RJI-DPA fall 2010 iPad survey results
The Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) is conducting a multi-year research project to understand how Apple iPad users consume news content. The initial phase was a cross-sectional survey with 20 questions conducted online from September 6 through November 30, 2010. The RJI plans to conduct at least one follow-up panel survey and another cross-sectional survey in 2011. This project is funded by the Digital Publishing Alliance (DPA), a member-supported initiative of the RJI.
Nearly 1,600 iPad users completed the initial survey. Respondents were recruited from stories with links to the survey on several media and technology websites and blogs in addition to the RJI website. A promo with a link to the survey also appeared on the AP News iPad app in October and November. SurveyGizmo was used to host this survey. Questions are shown below as they appeared online.
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) is a nonprofit entity affiliated with the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri. RJI is dedicated to developing and testing ways to improve journalism through new technology and improved processes.
The Digital Publishing Alliance (DPA) is a member-supported program of the RJI that mostly includes newspaper publishers and news organizations in the United States.
The principal researcher for this project is Roger Fidler, RJI Program Director for Digital Publishing and DPA Coordinator. Fidler can be contacted at fidlerr@rjionline.org. He was assisted by Adam Maksl, a Ph.D. student at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
| 1. Please enter your 5 digit residential ZIP code (States identified based on ZIP codes) | Responses | %USA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total USA Respondents | 1544 | 96.6% | |
| California | 188 | 12.2% | |
| New York | 131 | 8.5% | |
| Florida | 102 | 6.6% | |
| Texas | 91 | 5.9% | |
| Missouri* | 84 | 5.4% | |
| Illinois | 83 | 5.4% | |
| Virginia | 57 | 3.7% | |
| Arizona | 54 | 3.5% | |
| Georgia | 52 | 3.4% | |
| Washington | 45 | 2.9% | |
| (* RJI actively recruited participants through the University of Missouri.) | |||
| 2. When did you acquire your first Apple iPad | Responses | %All | |
| April 2010 (First month) | 427 | 27% | |
| May 2010 | 274 | 17% | |
| June 2010 | 203 | 13% | |
| July 2010 | 153 | 10% | |
| August 2010 | 144 | 9% | |
| September 2010 | 148 | 9% | |
| October 2010 | 159 | 10% | |
| November 2010 | 62 | 4% | |
| TOTAL | 1570 | ||
| 3. Birth Year (Age Groups based on computed age variable) | Responses | %All | |
| 24 or younger | 52 | 3% | |
| 25 to 34 | 245 | 16% | |
| 35 to 44 | 320 | 21% | |
| 45 to 54 | 388 | 26% | |
| 55 to 64 | 380 | 25% | |
| 65 or older | 179 | 12% | |
| TOTAL | 1512 | ||
| 4. What is your gender? | Responses | %All | |
| Male | 1261 | 80% | |
| Female | 313 | 20% | |
| TOTAL | 1574 | ||
| 5. Which on of the following best describers your total annual household income, before taxes? | Responses | %All | |
| Less than $25,000 | 34 | 2% | |
| $25,000 to $49,999 | 106 | 8% | |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | 214 | 15% | |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | 266 | 10% | |
| $100,00 to $249,999 | 608 | 19% | |
| $250,000 or more | 169 | 44% | |
| TOTAL | 1397 | 12% | |
| (201 respondents opted not to provide this information.) | |||
| 6. What describes the highest level of education you have attained? | Responses | %All | |
| High school graduate or less | 52 | 3% | |
| Some college but no degree | 236 | 15% | |
| Associate degree | 88 | 6% | |
| Bachelor’s degree | 608 | 38% | |
| Master’s degree (MA, MS, MBA, etc.) | 392 | 25% | |
| Professional degree (law or medicine) | 114 | 7% | |
| Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) | 98 | 6% | |
| TOTAL | 1588 | ||
| 7. Where did you use your iPad most frequently (in the past 30 days) | Responses | %All | |
| At home | 1166 | 73% | |
| At work | 195 | 12% | |
| At school | 18 | 1% | |
| While commuting (to/from work or school) | 45 | 3% | |
| While traveling (airports, airplanes, hotels, etc.) | 112 | 7% | |
| Other (open field)* | 98 | 4% | |
| TOTAL | 1595 | ||
| (*Most “Other” said “everywhere” or “home and office.”) | |||
| 8. In a typical week, when did you use your iPad most? (in the past 30 days) | Responses | %All | |
| Consistently throughout the week | 1166 | 89% | |
| Mostly on weekdays | 195 | 9% | |
| Mostly on weekends | 18 | 2% | |
| TOTAL | 1596 | ||
| 9. What were your main uses for the iPad? Check all that apply. (in the past 30 days) | Responses | %All | Rank |
| Business/Profession (work related) | 944 | 59% | 6 |
| Entertainment (games, videos, music, etc.) | 1049 | 66% | 5 |
| Leisure reading (books, magazine, newspapers, etc.) | 1302 | 82% | 2 |
