 26 2011, 10:03

While genuine productivity may still be lacking in tablet computers, it would appear the overall functionality ‘experience’ associated with such touch-screen devices remains a strong draw for consumers.

Specifically, a new report issued by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and The Economist Group has revealed that around 11 percent of adults in the United States currently own a tablet computer. Further to that, more than 75 percent of those users engage with their tablet every day.

In terms of usage, tablet owners tend to invest around 95 minutes per day via their preferred tablet interface, with reading up on daily news events ranking highly on the list of popular activities.

However, it’s perhaps worth noting that the recent spate of online payment walls erected by mainstream news outlets are proving somewhat unpopular—not least because only 14 percent of tablet news followers said they are willing to splash the cash for in-depth premium coverage.

When it comes to who exactly is willing to pay for content, 20 percent of those currently scouting for free news said they would consider paying for premium coverage if access was five dollars per month. That figure dropped to 10 percent when the question of paying ten dollars per month was raised.

Beyond trawling through news headlines and absorbing interesting news articles, tablet users also enjoy using their devices for email, social networking, playing videogames, reading digital eBooks, and watching streamed and downloaded movies.

Although we’d never suggest tablet computers are merely playthings for the affluent and well educated, the report claims that more than 50 percent of owners hold a college degree and enjoy a family income in excess of $75,000 USD.

It also outlines that 62 percent of tablet owners are in full-time employment, 46 percent are aged between 30 and 49, and 55 percent prefer reading on their portable screen rather than via a traditional print publication.

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