What to buy? It’s always hard to figure out what to buy your family and friends for the holiday. I detest going to the stores and waiting through long lines only to find out they’re out of what I came for. I shop online. I love reading product reviews and finding the lowest prices or the “deal of the day”.

If you were out battling the crowds or matching prices online this past Christmas you probably noticed some really good deals and significant price drops. What were people buying most often? Electronics. According to Pew Internet Research Tablet and e-book reader ownership is up in January. No doubt due to some vigilant and thoughtful gift giver’s. Below is the data for tablet computer and e-book reader ownership before and after the holiday:

Let’s take a look at who exactly is using tablet computers:

Now Look at the data for e-book readers:

According to the survey e-book reader and tablet computer ownership has nearly doubled from just before the holiday until just after. Beyond their popularity, the stats on who owns them is interesting too, but not really a surprise. The top percentages go to middle-aged people who are college educated and earn over $75,000 per year. I think we could have guessed that. Though the data reveals that the numbers are pretty close for almost all the groups. It seems everyone wants this technology and they’re finding a way to get it.

The economy isn’t the best right now but manufacturers and retailers seem to be doing their best to make new products affordable and accessible to almost everyone. With all these new tablet computer users, next year’s internet shopping experience should be even richer and more profitable, for retailers and gift-givers alike!