Kindle v Sony - FINAL

vs. Amazon Kindle 2/Sony PRS-700 eReader Preference June 2009 CATALYSTGROUP 345 Seventh Avenue · 11th floor · New York · NY · 10001 p. +212.243.7777 f. +212.243.7077 e. info@catalystnyc.com w. www.catalystnyc.com AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Objectives Feedback Gather users’ general impressions of the Amazon Kindle 2 and Sony PRS-700 eReader devices, including the overall organization and presentation of content. Note: Throughout this report, the Amazon Kindle 2 and Sony PRS-700 eReaders will be referred to as ‘Kindle’ and ‘Sony’ respectively. Value Gauge users’ reaction to the overall value of the Kindle and Sony eReader devices. Comparison Gather users’ overall preference between the Kindle and Sony eReader devices. Interaction Design Determine how the presentation and layout of the Kindle and Sony eReader devices fit with users’ expectations and needs. Visual Design Gauge users’ reaction to the styling and look of the Kindle and Sony eReader devices. 2 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Methodology 12 moderated one-on-one qualitative interviews (60 minutes) were conducted on June 8, 19, and 22, 2009 at the Catalyst Group office in New York, NY. Participants were all college-educated professionals (6 males, 6 females) with no previous experience using either the Kindle or Sony. Participants were not initially told that the Kindle and Sony were the focus of the discussion. The logo of each device was concealed with tape. Participants performed a list of realistic tasks (e.g., highlighting text, etc.) after which they were asked to comment on their experience using the device (i.e., citing their likes/dislikes, ease/difficulty, suggested improvements, value, etc.) Before the end of each session, participants were asked to select the device they liked best and why. Participants were also asked whether they would likely purchase or use either device. 3 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Statement of Limitations The intention of these discussions was to provide insights and design direction; not quantitative assessment. The observations in this report reflect the views of 12 participants. While accurate for this population, their views may not be representative of the overall population. This report summarizes comments thought to be the most useful for providing insights and design feedback for the reviewed devices. 4 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Overall Preferences 5 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Overall Preferences | Survey Results & Reasons Tie 8 Overall reasons for preferring • Clearer navigation • Better shopping experience • More aesthetically pleasing • Better tactile “feel” 1 • Touch screen interface • Ability to change font size 3 Overall reasons for preferring • Perceived “durability” and “sturdiness” • Backlight feature Detailed Preferences Physical Controls (i.e., location, appropriateness, intuitiveness) <<< •• • •• •••• •••• •••• • •• • •• << •• • •• •• < • •• • •• • Tie > • >> • >>> • •• • “Feel” (Product Handling) (i.e., weight, grip, surface texture) ••• • ••• • ••• •• •• User Interface (i.e., navigation, layout, labeling) Screen Resolution Shopping Experience (i.e., buying books to store on device) • • Key: • = 1 user’s preference 6 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Key Insights 7 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Key Insights 1. Overall, most users (8 out of 12) preferred the Kindle to the Sony Clearer navigation – Users found the Kindle easier to navigate despite mentioning that they would rather have a touch screen interface Better shopping experience – Users found the Kindle’s shopping experience easier since it allowed them to download items directly onto the device without the need of a computer More aesthetically pleasing – Users found the Kindle more “sophisticated” and “elegant” looking Better tactile “feel” – Users commented that handling the Kindle felt more “natural” and “pleasing” 2. However, the Sony also had some positive features The touch screen interface The backlight feature The ability to change the font size on any page The perceived “durability” and “sturdiness” of the device The reliance on icons to describe menu options rather than text 3. Despite this, all users thought both devices had shortcomings and that the best eReader had not been created yet : The lack of a touch screen interface The lack of a color interface The slow operating time (e.g., loading pages, joystick movements) : Non-wireless shopping Difficulty navigating The lack of a dictionary The lack of a color interface 8 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Key Insights (cont.) 4. Although most users preferred the Kindle to the Sony, they gave several reasons why they would not likely buy this device Some did not regard themselves as “big readers” and therefore would not find much value in it Several preferred the tactile “feeling” of real books (e.g., turning pages, etc.) A few found electronic devices too “fragile” A few did not want more technology in their daily lives Price assumptions did not suggest value 5. The couple of users who said they would consider buying a Kindle lost interest once retail pricing was discussed All users were asked to estimate the price of each device. The Kindle averaged $210 and the Sony averaged $185. The actual price of either device is about 75% higher at $350 9 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Detailed Insights 10 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Physical Design | Winner: Overall Preference Almost all users preferred the physical design of the Kindle to the Sony Most users found the “thin,” “minimalistic,” “sleek,” and “rounded” look of the Kindle aesthetically pleasing in contrast to the Sony which they found “boxy,” “clunky,” and “very old school 80’s.” “I thought it [the Sony] would be sleeker like the Vaio.” Unlike the Sony, users found that the Kindle’s hardware features (e.g., keyboard) made the device more “accessible.” “[The keyboard on the Kindle] makes it easier to see what’s going on.” Unlike the Sony, users found that the glare-free screen and “less fuzzy” resolution on the Kindle made it easier to read. “[The Kindle] doesn’t bring any eye strain.” 