EDIT: I see I'm a little late to the party and that others have posted the link to the Forbes article in question already. Mods, feel free to delete/close as you see fit...

Posted over at MacRumors.com (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/10/03/iphone-now-the-biggest-ebook-reader/):

Forbes reveals that Stanza [App Store], a free eBook reading application for the iPhone, has distributed over 395,000 copies via the App Store.

Forbes notes that this exceeds the estimated number of Kindles sold for 2008 and likely makes the iPhone the biggest eBook reader on the market. To be fair Stanza is a free download, but the intent is still there.

Stanza, like Kindle, lets users download new content directly to their device. It has a snappy interface that allows readers to flip through a book simply by tapping the edges of the page and responds far faster than Kindle's poky E-ink screen, which takes about a second to turn pages. On the downside, the iPhone's LCD screen can strain eyes after hours of reading and chews through battery power far faster than Kindle or the Sony Reader, both of which can go without recharging for days.
At the moment, however, all of the titles available to Stanza are public domain titles while the Kindle commands premium pay titles. Stanza's developer is working on deals with major publishers to try to sell newer eBooks to its users.

"Once we've got that kind of deal done," says Prud'hommeaux, "you'll be able to do everything on the iPhone that you can now do on the Kindle: browse, purchase, download and read a book without interacting with your computer in any way."

Stanza users are said to have downloaded over 2 million of the public domain eBooks at this time.

I thought this was interesting to see - it's nice to know that ebook reading is becoming quite popular on the iPhone, which will hopefully only make ebooks more popular and more widely available as publishers realize the potential of this market.

I used to own an Amazon Kindle, but I switched to reading 100% on my iPhone when the eReader app became available, and I love it. I always have my iPhone with me at all times (even when I go from room to room at my house - weird, I know :o ) and it is absolutely fabulous having easy access to any ebook in my eReader library anywhere and anytime. Not to sound like an eReader commercial, but their mobile site also makes buying new books easy right on my iPhone, and then they can be immediately downloaded in the eReader app.

I have the Stanza app, but haven't really used it yet since I've been more engrossed with my eReader library, but I plan to give it a more thorough work-out.

On my cell phone I have a calculator, camera, IM, and a bunch of free games I downloaded. That doesn't mean I use any of it.

Point: Just because someone downloaded it doesn't mean they use it.

Point: Just because someone downloaded it doesn't mean they use it.

I posted the exact same thing as a comment on the TeleRead bolg entry about this article.

BOb

Actually, the biggest reader is the new iRex DR1000 with a 10.2" screen. Makes the iPhone even smaller by comparison.

On my cell phone I have a calculator, camera, IM, and a bunch of free games I downloaded. That doesn't mean I use any of it.

Point: Just because someone downloaded it doesn't mean they use it.

Point taken the first time you posted this reply. ;)

I doubt Apple goes so far as to track how often people use an app on an iPhone (though I'm sure it could be tracked and gathered in a hidden log file somehow). Regardless, I do think it's heartening to see that so many people are at least curious enough to download an app that lets them read ebooks on their iPhones. Of course, not all may use it regularly or even keep the app, but this kind of distribution of an ebook reader app will hopefully draw the attention of publishers and cause them to focus more attention on ebook distribution and availability.

On my end I do see a lot of users browsing through the catalog every day. Can't tell if they're reading all of the books that they've downloaded (although I'm pretty sure that e-ink users do not read 100% of what they download either), but they're at least using the application, and browsing through the catalog a lot.

Nate,
You may not use any of the extra applications on your cell phone, but for some of us, they are very useful. I use Opera Mini on my Cell Phone regularly. As well as Google Maps, and some of the games :). I also use both stanza and eReader for for reading ebooks on my iPod Touch. I am reading my third book in 2 weeks. Its not perfect, but if I was to get a device with roughly twice the screen real-estate as the current one (i.e. a 5" screen), I think it would be just about perfect.

