Books take longer to read on iPad and Kindle

Mon Jul 5 2010, 08:39 AM

It takes longer to read a book on the screen of an iPad or Kindle than on paper, according to a study by Nielsen Norman Group (NNG). Researchers tested the reading speeds of 24 people on an iPad, a Kindle, a PC and a book, and found that reading speeds declined by 6.2% on iPads and 10.7% on Kindles compared with print.

However, when asked to rate their reading experience, the iPad ranked as the most enjoyable with an average score of 5.8 out of 7, while the Kindle scored 5.7 and the print book 5.6. The PC received the lowest score of 3.6, as it apparently reminded people of work.

"This study is promising for the future of e-readers and tablet computers," says NNG co-founder Jakob Nielsen. "But even the current generation is almost as good as print in formal performance metrics - and actually scores slightly higher in user satisfaction."