| Keeping up with the news and current events | 1347 | 84% | 1 |
| Accessing the Web (browsing, searching, reading, etc.) | 1289 | 81% | 3 |
| Education/training (course materials, textbooks, etc.) | 306 | 19% | 9 |
| Personal (calendar, contacts, shopping, etc.) | 918 | 58% | 7 |
| Social networking | 679 | 43% | 8 |
| 1210 | 76% | 4 | |
| Other (open field)* | 68 | 4% | 10 |
| TOTAL | 1596 | ||
| (*”Other” included note taking, maps, and photos) | |||
| 10. In a typical day, how much time did you spend with your iPad? | Responses | %All | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 16 | 1% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 112 | 7% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 464 | 29% | |
| 1-2 hours | 546 | 34% | |
| More than 2 hours | 449 | 28% | |
| TOTAL | 1587 | ||
| 11. How would you rate your overall satisfaction with the iPad? | Responses | %All | |
| Very dissatisfied | 35 | 2% | |
| Somewhat dissatisfied | 16 | 1% | |
| Neutral | 51 | 3% | |
| Somewhat satisfied | 371 | 23% | |
| Very satisfied | 1113 | 70% | |
| TOTAL | 1587 | ||
| 12. How likely are you to recommend the iPad to a friend or relative? | Responses | %All | |
| Very unlikely | 15 | 1% | |
| Somewhat unlikely | 9 | >1% | |
| Neutral | 68 | 4% | |
| Somewhat likely | 288 | 18% | |
| Very likely | 1207 | 76% | |
| TOTAL | 1587 | ||
| 13. How would you rate your reading experience with the iPad compared with each of the following media? | |||
| Printed Newspaper | Responses | %All | |
| Much worse than a printed newspaper | 31 | 2% | |
| Somewhat worse than a printed newspaper | 174 | 11% | |
| About the same as a printed newspaper | 219 | 14% | |
| Somewhat better than a printed newspaper | 493 | 31% | |
| Much better than a printed newspaper | 652 | 42% | |
| TOTAL | 1569 | ||
| Printed Magazine | Responses | %All | |
| Much worse than a printed magazine | 41 | 3% | |
| Somewhat worse than a printed magazine | 185 | 12% | |
| About the same as a printed magazine | 304 | 20% | |
| Somewhat better than a printed magazine | 504 | 33% | |
| Much better than a printed magazine | 488 | 32% | |
| TOTAL | 1522 | ||
| Apple iPhone | Responses | %All | |
| Much worse than an Apple iPhone | 6 | >1% | |
| Somewhat worse than an Apple iPhone | 17 | 1% | |
| About the same as an Apple iPhone | 93 | 8% | |
| Somewhat better than an Apple iPhone | 295 | 25% | |
| Much better than an Apple iPhone | 752 | 65% | |
| TOTAL | 1163 | ||
| Other Smartphone | Responses | %All | |
| Much worse than my other smartphone | 11 | 1% | |
| Somewhat worse than my other smartphone | 14 | 1% | |
| About the same as my other smartphone | 70 | 7% | |
| Somewhat better than my other smartphone | 154 | 16% | |
| Much better than my other smartphone | 731 | 75% | |
| TOTAL | 980 | ||
| Personal Computer | Responses | %All | |
| Much worse than my personal computer | 33 | 2% | |
| Somewhat worse than my personal computer | 156 | 10% | |
| About the same as my personal computer | 358 | 23% | |
| Somewhat better than my personal computer | 537 | 35% | |
| Much better than my personal computer | 463 | 30% | |
| TOTAL | 1547 | ||
| Netbook Computer | Responses | %All | |
| Much worse than my netbook computer | 13 | 1% | |
| Somewhat worse than my netbook computer | 33 | 4% | |
| About the same as my netbook computer | 218 | 24% | |
| Somewhat better than my netbook computer | 215 | 23% | |
| Much better than my netbook computer | 445 | 48% | |
| TOTAL | 924 | ||
| E-Reader | Responses | %All | |
| Much worse than my e-reader | 17 | 2% | |
| Somewhat worse than my e-reader | 93 | 10% | |
| About the same as my e-reader | 176 | 19% | |
| Somewhat better than my e-reader | 273 | 29% | |
| Much better than my e-reader | 376 | 40% | |
| TOTAL | 935 | ||
| 14. Thinking about your answers to the previous question, what are some of the qualities that have made your reading experience better or worse with your iPad? Be as specific as possible. (Open question) | |||
| The responses to this open question were quite extensive. A more complete list may be posted on the RJI website at a later date. | |||
| 15. In a typical day, how much time do you spend consuming news using the following media? | |||
| Television | Responses | %All | |
| None | 177 | 11% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 256 | 16% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 312 | 20% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 355 | 23% | |
| 1-2 hours | 325 | 21% | |
| More than 2 hours | 146 | 9% | |
| TOTAL | 1571 | ||
| Radio | Responses | %All | |
| None | 331 | 21% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 363 | 23% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 398 | 26% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 266 | 17% | |
| 1-2 hours | 137 | 9% | |
| More than 2 hours | 56 | 4% | |
