Contrary to a discussion I had with friends at breakfast this morning, e-books seem to be hitting their stride in the US marketplace.  And though they probably won’t ever reach the fever pitch of a holiday season must-have toy, such as this year’s Zhu Zhu Hamster, more people want them.

In September the US saw e-book sales grow to $15.9 million, up 170 per cent from a year ago.  Gartner, a global leader in technology insights (to which all UST students have access), wrote in its September report “A New Ecosystem Defines E-Book’s Second Chapter” that the technology is getting a “second take,” and that this one will stick.   Gartner reports that the global e-book market is forecast to be as much as $2.3 billion by 2013.  Mobile device compatibility, as with netbooks and smartphones, is among factors driving demand.

Or it could be that grown-ups want tiny high-def camcorders, which are selling strong.  Or goats, as reported by The Times.  Goats, along with toilets, are very popular gifts for the less fortunate among buyers in the UK.  (The goats are then donated to recipients in less developed countries, via Oxfam, which has facilitated 200,000 such donations in the last five years.)

What are you planning to give this holiday season?  What are you hoping to receive?