Users reading books on the Amazon Kindle and Apple iPad devices actually read slower than if those books were on paper, a new study has found.
The Nielsen Norman Group found that iPad users read 6.2% slower than printed books, while readers on the Kindle 2 read 10.7% slower. However, the firm said in a statement the difference between the two devices was “not significant”.
“Thus, the only fair conclusion is that we can’t say for sure which device offers the fastest reading speed,” Nielsen said in a statement. “In any case, the difference would be so small that it wouldn’t be a reason to buy one over the other.”
But the study also reignited the debate between ebooks and paper – “(Overall,) users felt that reading the printed book was more relaxing than using electronic devices,” Nielsen said.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