I agree that not everyone of the people who download the app is going to use it, just as not everyone who buys a kindle or a PRS-505/700 is going to use it (at least not regularly). Granted the regular app users are probably fewer simply because the cost of entry is so low, but still, I imagine a lot of the Stanza and eReader downloaders are in fact like me and are actually using them to read. Keep in mind, that eReader is an even better way to track the trends simply because fictionwise also sells books for the reader. They can tell how many people are downloading books they paid for onto the reader. If someone is downloading (over time) multiple books that they paid for, it can be reasonably inferred that they are actually reading said books. Currently, I think there have been something like 300,000 books downloaded from fictionwise to the iPod/iPhone eReader... I am not sure how many of those have been free books versus paid for books, but still...

--
Bill

If you download the free eReader, which imho is easier and more comfortable to use, you can read public domain freebies AND buy new releases :) I found deleted books on Stanza to be very poky, especially if you want to delete more than one at a time. And I disliked the page turn animation, which I could not turn off. I am sticking with eReader for now :)

Ficbot,
I like both the eReader Software and the Stanza software. I would say that Stanza's big advantage is that as long as you router is configured properly, sharing books between your computer and your iPod Touch is incredibly easy. eReader does have some solutions, but Stanza's works better.

Now, the beauty is that even though the development platform is not as open as it should be, the iPod Touch offers a far more open environment than the Kindle or the Sony readers. So ultimately, some readers can use eReader, others Stanza, Bookshelf or BookZ.

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Bill

Point taken the first time you posted this reply. ;)

I doubt Apple goes so far as to track how often people use an app on an iPhone (though I'm sure it could be tracked and gathered in a hidden log file somehow). Regardless, I do think it's heartening to see that so many people are at least curious enough to download an app that lets them read ebooks on their iPhones. Of course, not all may use it regularly or even keep the app, but this kind of distribution of an ebook reader app will hopefully draw the attention of publishers and cause them to focus more attention on ebook distribution and availability.

Do you mean two posts or two sentences? I don't beleive I made another post on this.

But if you are referring to the two sentences, then yes the second one was redundant and repetitive. It was also redundant and repetitive.
:rofl:

Do you mean two posts or two sentences? I don't beleive I made another post on this.

But if you are referring to the two sentences, then yes the second one was redundant and repetitive. It was also redundant and repetitive.
:rofl:

I was referring to the two identical posts you made in this thread. :D

I was referring to the two identical posts you made in this thread. :D
Yeah, but that was due to a bug; Nate didn't deliberately post the same message twice. (At least, I assume he didn't, as I've been bitten by the same bug before, and I doubt Nate would repeat himself this way.)

I was referring to the two identical posts you made in this thread. :D

What double post? :thumbsup:

I hve four e-book readers installed on my iPod Touch - BookZ, BookShelf, eReader and Stanza.

I find that I use BookShelf more than all the others combined for several reasons:
a) I can connect driectly to www.baen.com and download books from the free library and books I've purchased directly to the device
b) I can set fonts and colors which I find easy to read on the rather small screen

When eReader came out, we downloaded it to my wife's iPod Touch. When the update came out and iTunes said there was an update, we updated. But neither of us has read a single book using her iPod Touch. We use our Sony's to read eBooks. So count us in as one of the eReader downloaders who do not use it.

I have both Stanza and eReader on my iPod Touch. I use both of them sporadically, but do most of my reading on my 505.

It's nice to be able to read on my Touch in a pinch, but I wouldn't want it to be my sole reader! If I had to choose between keeping my Sony 505 and my Touch, the 505 would probably win out--even though the Touch can do so much more.

dordale :)

I am wary of Bookshelf. I am unconvinced it has features that would make it worth paying for in the face of so many free options.

For those interested, I have posted a very comprehensive review of Stanza and eReader over at Teleread. Apologies for the two typos---I don't have my own posting account there, and with David in the hospital, I had to send this via in-line text in an email to someone else, and editing was a pain for both of us :) I had promised this to David before he got sick, so I really wanted it posted. I'll probably wait until he's back in business before submitting any other articles :)

Anyway...

http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/10/03/more-on-e-reading-on-the-ipod-touch/

As a personal update, I have found I am just reading a ton on it now. I am used to the small screen. And I love it. LOVE it! I have got a great system going where I'll spring for a pricey new release on Fictionwise if it has 100% Micropay rebate, and then spend the Micropay on other Fictionwise stuff :) I am keeping stats on what I spend versus how many free and paid books I read, and it is much cheaper than buying paper books :) I think because the ipod is so small and convenient, I am pulling it out more than I would have with my eBookwise. The eBookwise is more of an 'I am planning to sit down and read for an hour' kind of thing. This is better for when I happen to be on the subway, already have it in my hand because I was listening to music on my way there, why not read until I get where I am going. I just am so loving the ipod and Fictionwise and Manybooks and the whole set-up I have right now.

