The iPad is interesting, and pretty, but I still love my Kindle.

Since it's all about ME :D and I'm not getting an iPad, here's my question: What do you think the iPad is going to do to e-book pricing and availability?

(Obviously, as a Kindle person I am most interested in how Amazon will react, especially when you consider their sudden rash of announcements coincidentally close to the iPad unveilling. . . I'm hoping this means they will be a little less complacent.)

But let's not limit it to Amazon/Kindle. What are your thoughts?

Nothing.

It's a netbook with a slower processor and no keyboard.

Nothing.

It's a netbook with a slower processor and no keyboard.

You've benchmarked the processor already?

First, I believe this will popularize electronic reading like no other device has done (even the Kindle). Second, I think e-ink screens will be obsoleted within a year (unless we get color and then only if it's implemented well). Third, the 'amateur' publishing industry will be crushed as Apple will more than likely have a strict 'vetting' policy in place like it does for the app store - and I'm betting that's how they got the publishers on board in the first place. If you're an independent writer, be prepared to have your work scrutinized and rejected like so many app developers in the past, before it even gets near the iBook level.

Apple have basically cornered the mobile and possibly home multimedia market outright - games, movies, music, and now books. If they offered an x86/64 version of their OS then I'd bet they'd take the lion's share of the PC market also.

I'm not making judgments on any of this, nor do I believe it is right or wrong, I just think this is what is bound to happen now.

A lot will depend on how the DRM works on Apple iBooks store. If you can buy epubs at other stores and use them on the iPad, and buy books from Apple's store to read on a Sony, then we're getting a lot closer to the sort of universality we want. If the iPad uses ePub but with a custom form of DRM, then it's just another fracturing of the market.

What do you think the iPad is going to do to e-book pricing and availability?

I think it will have no major impact on e-book pricing or availability at all.

I suspect the iFap is going to end up being largely irrelevant to e-book publishing (at least for fiction) even as it shakes, rattles, and rolls e-periodical publishing.

I hope, of course, that it leads to more e-books becoming available at lower prices.

I fear we're going to end up with a walled e-book garden locked behind some new, draconian, Apple DRM scheme and/or locked into needing to use the overpriced underfeatured iFap for reading on.

I like what I see in the iPad. It is priced better than I expected. I think it will put a lot of pressure on NetBook sales.

I don't tend to buy Apple products because they are priced at a significant premium.

I can easily imagine sitting with this in a comfortable chair or in bed. Reading a book. Browsing on the Internet. But, the price is a bit rich for me.

Anything that develops the eBook marketplace is good.

Nothing.

It's a netbook with a slower processor and no keyboard.


Are you kidding? It is not about hardware. The question was what will it do for eBook pricing and availability.

It will do a great things. It will add a huge buying force for books in another store. It will open more doors for eBooks, acceptance, standardization and will create more competition!!!

PLUS it will single-handedly bring more users to ebooks than are here now.

This device is going to sell millions!! And will likely sell many millions of ebooks. More authors and publishers will be forced to include their works as eBooks.

As I mentioned in another post you will likely see e-Ink go away. It won't be very fast but unless e-ink and the current eReader manufacturers can drive the prices down to the magic sub-$100 category, the color and backlighting is going to be very hard stay away from.

You should also guess that within 1 year from today there will be at least 6-12 more color tablets hit the market and then the prices will fall. Most of the tablet people will read some books on it even if the main draw is web and other media.

It is so NOT about hardware or feeds-and-speeds.

First, I believe this will popularize electronic reading like no other device has done (even the Kindle).

Yeah, there was next to nothing, then Amazon pushed and it moved. I want to see what happens when Apple pushes.

First, I believe this will popularize electronic reading like no other device has done (even the Kindle). Second, I think e-ink screens will be obsoleted within a year (unless we get color and then only if it's implemented well). Third, the 'amateur' publishing industry will be crushed as Apple will more than likely have a strict 'vetting' policy in place like it does for the app store - and I'm betting that's how they got the publishers on board in the first place. If you're an independent writer, be prepared to have your work scrutinized and rejected like so many app developers in the past, before it even gets near the iBook level.

