How are tablets changing PC usage, book consumption in the home?

How are tablets changing PC usage, book consumption in the home?

The survey found that tablets are replacing PCs as the preferred means of doing activities such as checking emails. Eighty-one percent of those surveyed checked their email on a tablet rather than PC, 69 percent used their mobile device to read the news, 63 percent used it for checking the weather forecast, 62 percent used a tablet rather than PC for social networking and 60 percent used it for gaming.

However according to Gartner this does not mean that tablets are phasing out PCs, but rather that they are being used interchangeably with other devices, such as laptops and mobile phones, according to which is most convenient to use at the time or best suited to the task at hand.

In addition, the survey found that the adoption of tablets is changing the way in which people consume books and papers, with 50 percent of tablet owners stating that they actually "prefer" to read newspapers, magazines and books on their tablets rather than in print form. In comparison, only 13 percent preferred to consume this type of media on their PC/laptop and a mere seven percent preferred to read books and newspapers on their mobile screen.

However despite this shift away from print, principal research analyst at Gartner, Meike Escherich, does not believe that we are heading for a print-free future, stating "we do not believe that the ‘paperless home' will prevail, but it is clear that the ‘less-paper model' is the new reality."

According to a Nielsen survey, released May 3, of tablet and smartphone owners in the US, tablets are also changing the way people shop, with 42 percent of tablet owners using their device to make a purchase, and 66 percent using the device to research an item.

The Gartner survey was conducted at the end of 2011 among 500 early adopters of tablet devices in the US, UK and Australia who owned at least two other connected devices; respondents were asked to keep a seven-day diary detailing how they used their mobile phone, tablet and PC (desk-based or mobile).