My one caveat would be that I have no idea how hard it is to set up the network so you can download content without using a PC, and that worries me a little because right now I have free wireless internet included in my apartment. I share with my landlady, and she already had it going. When I moved it, I literally plugged my macbook into the wall, and there I was, on-line. Same with the ipod. It just found the network, connected me, and everyone was happy, books for everyone etc. If I did not have this cushy little already-set-up network, I ave no idea how hard it would be to get internet working on the ipod, and it seems you pretty much need wi-fi or internet to get books because you can't drag and drop from your computer.

But assuming you have a network that works for you, it is fun and easy. I am thrilled. It is just what I wanted.

I finally deleted Stanza last night. It is just sloooooow as anything. It took 25 secodns for a book to load, and there was no way to just go to the menu and stop it from loading. I also found a setting on manybooks.net where you can click the link and get an ipod-optimized view of the site which lets you browse it the same way you browse Stanza's on-line catalogue. That facility, coupled with ow slow Stanza is and how it crashes from time to time finally pushed me into the 'don't need it, adds no functionality eReader doesn't have' camp. I can read new releases from Fictionwise and read public domain books from Manybooks, and browse them just as prettily. What else could I ask for? :) Sorry, Stanza! Work out the bugs and run a little smoother, and we'll talk.

I finally deleted Stanza last night. It is just sloooooow as anything. It took 25 secodns for a book to load, and there was no way to just go to the menu and stop it from loading.
...
Sorry, Stanza! Work out the bugs and run a little smoother, and we'll talk.

I run Stanza on my iPod Touch 32Gb (not the new one), and books seem to take on average maybe 5 to 10 seconds to load the first time (they seem to have to uncompress), and then 1 to 2 seconds after that. And though I had crashes on a couple of specific books initially, I don't get that anymore. The books aren't tiny either - I've just retried it with Clive James's Cultural Amnesia, The Complete Works of Plato, Harvard Classics, Tolstoy's War and Peace, the King James Version Bible (one minute! to open the first time - one second after that). For what it's worth, all books I've sent from my iMac to the iPod have been mobi-format files, almost all of them from Mobileread (I don't post the above titles for any "bragging" rights - I've read none of the listed titles other than Cultural Amnesia...I just have a whole lot of stuff on there I hope to read one day. :) )

I'm not disagreeing with your decision or opinion, and rejecting the software is exactly what I'd do if I was having those repeated problems with it, but I don't seem to experience the same timeframes (other than on first opening) nor the bugs to be able to second your final sentence. It runs a treat for me.

Cheers,
Marc

Just curious, did you have the latest version of Stanza? I downloaded my copy a week ago (after I had to reset my iPod after a botched firmware upgrade) and I am on my second book on it since then. I noticed it might be slow to load a book the first time, but only a few seconds when you restart the application. I have been using it to read books from the Baen Free Library since they don't currently support eReader format.

--
Bill

1 Million iphone sold on 2008. However, the apple's iphone reader is not good as an ebook reader, it still rely on 3rd parties application for support the ebook function. So I'm not sure if it is the biggest ebook reader or not.

DickyCheung22,
Huh? What does 3rd party support have to do with it not being a good ebook reader? I will tell you now, though the small screen and the back lit LCD may not be to everyone's taste, the iPod Touch (and iPhone) make a very solid reader. I enjoy reading with it quite a bit. Since I have no problems with the back light, if I was given a 5" version tomorrow I would probably stop my search for a dedicated ereader.

I will admit its hard to compare downloads with purchases. I freely admit that free or low cost software downloads don't give an accurate picture of how many people are actually using the device to read. That being said, Fictionwise could probably give us a good idea regard how many people are actually buying books and downloading them to the device....

--
Bill

DickyCheung22,
Huh? What does 3rd party support have to do with it not being a good ebook reader?
What will you use to actually read your ebooks? Almost certainly, third-party software. Mind you, this will be true for any device not designed to be an ebook reader in the first place.