Apple have basically cornered the mobile and possibly home multimedia market outright - games, movies, music, and now books. If they offered an x86/64 version of their OS then I'd bet they'd take the lion's share of the PC market also.

I'm not making judgments on any of this, nor do I believe it is right or wrong, I just think this is what is bound to happen now.

1, maybe (but only because people fall for the hype)
2, No way in Hades could the iPad do this. It's simply not possible for the iPad to affect 6" readers because it's not in the same market. It weighs too much, it's too big, and it cost too much. Now, I do think the iPad will kill off most of the large screen readers, just not the smaller ones.

But I agree that Amazon probably cornered the media market.

Now, I do think the iPad will kill off most of the large screen readers, just not the smaller ones.


I'm not so sure about that. Most people who are in the market for an epaper device specifically aren't interested in LCD. There are already notebook/laptop alternatives to a larger eReader. They chose the eReader because of the display technology. The iPad doesn't change any of that.

Now, I do think the iPad will kill off most of the large screen readers, just not the smaller ones.

I'm not so sure about that. Most people who are in the market for an epaper device specifically aren't interested in LCD. There are already notebook/laptop alternatives to a larger eReader. They chose the eReader because of the display technology. The iPad doesn't change any of that.

Don't forget the battery life issue. We all know that the listed spec of 10 hours is at best an optimistic stretch.

First, I believe this will popularize electronic reading like no other device has done (even the Kindle). Second, I think e-ink screens will be obsoleted within a year (unless we get color and then only if it's implemented well). Third, the 'amateur' publishing industry will be crushed as Apple will more than likely have a strict 'vetting' policy in place like it does for the app store - and I'm betting that's how they got the publishers on board in the first place. If you're an independent writer, be prepared to have your work scrutinized and rejected like so many app developers in the past, before it even gets near the iBook level.

Apple have basically cornered the mobile and possibly home multimedia market outright - games, movies, music, and now books. If they offered an x86/64 version of their OS then I'd bet they'd take the lion's share of the PC market also.

I'm not making judgments on any of this, nor do I believe it is right or wrong, I just think this is what is bound to happen now.



Bold statements. However, most people who really read ebooks (except comics) need a nice black and white screen. I for one don't need to read Charles Dickens in orange and green. It seems like you believe the Apple hype before it is even out the door. Maybe it will do well but mostly in Amerika where Apple does have a strong grasp of the media market. However, if you ever venture out of that market, one can see that there are a few companies doing quite well in other countries.

I predict that Mr. Jobs will sell lots of tablets to people who won't use them much but they will have "a cool' device by Crapple, thus they will be cool and cutting edge. Mr. Jobs and associates will laugh all the way to the bank. Capitalism in action. As usual Apple (and the Kindle) will continue their closed systems.....enuf said.'

Do you think it is possible for you to actually post something without being so insulting to others? I mean, seriously, is it even possible?

Don't forget the battery life issue. We all know that the listed spec of 10 hours is at best an optimistic stretch.

The battery will be a big issue for me mainly because I would like to use such a device while traveling. For cross country trips it will be okay. For intercontinental trips with 24 hrs or more of non-stop travel, it would not make it.

I also wonder how it will do for PDF's. My next ereader purchase will be PDF reader for my consulting business and, in the absence a review, the Apple iPad is under consideration.

I am hoping that, since it can use iPhone programs, that it will be able to absorb Kindle books under the iPhone Kindle emulator.

