Tablets may have more glamour — but e-readers are proving more popular so far this year, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Project. The number of U.S. adults owning an e-reader has doubled from 6% to 12% between November 2010 and May 2011, while tablet penetration during that period has increased only from 5% to 8%. And despite the release of scores of new tablet models in 2011, tablet ownership since January has only inched up from 7% to 8%. “We were a little surprised that tablets didnt keep pace with e-readers, but our guess is that some people are waiting on the tablet market to settle out a bit to see what their options are before making a purchase,” said Kristen Purcell, associate director for research at the Internet & American Life Project and author of the study. She added that the lower cost of e-readers generally requires less of a financial commitment, making them popular holiday gifts.

via MediaPost Publications Hispanic Audience Turning Up On E-Readers, Tablets 06/27/2011.