According to statistics recently released by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, iPad and tablet ownership essentially doubled over the past holiday season. The increase has been reflected in a number of demographics; notably, that of adult users. In May of 2010, it was estimated that roughly three percent of users owned an iPad or tablet. Beginning in January with a jump to 10%, that trend has continued through the current month; with tablet users numbering around an astonishing 19%. Experts are attributing the increase to a variety of factors.
The use of tablet technology in the classroom has skyrocketed. Studies have found that students utilizing an Apple iBook application achieve higher scores in math than those students who were using a traditional textbook. Many schools are now asking parents to purchase an iPad or tablet for their child’s use in the classroom. There are even schools which have purchased the technology themselves and provide each student with a tablet for school use; the school retains ownership of the hardware and students return them at the end of the year. An organization called DonorsChoose.org has plans to fulfill 80,000 classroom project requests this year; at a cost of 40 million dollars.
In addition to the tablet’s spreading popularity in the school system, many people have begun to utilize an e-reader in lieu of traditional books. Possibly prompted by the increasingly affordable price tag associated with electronic book readers; the number of users has doubled since November 2011 from ten to twenty percent. There are still some variations in tablet ownership based on income. Thirty-six percent of users whose income exceeds 75,000 annually own tablets, versus only 16% for those users who earn between 30,000 and 50,000 per year.
The sale of traditional personal computers has been hardest hit in the public’s rush for tablet internet usage. The PC industry’s revenue sunk to its lowest yet in 2011; generating 5% less than in 2010. These statistics have a clear message for business owners: a mobile-friendly site is paramount. Tablet users are not going to Pinch and Squint as they try to maneuver your desktop site; they’re going to move on to a competitor’s site that is built for use on their mobile device. If your website is not ready for the mobile revolution; prepare to be left behind.