I suspect the iPad has some potential to transform the periodical industry. Newspapers are pretty hopeless on the Kindle, but look as though they will be considerably better on the iPad. In terms of ebooks I think it is very much a case of horses for courses - some books e.g. technical/image based will be clearly better on the iPad due to the fast colour screen, whereas in the case of standard print only books it will be pretty evenly matched - depending on other issues such as need for long battery life/ability to read in bright sunlight etc. These devices are merely tools, no point in becoming too wedded to the actual technology. I wonder what people were expecting of the iPad...world peace? epaper is merely ok as a technology, it suffers from poor refresh rates and relatively poor contrast, albeit with excellent battery life. I am not sure there is far to go with the current crop of epaper devices, I think they will be a commodity item fairly shortly. Content that is the important factor, I think for commercial publishers there may be a lot more mileage in producing content for an iPad type device. The hardware is not the issue here, more the interaction of the software and the media content.

'

Do you think it is possible for you to actually post something without being so insulting to others? I mean, seriously, is it even possible?


OK. The Apple tablet will sell very well

I agree with some of the posts.
It will sell like crazy.
It will popularize e-book reading.
It will spell the end of e-ink unless they can come up with color.
The horizontal view should allow reading of pdf files.

I am surprised it has no camera.

Overall - not excellent but very good.

I think it's a great thing for tablets. It may just kill Sony's Vaio P. Which is currently priced at the premium of the netbook market. . . And that one costs more than a full size laptop!

I think it's an interesting concept for the future of eBooks. I think it will do for them what the iPod did for music. And that's rattling of cages.

I think the iBook application has the prettiest GUI that I've seen. It does a good job of mimicking the look/feel of a real book. That's based on the programming they did where the pages flip and stuff.

As far as the clarity, I don't think it will be a very good thing. In all honesty, I think it'll suck. I hate reading on a computer and looking at an LCD backlight for so long. I was hoping that Apple would stun the world and go with some form of Mirasol or another next gen eInk and make it do things no other developer could.

But for a big iTouch, I think it's pretty flippin' sweet.

Just hope that the ePub/Apple store is DRM free. But I doubt that.

Highly.

OK. The Apple tablet will sell very well

What you think of the product isn't the point. It is your constant insulting of people who use certain products that is the point. Do you understand?

Don't forget the battery life issue. We all know that the listed spec of 10 hours is at best an optimistic stretch.

What? You can't trust the listed battery life spec from a manufacturer? I'm shocked! :D

One of the major reasons Microsoft became the dominant force it did is because they realized that growing the market gave them more sales than cornering the market. IOW, they marketed PC's to non-PC users (in the generic sense of PC).

Apple, I think, is attempting the same with the iPad. It doesn't appear to me that they're marketing this for people who currently read ebooks, but that they're trying to pick up all the casual readers & convert them to ebooks. A color screen will help with that, as will the ability to do 'other things' besides read. But it'll need to be a fairly decent ereader or people will try it, then treat it as 'just a tablet netbook'. Until it's actually in use I have no idea how well it will work as an ereader-but I seriously doubt it'll work well enough to satisfy most MR members. We're already ebook readers so we're not in the target market, IMO.

One of the major reasons Microsoft became the dominant force it did is because they realized that growing the market gave them more sales than cornering the market. IOW, they marketed PC's to non-PC users (in the generic sense of PC).

If "growing the market" means creating a monopoly and then using that to kill off competition, then I agree with you. :D


Apple, I think, is attempting the same with the iPad. It doesn't appear to me that they're marketing this for people who currently read ebooks, but that they're trying to pick up all the casual readers & convert them to ebooks. A color screen will help with that, as will the ability to do 'other things' besides read. But it'll need to be a fairly decent ereader or people will try it, then treat it as 'just a tablet netbook'. Until it's actually in use I have no idea how well it will work as an ereader-but I seriously doubt it'll work well enough to satisfy most MR members. We're already ebook readers so we're not in the target market, IMO.

Yep. This isn't supposed to be an eReader device. It's a tablet notebook that, oh by the way, will also let you read a couple eBooks on it (just like every other tablet/notebook/laptop/PC/etc). I don't really think this will have much effect on the eBook market. I doubt very many people who get an iPad will even use it for reading eBooks.

Expand the market for ebooks to more than avid readers who read enough to own a dedicated reading device, or to have been reading on programs on their PCs, PDAs, smartphones etc.