I read ebooks on a Palm OS PDA. Yes, an older version of Palm Reader (now eReader) was bundled with it, but I seldom use it. With one or two exceptions, all of my ebooks are in formats that require third party software to display. I use Plucker, MobiPocket, PalmFiction, and PalmPDF, in about that order of frequency. (And Palm Reader is third party software, too, even if bundled.)

I will tell you now, though the small screen and the back lit LCD may not be to everyone's taste, the iPod Touch (and iPhone) make a very solid reader. I enjoy reading with it quite a bit. Since I have no problems with the back light, if I was given a 5" version tomorrow I would probably stop my search for a dedicated ereader.
I wouldn't mind a device just like what I have now, but with a larger screen. Backlit LCD doesn't bother me, and I can turn the backlight off to read outdoors.

I'm not in the market for a dedicated reader because I need color, and the ability to do other things besides display ebooks.
______
Dennis

I use it as a "crap, i forgot my copy of "Notes from the Underground" or to check out a reference in a religious text.

I like Stanza a lot, as a Mac app, but I really don't want to see ebooks on the iPhone take off as I think it's generally detrimental to the health of larger ebook readers.

I mean, I'm not a big fan of a unitasker ebook reader, but I want a bigger, non-LCD screen (like all the eInk readers out there) and don't want to read a book on my iPhone if I don't absolutely have to.

I disagree. One of the reasons I bought the Touch was that I was tired of carrying around so many devices with me all the time. For me, the Touch replaced: regular ipod, PDA and ebook reader. I was initially hesitant about a smaller screen for reading, but have gotten used to it and enjoy having something I can comfortably hold in one hand. I even find I am eyeing some ebook versions of print books I own, just because it would save so much space to have them in e-form!

My one reservation about ebooks 'taking off' is that I can just see iTunes trying to capitalize on this and introducing some sort of proprietary software or something we all must use. I like the eReader program, have many secure eReader titles from Fictionwise because eReader seems to be the most enduring and least intrusive of the 'secure' options, and would be really angry if the option to read them on the ipod disappeared.

I like the iPhone as a multi device, too. But ultimately, I don't want to read books on it - the screen is too small, and sitting around with the screen on forever drains the battery too fast.

Personally, I'd love to see something like the iPhone but about 3x it's size (screen about the size of Sony Reader/Kindle's). The trick is having a device that does the phone/ipod stuff but taking the controls and allowing you to use it without holding the device (headsets, etc.)

But as that isn't the case yet... eh. I just find reading anything on it very long to be unpleasant, and really don't want to see the market move in that direction at all. I also don't think I'm alone in this, and getting many people to want to read on a device like that isn't terribly likely. The eBook market, as something somewhat legitimate, is still fairly new and I'd hate to see it put its eggs in the wrong basket for long term success.

Gideon,
I doubt we have much to worry about with respect to the market putting all its eggs in one basket. If e-publishing has proven anything is that they are always trying to carve out new -niches. That being said, if a relatively open device (by ebook standards) was to become a new standard, it might force the more dedicated readers to open up as well. In addition, it might pave the way for apple to make larger devices with the same sorts of functionality that the iPod Touch has.

--
Bill

I finally deleted Stanza last night. It is just sloooooow as anything. It took 25 secodns for a book to load, and there was no way to just go to the menu and stop it from loading. I also found a setting on manybooks.net where you can click the link and get an ipod-optimized view of the site which lets you browse it the same way you browse Stanza's on-line catalogue. That facility, coupled with ow slow Stanza is and how it crashes from time to time finally pushed me into the 'don't need it, adds no functionality eReader doesn't have' camp. I can read new releases from Fictionwise and read public domain books from Manybooks, and browse them just as prettily. What else could I ask for? :) Sorry, Stanza! Work out the bugs and run a little smoother, and we'll talk.

Aside from books using a single text flow, I don't see any reason why it would take 25 seconds to load.

1 Million iphone sold on 2008. However, the apple's iphone reader is not good as an ebook reader, it still rely on 3rd parties application for support the ebook function. So I'm not sure if it is the biggest ebook reader or not.

Downloading a third party reader onto the iPhone/iPod Touch is very simple. I think you underestimate how many people use the app store.

