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A qualitative assessment of the Kindle e-book reader: results from initial focus groups

Document Information:
Title:	A qualitative assessment of the Kindle e-book reader: results from initial focus groups
Author(s):	Dennis T. Clark, (Texas A&M University Libraries, College Station, Texas, USA), Susan P. Goodwin, (Texas A&M University Libraries, College Station, Texas, USA), Todd Samuelson, (Texas A&M University Libraries, College Station, Texas, USA), Catherine Coker, (Texas A&M University Libraries, College Station, Texas, USA)
Citation:	Dennis T. Clark, Susan P. Goodwin, Todd Samuelson, Catherine Coker, (2008) "A qualitative assessment of the Kindle e-book reader: results from initial focus groups", Performance Measurement and Metrics, Vol. 9 Iss: 2, pp.118 - 129
Keywords:	Academic libraries, Electronic books, Focus groups, Online operations, User interfaces
Article type:	Research paper
DOI:	10.1108/14678040810906826 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Abstract:	Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess initial user perceptions and use of Amazon's Kindle e-book reader. Design/methodology/approach – Thirty-six participants were provided with a Kindle e-book reader and $100 to spend at Amazon. After one month of use focus groups were conducted to elicit user feedback about their experiences and overall first impressions. Findings – Analysis of the discussions indicates overall interest in the Kindle as a basic reading device for fiction. However, its use in an academic setting is limited due to content availability and licensing issues, graphic display capabilities, organizational issues, and its prohibitive cost. Originality/value – This is the first research paper of its kind to report on qualitative research conducted on user perceptions of the Kindle e-book reader.