It's no threat to e-ink devices as there's a sizable niche of avid readers who need the screen, battery life etc.

And anything that expands the market for ebooks to more casual readers is as good thing as it means better selection and prices for everyone.

People who buy this will buy more e-books, magazines, etc. than people with laptops and netbooks and the form factor will be much more comfortable to hold and read. It's terrible trying to read on a laptop on your lap, can't curl up with it in bed easily etc.

Student textbook readers and homework devices. Yep. A school district could make them mandatory for all students from grade school up. :D

Derek

I wonder about the 'casual' reader though. Most 'casual' readers I know are people who have made comments to me like 'I can just get a paper book when I want to read' or 'I could never imagine reading off a screen.' Even my skeptic parents did not believe they could ever read off a screen until they saw the e-ink on my Kindle. I set up eReader app on my stepmom's iPhone for her and her comment was 'it's ok but I spend all day at work reading off computers so the last thing I want to do when I come home is turn on another screen.'

So who will this 'get' then? Maybe the people who currently read on their phones or iPod Touch type devices and don't already have a Kindle or something. As for me, I consider myself a 'serious' reader in that I read very often, and reasonably prolifically (close to 100 books last year). And there are features I have in my Kindle that I bought the Kindle specifically for and will not give up (for example the French-English dictionary and text to speech). If the Kindle 'app' included these features, I would absolutely sell the Kindle and get something like this, but it doesn't and I need these features and read often enough that I feel okay about my Kindle investment. What this device *might* do for me is serve as a laptop and iPod Touch replacement. My iPod Touch has been in need of replacing anyway and I have been holding off because I am not a huge music person and couldn't be bothered. So this will allow me to upgrade my iPod Touch and also get the functionality of my netbook for mobile uses (for example, to take with me when I babysit so I have some games and video to watch when the kids are in bed, or to use for the music I teach with in lieu of my netbook which is pretty much a glorified jukebox). But for reading at home, taking to the gym etc. I will still use my Kindle for sure.

An interesting and desirable gadget which will satisfy the casual bestseller reader. I'll wait for the next Kindle update with folders and (hopefully) font choices.

Student textbook readers and homework devices. Yep. A school district could make them mandatory for all students from grade school up. :D


As I said in the other thread, really need stylus support for that, to allow highlighting, note taking, writing answers etc.

So who will this 'get' then? Maybe the people who currently read on their phones or iPod Touch type devices and don't already have a Kindle or something.


Very few will by this to mainly use as a reader. People will buy it for all the other features, or because it's the trendy new gadget to have.

And all of a sudden they own a device that's a pretty decent e-reader for a casual reader who isn't going to read for hours on end very often. And the device has a built in book store.

So it stands a good chance of turning some more people on to e-books, e-magazines, e-newspapers etc. even if they didn't buy it with that use as a main factor.

I'd like to think that Apple is aware of that shortcoming..and in order to get mom and dad to shell out for college kids they'll want to make one...it just needs to work with theirr capacitive sensors

As I said in the other thread, really need stylus support for that, to allow highlighting, note taking, writing answers etc.

Not sure I disagree, but also not so sure I agree. I've got to see how multi-touch works on the iPad. Could be that many people will find the iPad works fine for note-taking with finger multi-touch. Besides, *MY*handwriting is atrocious and even a touch-keyboard works better for me. :D

Derek

Not sure I disagree, but also not so sure I agree. I've got to see how multi-touch works on the iPad. Could be that many people will find the iPad works fine for note-taking with finger multi-touch. Besides, *MY*handwriting is atrocious and even a touch-keyboard works better for me. :D

Derek

Mine's bad too. But times at a premium and I find it quicker to highlight with highlighter and jot notes in the margins with a pen.

And I jot a lot of notes as my goal is to never have to thoroughly read a scholarly article a second time, but be able to skim and look at my notes and highlights.

Same thing when I was a student and marking up books like crazy to study.