I read on my iPod Touch every single day. That will change when I get my Kindle though :bookworm:

Donna

Actually, the iRex DR1000S is the biggest reader out there. The iPhone is a rather small reader.

I find reading on the iPhone surprisingly good. I have Stanza, and eReader, but haven't played with them much. I have been reading a large PDF file, though, using Files Lite. I wouldn't want to read for extended periods on the iPhone, but for half an hour or so at a time, I find it fine. Better, in fact, than my previous reading experiences on mobile devices, which were via a variety of Palms - III, V, Tx etc.

Why would someone want to intentionally read a book length text or even journal article length text on a mini-screen like the iPhone or iPod touch? That's rather ridiculous and makes reading very limited. Such a tiny screen is no conducive to skimming and scanning. When I read academic texts (my field is anthropology) much of the time I skim through things and read portions that I deem necessary. The iPhone is a bad device for something like this. By the way, I own the iPod touch and I never use it to do lengthy reading.

Also, I'm not sure that to call eBook reading a new phenomenon a useful classification. We've been reading a lot of lengthy texts on the laptop screen for a while now. They may not be in the format of a book, but they certainly are lengthy. Examples include documents, internet websites, online journals, and so forth. With regards to reading lengthy texts, we've been doing that for a long time now (long in computer years). What is a little different is having digital reader devices. So, it's not the reading that that's new but rather what device the reading is done on.

Why would someone want to intentionally read a book length text or even journal article length text on a mini-screen like the iPhone or iPod touch? That's rather ridiculous and makes reading very limited. Such a tiny screen is no conducive to skimming and scanning. When I read academic texts (my field is anthropology) much of the time I skim through things and read portions that I deem necessary. The iPhone is a bad device for something like this. By the way, I own the iPod touch and I never use it to do lengthy reading.

Wow... This is the forum specifically set aside for people who want to read on these devices. Did you really come here just to label our enjoyment as 'ridiculous'?

I'll grant you that the small screen as not conducive to skimming and scanning, but luckily some of us want to read a book in its entirety. Also, I have used such handhelds to carry around reference material, when my job demanded it. It was very useful to have eight or ten large manuals in my hip pocket, with fast searches and indexing being a great improvement over the paper versions, and the portability was better than any laptop.

I am sorry that these devices are not your ideal, but please do not insult those of us who read on them for hours at a time and enjoy it. There is a separate forum specifically for people who are still trying to decide what device is best for them. Why not go there where your insight and opinion would be of great use and interest?

The Bandit

Why would someone want to intentionally read a book length text or even journal article length text on a mini-screen like the iPhone or iPod touch? That's rather ridiculous and makes reading very limited. Such a tiny screen is no conducive to skimming and scanning. When I read academic texts (my field is anthropology) much of the time I skim through things and read portions that I deem necessary. The iPhone is a bad device for something like this. By the way, I own the iPod touch and I never use it to do lengthy reading.

Also, I'm not sure that to call eBook reading a new phenomenon a useful classification. We've been reading a lot of lengthy texts on the laptop screen for a while now. They may not be in the format of a book, but they certainly are lengthy. Examples include documents, internet websites, online journals, and so forth. With regards to reading lengthy texts, we've been doing that for a long time now (long in computer years). What is a little different is having digital reader devices. So, it's not the reading that that's new but rather what device the reading is done on.

I can give you a couple of practical answers to that question:

1: Money. An iTouch can be bought for around £130, significantly cheaper than the crop of e-book readers available at the moment in my country.

2: Portability: the iTouch/phone is small and fits into a jacket pocket. You can carry it wherever you go and it's unobtrusive.

3: Convergence: with an iTouch/phone I have a multi-function device. Make calls, listen to music, watch video, read books, it does it all.

My own reasons for getting an iTouch for reading were mainly to do with money. I got a good deal on an iTouch, £100 and the crop of readers available at the moment were either too expensive (Sony) not available (Kindle) or clunky-looking (BeBook, Hanlin etc).

I've managed to read a couple of full length novels on the device so far, nothin approaching War & Peace, mind you, but nonetheless it wasn't a terrible exprience. I will be purchasing the Txtr when it's released because it does doe everything I want and looks the part, and hopefully I'll have more money then. But to say the iTouch/phone is no good for reading dismisses all those of us who actually use the device and have little or no problems with the experience.