The Register reports that Nielsen has mysteriously updated a chart that drew much comment a few days ago. Nielsen originally released a chart showing that 63% of iPad users had downloaded a paid app, 5% had downloaded only free apps, and 32% had not downloaded an app at all.
Now Nielsen has quietly updated the chart to show that 91% of iPad users have downloaded an app of any kind, and 9% have not. The number of “app virgins” has dwindled by more than two thirds, and the distinction between free and paid apps has vanished altogether. The Register notes Nielsen has not gotten back to them with an explanation of the change.
I had a bit of a hard time believing the first version of the chart, but this newer one makes a lot more sense. It’s not hard to believe that as many as 9% of iPad users might not have downloaded any apps, given how versatile the collection of apps bundled with the iPad is. With Mobile Safari, you can do pretty much anything on the web that doesn’t require Flash, for example.
Of course, those who haven’t bothered downloading any apps probably aren’t reading any e-books…
(Found via Gizmodo.)
Gutenberg’s website is quite accessible to Mobile Safari, and splendid for reading books. On the other hand, using an iPad just to read Gutenberg is like cracking walnuts with construction equipment.