Some could certainly get by with finger touch probably. But I'd think stylus support would be preferred by most, given how much highlighting and note taking in the margins I see in my student's text books when they stop by with them to ask a question about something in the readings!

Third, the 'amateur' publishing industry will be crushed as Apple will more than likely have a strict 'vetting' policy in place like it does for the app store - and I'm betting that's how they got the publishers on board in the first place. If you're an independent writer, be prepared to have your work scrutinized and rejected like so many app developers in the past, before it even gets near the iBook level.
I don't think so. Apple uses standard EPUB with its custom FairPlay DRM, so any open EPUB files should work fine. I have been buying indie music without DRM on eMusic for years and it naturally works fine on my Apple devices. As long as the amateur publishing industry stays out of DRM, and that's what I'm assuming, they have nothing to worry about but rather a mayor opportunity.

Apart from that, I agree with you.

Personally, I think that eBooks will only then become really mainstream when they can be read on multiple purpose devices. I wouldn't buy a device for several hundred Euro that can do nothing else but display books (yes, I'm a casual reader). So I think the iPad is the ideal eBook reader for the casual reader, no matter the backlit display. I've been using my iPhone for reading before, but that was a bit too small.

Plus, and that's a really BIG plus for me, the iPad can not only display books, but also magazines and newspapers in a more sophisticated fashion than the Kindle. Has anyone seen the Times applications? It looks AWESOME. Like the paper version, but with interactivity. Really cool!

I think that the Kindle is really good for novels only. It might be the best for them, but that's not the only thing I want to read. Everything else, from academic books / specialist books to magazines to newspapers, is superior on the iPad. AND I have my complete multimedia collection and PDA programs on it as well!

I'm sure that the iPad will have a big influence on the eBook industry and will finally push it into mainstream. I guess Amazon agrees on that, since it changed its revenue model from 70/30 to 30/70 just recently.

Amazon's stock didn't seem to mind the announcement. I'm guessing maybe its more a validation than a threat, at this stage.

But B&N's stock took a dive for some reason.

Third, the 'amateur' publishing industry will be crushed as Apple will more than likely have a strict 'vetting' policy in place like it does for the app store - and I'm betting that's how they got the publishers on board in the first place. If you're an independent writer, be prepared to have your work scrutinized and rejected like so many app developers in the past, before it even gets near the iBook level.
If this vetting is basically to ensure proper formatting, spelling, etc. then I think I'd approve of it-but I'm not so sure Apple's vetting of apps is as much about improving the quality as it is about maintaining control.

Assuming Apple does become dominant in the ebook field (a questionable assumption IMO) then I suspect they'll focus more on what they allow to be published than they do on how it looks. Hopefully not, but I'm more hopeful that it won't become dominant.

I was hoping the entrance of a higher quality screen and popular acceptance might encourage a gradual increase in ebook (file) quality, especially if complex layout magazines and other kinds of digital reading can raise the public's aesthetic standards.

It may still do that, but I have my doubts.

Apple have basically cornered the mobile and possibly home multimedia market outright - games, movies, music, and now books. If they offered an x86/64 version of their OS then I'd bet they'd take the lion's share of the PC market also.

Games? Err, despite any absurd comments Jobs might make to the contrary, the 'Touch doesn't hold a candle to the DS. Operating System? Most users are far too rooted in Windows to ever even consider making such a switch (it's hard enough getting your average Joe away from "Internet Explorer").

Hopefully with its aggressive pricing it will put pressure on e-ink reader makers to lower their reading-only devices

As expected, it is an oversized iPod Touch...

I'm not at all tired, yet I'm yawning.

It's a nice toy but...
I have killed two Palm Pilots by reading for hours on end. It's all about battery life and how many times you can recharge it. After a few months battery life will shrink to a few hours at most.
Not saying I won't get one eventually but I will let others do the testing for me.

I think the iPad will increase consumption of eBooks by casual readers (casual meaning 'not that many books a year'). I happen to feel that this will be a good thing.