11 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Physical Design | Drawbacks Although users generally preferred the physical design of the Kindle to the Sony, they thought it had a few drawbacks Positioning of controls Having buttons on both sides of the device concerned users that they might accidently press one while holding it. They did not understand why one of the ‘Next Page’ buttons was located on the leftside of the device. Rather than having two ‘Next Page’ buttons, they thought the lefthand one should have been a ‘Previous Page’ button instead. A Size of buttons A couple of users thought the size of the buttons should be more proportionally equal. “Why’s the ‘Next Page’ button larger than the ‘Prev Page’ button?” A B Purpose of joystick A few users were not clear what the purpose of the joystick was before using the device. Users thought they could navigate pages by using the arrow button on the Keyboard instead. Once understanding the joystick’s function, they mentioned that they would prefer a track ball. B “[The two ‘Next Page’ buttons] serve the same function.” The joystick positioned on the right-side of the device made it “unfriendly” to left-hand users. “This [joystick] would be really irritating if you were left-handed.” “It’s [the joystick] out of nowhere on the right.” B Kindle “The square didn’t look like it [a joystick].” “I want it to be just like my Blackberry.” “It’s not intuitive.” 12 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Physical Design | Drawbacks (cont.) Although users generally preferred the physical design of the Kindle to the Sony, they thought it had a few drawbacks Lack of an ‘Enter’ button A couple of users expected an ‘Enter’ button on the keyboard to perform functions that currently can only be done by pressing the joystick. Perceived fragility A couple of users thought that the Kindle did not seem as “durable” as the Sony. They mentioned that the metal finish on the Sony made it look “sturdier.” They also thought the Sony was less likely to “slip out” of their hands. A ‘Back’ button implementation unintuitive Users did not like that the ‘Back’ button returned them to the beginning of a section rather than a page. As a result, they lost data they had entered. A Kindle Lack of a backlight Users liked that the Sony offered a backlight and thought this was missing on the Kindle. “That’s disappointing [that the Kindle does not have a backlight].” Sony 13 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Physical Design | Other Points of Interest A couple of users commented that the Kindle felt more like an APPLE product based on its “simplicity” and “white color.” The Sony, in contrast, felt more like a PC product since operating the device seemed more “technical.” 14 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Interface Design | Winner: Although users responded positively to the touch screen interface on the Sony and wanted this included on the Kindle, most nevertheless preferred Kindle’s non-touch interface The Kindle was considered “easier to use.” This was mostly due to the explanatory text provided at the bottom of the screen, which helped guide users to perform tasks such as highlighting text. “I like that it’s telling me what to do.” Overall Preference The Sony offered no such complementary feature and as a result, users had a harder time accomplishing tasks. “It’s two/three steps to get to where you want.” Users also responded very favorably to the dictionary on the Kindle, a feature which they thought was missing on the Sony. They wanted, however, to also be able to turn this feature off. “That’s a cool, nifty feature.” 15 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Interface Design | Drawbacks A Although more users preferred Kindle’s interface to the Sony, they thought it had several drawbacks Slow operating time Compared to the Sony, the Kindle operated too slowly. Loading pages and moving the cursor with the joystick were thought to be too time-consuming. “It's a little slower than I thought it would be.” “It takes forever [to get somewhere with the joystick].” Issues with on/off states Unlike the Sony, the on/off states of the Kindle confused a couple of users. The picture displayed in the Kindle’s off-state led a couple of users to believe the device was actually turned on. “Am I that dumb? [Not knowing whether the Kindle was on or off].” “That’s a little stressful.” A couple of users also thought that the picture displayed on the Kindle during the off-state did not look part of the screen itself. “It had a fake look to it.” “It’s like a sticker was in front of the screen.” Kindle – ‘Menu’ Screen Not enough icons Unlike the Sony, menu functions on the Kindle were too “text-heavy.” Users found the icons used on the Sony more appealing but thought that further work was needed as they were not intuitive. A A Sony – ‘Menu’ Screen 16 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Interface Design | Drawbacks (cont.) Although more users preferred Kindle’s interface to the Sony, they thought it had several drawbacks Unclear progress bar Unlike the Sony, several users had trouble interpreting the progress bar on the Kindle and thus found it more difficult identifying the page they were on. “I’m not really sure what that [‘Locations’] means.” “[The progress bar on the Sony is] much easier to understand.” A A A Inability to alter font size Users liked that they could increase/decrease the font size on the Sony and felt this feature was a major omission on the Kindle. “[The inability to change the font size on the Kindle] destroys the product!” Kindle – ‘Text’ Screen Sony – ‘Text’ Screen 17 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Interface Design | Drawbacks (cont.) Users also thought that both the Kindle and Sony interfaces had some of the same drawbacks Lack of color The lack of a color interface made the devices look “behind the times.” “I feel like I’m using a Palm Pilot with that thing.” “It’s not that advanced looking.” “It’s like a museum piece.” The black and white interfaces made it more difficult to determine what was clickable on a page. The black transition screens shown while flipping between sections/pages were considered “ugly.” Kindle – ‘Home’ Screen Sony – ‘Home’ Screen 18 AMAZON KINDLE VS. SONY PRS-700 – EREADER PREFERENCE Shopping Experience | Winner: Users preferred shopping on the Kindle to the Sony They liked that the Kindle allowed them to download items directly onto the device without the need of a computer. The flexibility that this direct downloading process offered them was considered important. “This is great if you're on the road.” “It's easier and faster [than shopping on the Sony].” “It’s instant gratification.” Overall Preference Sony – ‘Shopping’ Screen Kindle – ‘Shopping’ Screen 19