Investigating the influence of reading habits and design features on perceived acceptance of e-book systems - A case study on Flip Viewer Xpress

Abstract

Due to the variety of tools and devices available for reading e-books, readers are faced with a sense of ambiguity over what would best serve their interests. This calls for more studies on users to be placed at the forefront of designing e-books. Using Flip Viewer Xpress as an exemplary e-book system, this study developed a theoretical model to investigate the determinants and effects of reading habits and design features on users' acceptance of e-book systems. Findings show Flip Viewer Xpress was useful for browsing and scanning as well as selective and linear reading, but in contrast to earlier studies on e-book systems, Flip Viewer Xpress was also suitable for in-depth and concentrated reading as well as repeated reading. The paper concludes with a discussion on the factors that affect users' perceptions of acceptance of Flip viewer, in particular, and e-book systems in general.