I don't know that the iPad will sell "great guns", but it will sell.

I don't know why no one has yet mentioned on this thread that the iPad runs iPhone apps (maybe I missed it), and stores like Barnes and Noble have iPhone apps at the app store. Source:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks/download-reader.asp?dltab=iphone&cds2Pid=28709

This house uses Windows machines exclusively, has zero Apple products, and considers the iPad a Definite Purchase in 2010.

Why 'definite purchase'? Because we happen to believe that e-ink is good technology but will not be around come 2015. Ten hour battery life is sufficient life for our needs - the claim is iPad has much more life in its battery on standby. So basically you are only in a jam if you want to read eleven hours on a single device, and for some reason do not want to recharge.

I am going to play some games with American English here, because English is fun to use that way. I am already seeing posts on these Forums that the iPad is not an eReader, well I am going to claim that all those e-ink readers out there are not eReaders, but the iPad is!

See what I did there? Fun with English! In this household we realized that we do as much reading on the web as with books, so in 2010 we want an eReader Device that includes a decent Web Browser. To me an eBook can be in HTML embedded on a web page on an HTML server as well as any other format.

So basically in 2010 Americans get their first decent ('decent' as defined to this household) eReader with the iPad - and also those other eReaders scheduled to come out (I think ASUS has announced such) - which include web browsers (we can live without Adobe Flash).

Current Plan: Purchase an iPad, install Barnes and Noble book app, read books and web pages on the web, purchase eBooks from Barnes and Noble, read more eBooks in 2010.

The improvement in technologies that make this possible with the iPad:
o fast, low-power consumption, processor
o improvements in high density memory (64 gigs is nice)
o improvements in battery life
o nice screen size (iPod Touch is just too small)

I got into eBooks with the advent of the Microsoft Reader in 2000 and remember thinking, "boy, they have a long way to go to make this work." Well now, a decade later, I feel I can trust my eBook library to Barnes and Noble and I have a decent (though not guaranteed) possibility of my still being able to access that library 20 years from now on some device which has not yet been invented.

There is my reasoning; your own mileage may vary.

Really happy that in 2010 I have the chance to purchase a device with specifications as announced today for the iPad.

I don't know why no one has yet mentioned on this thread that the iPad runs iPhone apps (maybe I missed it), and stores like Barnes and Noble have iPhone apps at the app store. Source:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks/download-reader.asp?dltab=iphone&cds2Pid=28709



B&N, Kobo, Amazon, Fictionwise (thru Stanza) all have a presence on the iPhone/iPod Touch.

The real question is, will they still be there for the iPad.

If they are, the iPad will have a pretty major presence in the eBook market-iPad users will have access to iBook, Amazon, B&N, Fictionwise, Kobo, and anyone else who wants to sell/distribute eBooks online.

If they are closing down everything except iBook...that would be sad.

I'm not so sure about that. Most people who are in the market for an epaper device specifically aren't interested in LCD. There are already notebook/laptop alternatives to a larger eReader. They chose the eReader because of the display technology. The iPad doesn't change any of that.

Exactly.

If it glows, it blows.

But I also agree that it will increase ereading awareness in many who haven't even been aware of e-inkers.

A lot will depend on how the DRM works on Apple iBooks store. If you can buy epubs at other stores and use them on the iPad, and buy books from Apple's store to read on a Sony, then we're getting a lot closer to the sort of universality we want. If the iPad uses ePub but with a custom form of DRM, then it's just another fracturing of the market.

Of course you have access to other stores, just as you do on iPhone (Amazon Kindle for Iphone etc.). The reader apps will need to be re-designed for iTab, but they have at least a couple of months to do that.

I doubt very much Apple will disallow iTab applications that offer access to other bookstores. iBooks app doesn't even come with the device AFAICT.

I was hoping the entrance of a higher quality screen and popular acceptance might encourage a gradual increase in ebook (file) quality, especially if complex layout magazines and other kinds of digital reading can raise the public's aesthetic standards.
At 132dpi?????
That was never going to happen.