| TOTAL | 1551 | ||
| Printed Newspaper (weekday edition) | Responses | %All | |
| None | 584 | 37% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 310 | 20% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 374 | 24% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 235 | 15% | |
| 1-2 hours | 54 | 3% | |
| More than 2 hours | 7 | >1% | |
| TOTAL | 1564 | ||
| Printed Newspaper (Sunday edition) | Responses | %All | |
| None | 584 | 37% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 191 | 12% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 305 | 20% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 311 | 20% | |
| 1-2 hours | 142 | 9% | |
| More than 2 hours | 26 | 2% | |
| TOTAL | 1559 | ||
| Apple iPad | Responses | %All | |
| None | 16 | 1% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 70 | 4% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 251 | 16% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 466 | 30% | |
| 1-2 hours | 501 | 22% | |
| More than 2 hours | 267 | 17% | |
| TOTAL | 1571 | ||
| E-Reader | Responses | %All | |
| None | 1236 | 47% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 79 | 18% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 61 | 16% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 109 | 12% | |
| 1-2 hours | 23 | 5% | |
| More than 2 hours | 26 | 2% | |
| TOTAL | 1536 | ||
| Apple iPhone | Responses | %All | |
| None | 722 | 47% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 273 | 18% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 246 | 16% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 191 | 12% | |
| 1-2 hours | 75 | 5% | |
| More than 2 hours | 35 | 2% | |
| TOTAL | 1542 | ||
| Other Smartphone | Responses | %All | |
| None | 1088 | 71% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 200 | 13% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 119 | 8% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 54 | 4% | |
| 1-2 hours | 32 | 2% | |
| More than 2 hours | 34 | 2% | |
| TOTAL | 1527 | ||
| Personal Computer | Responses | %All | |
| None | 168 | 85% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 239 | 3% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 359 | 3% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 302 | 6% | |
| 1-2 hours | 197 | 1% | |
| More than 2 hours | 288 | 2% | |
| TOTAL | 1553 | ||
| Netbook Computer | Responses | %All | |
| None | 1296 | 85% | |
| Less than 15 minutes | 53 | 3% | |
| 15-30 minutes | 44 | 3% | |
| 30-60 minutes | 88 | 6% | |
| 1-2 hours | 19 | 1% | |
| More than 2 hours | 26 | 2% | |
| TOTAL | 1526 | ||
| 16. How likely are you to use a newspaper’s app for reading news and feature stories on your iPad instead of going directly to the newspaper’s website? | Responses | %All | |
| Very unlikely | 33 | 2% | |
| Somewhat unlikely | 42 | 3% | |
| Neutral | 106 | 7% | |
| Somewhat likely | 391 | 25% | |
| Very likely | 1002 | 64% | |
| TOTAL | 1574 | ||
| 17. How often did you read or browse a printed newspaper in the past 30 days? | Responses | %All | |
| Nearly everyday (weekdays and weekends) | 635 | 40% | |
| Nearly every weekday (not on weekends) | 98 | 6% | |
| Nearly every weekend (not on weekdays) | 110 | 7% | |
| A few times most weeks | 169 | 11% | |
| Only on a few occasions | 317 | 20% | |
| I didn’t read or use a printed newspaper | 254 | 16% | |
| TOTAL | 1583 | ||
| 18. If you subscribe to a printed newspaper now, how likely are you to cancel that subscription and a switch to a subscription-based electronic version of that newspaper on your iPad or a similar device in the next six months? | Responses | %All | %Subs |
| Very unlikely | 169 | 11% | 18% |
| Somewhat unlikely | 153 | 10% | 16% |
| Neutral | 109 | 7% | 12% |
| Somewhat likely | 202 | 13% | 22% |
| Very likely | 298 | 19% | 32% |
| I’ve already made the switch | 170 | 11% | |
| I don’t subscribe to a printed newspaper | 485 | 31% | |
| TOTAL | 1586 | ||
| 19. Which newspapers, newsmagazines and/or news services have come closest to meeting your expectations on the iPad? (Open question) | |||
| The New York Times, USA Today, AP News and The Wall Street Journal were mentioned most frequently. A more complete list may be posted on the RJI website at a later date. | |||
| 20. How has your overall satisfaction with the Apple iPad changed in the past three months? | |||
| A price lower than the print subscription or free with a print subscription, comprehensive and timely, quality content (e.g. stories, graphics, photos and videos), enjoyable to read, convenient, easy to use, and relevant ads were among the most commonly mentioned features or qualities. A more complete list may be posted on the RJI website at a later date. |
All RJI-DPA iPad/Tablet online surveys are powered by SurveyGizmo survey software.
Comments