Worrying about the niceties of typographic colour seems irrelevant when you only have 14.6 pixels to display 8pt text.

Of course you have access to other stores, just as you do on iPhone (Amazon Kindle for Iphone etc.). The reader apps will need to be re-designed for iTab, but they have at least a couple of months to do that.

I doubt very much Apple will disallow iTab applications that offer access to other bookstores. iBooks app doesn't even come with the device AFAICT.

But if iBooks' offerings are incompatible with other ePub readers then it just represents another annoying and unnecessary splintering of the market. Since Apple and Adobe are not exactly best of friends I suspect this will be the case, but would love to be proved wrong.

Having to use different apps to read books purchased from different stores is an absurd state of affairs.

"I suspect the iPad has some potential to transform the periodical industry. Newspapers are pretty hopeless on the Kindle, but look as though they will be considerably better on the iPad."

I agree with this comment and, while I think that this first version of the Ipad is a bit too bulky for many folks, I'm hoping that it will, as someone else commented, make it easy for occasional readers to begin to get the feel of an ereader. Someone else mentioned the need for a flexible version that would be easier to carry around, and when that happens (with color), things should break open for those who want to read periodicals on these devices.

Hopefully, having Apple in the market will push other manufacturers to improve their devices and to lower their prices. I paid $580.Cn in December for my Sony 600, and, while I love it, it was a stretch for me to get it It sure would have been nice to at least get color for that price! Mind you, part of that cost was the $75. for the cover (!), which I needed as I read in bed a lot with my dog beside me, and he has big claws which would make short work of that screen if he stepped on it! The hard cover protects it wonderfully!

It is clearly a good portable reading device for magazines and newspapers 0 - though smallish for that purpose (smaller than Kindle DX for example). At least it's easy to pan/zoom with the touchscreen.

If it glows, it blows.

:rofl: That is a great line.

I don't want a backlit screen, but given a choice between a $489 Kindle DX and a $499 iPad, I think most people will choose the iPad. I still think eInk is better as an eReader, but I also think most people, especially those that haven't used an eInk device, will figure that the iPad is good enough as an eReader, and it offers features not available on a Kindle. Plus, it's shiny, cool, and from Apple. Hopefully the Kindle Mirasol will be out by the end of the year.

One thing I did like was the fact that the iPad will use ePub, and I hope this puts some pressure on Amazon to start supporting ePub (is a dropcap too much to ask for?).

However, I'm also afraid that the introduction of the iPad will cause ebook prices to rise. Amazon is selling books at $9.99 but Apple is going to sell them at typically $12.99 and $14.99. My fear is that the publishers will withhold their ebooks from Amazon unless Amazon agrees to Apple's pricing structure.

:rofl: That is a great line.

I don't want a backlit screen, but given a choice between a $489 Kindle DX and a $499 iPad, I think most people will choose the iPad. I still think eInk is better as an eReader, but I also think most people, especially those that haven't used an eInk device, will figure that the iPad is good enough as an eReader, and it offers features not available on a Kindle.

The fact of the matter is that it will be good enough as an e-reader for most people.

Most people aren't avid readers like most of the regular posters on here who read for hours on end regularly.

For someone that seldom reads for more than 30-60 minutes at a time (if even that much a day), the eyestrain reduction benefit of e-ink (or real paper) becomes pretty much moot.

And the ability to surf the the net ,watch movies, play games, listen to music and all the other stuff that the average Joe and Jane does more than offset the potential eye strain while reading issue.

And in that LED screens are easier on they eyes the LCD (though still a huge gap from e-ink of course) and it's less of an issue. My new laptop and monitor in the office are LED, and they're definitely less tiring on the eyes than the LCD screens I had before on my old devices.

Personally, I'll keep my Kindle for novel reading where I do occasionally read for a few hours. But I'd love a stylus device for reading and marking up pdfs, reading magazines and news papers etc. which I do in shorter bursts. And of course for all the nifty multi media stuff as I'm much more into movies, music, video games, net goofing etc. than I am reading hobby wise.

I doubt very much Apple will disallow iTab applications that offer access to other bookstores. iBooks app doesn't even come with the device AFAICT.

If they take the same line as the iPhone? Yep, banned.

Never mind

And in that LED screens are easier on they eyes the LCD (though still a huge gap from e-ink of course) and it's less of an issue. My new laptop and monitor in the office are LED, and they're definitely less tiring on the eyes than the LCD screens I had before on my old devices.

Perhaps I have misunderstood the LED/LCD thing, since it has only come to my attention regarding HDTV sets, but my understanding is that the LED is only the back-light source, not the pixels.

If the LEDs are actually the pixels, then it would appear "back-lighting" is built in.

I rescind all my earlier predictions. This thing will do absolutely nothing for ebooks, not a single damned thing. I doubt it'll do anything for tablets either, or Apple. Too much sizzle and not enough steak :)

Two different technologies, eGeezer:

*LED, which means "backlit by LED's rather than CCFL"
*AMOLED, which is actually a (active-controlled) matrix of OLED pixels.

Confusing, yea.

I rescind all my earlier predictions. This thing will do absolutely nothing for ebooks, not a single damned thing. I doubt it'll do anything for tablets either, or Apple. Too much sizzle and not enough steak :)

Bingo! :thumbsup:

At 132dpi?????
That was never going to happen.

Worrying about the niceties of typographic colour seems irrelevant when you only have 14.6 pixels to display 8pt text.
The linear resolution is a problem, but at least at usable sizes, proper screen treatment for type can be used.

It will still not compare well to paper, but it will most certainly be better than anything on even 200ppi EPD.

Besides, it is not simply typographic nuance that I'm considering, but very basic typesetting which is so far ignored.

I agree with some of the posts.

It will popularize e-book reading.
It will spell the end of e-ink unless they can come up with color.


Maybe in the US. iBooks is only available in US of A ... Fail for me.
It will not spell the end of e-ink screens (IMO) so long as it's backlit and it has battery life <10 hrs.

Among other features that iPad doesn't have (http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/12-key-features-the-ipad-lacks-20100128-n1ae.html):

1. iBooks is initially US-only
2. No built-in camera
3. No USB ports
4. No memory card read
5. Keyboard dock sold separately
6. No multi-tasking
7. No Adobe Flash support
8. Can only run Apple-sanctioned apps
9. Can only access iTunes videos and music
10. Lacks HDMI port
11. Screen is 4:3 aspect ratio, not 16:9 widescreen

12. No full GPS support

It will spell the end of e-ink unless they can come up with color.
Nope.
Will do for "small" readers, but, peaple reading a lot will still have a need for e-paper. So epaper isn't about to die.

...
1. iBooks is initially US-only
2. No built-in camera
3. No USB ports
4. No memory card read
5. Keyboard dock sold separately
6. No multi-tasking
7. No Adobe Flash support
8. Can only run Apple-sanctioned apps
9. Can only access iTunes videos and music
10. Lacks HDMI port
11. Screen is 4:3 aspect ratio, not 16:9 widescreen

12. No full GPS support

LOL, and it's not a phone!

Did you have the same list for the Kindle, when it first came out?

LOL, and it's not a phone!

Did you have the same list for the Kindle, when it first came out?

There are lots of things i don't expect an e-reader to do, and i expect a tablet to.
USB post, Full OS (I mean there Windows , linux, or MacOS), run music and video from dlna, run ANY video without re-encoding, copy-past my dvd on tablet, so i can left the dvd home.
HDMI, not a "must have", but a definitive selling point.

A lot of people have already said a lot of the things that I've been thinking about this - primarily that it will probably help to drive ebooks into the mainstream in the same way that the iPod drove acceptance of digital music. In the same way that there were MP3 players before the iPod, we obviously already have ebook readers, but Apple's marketing muscle could be the thing to shove ebooks in front of people who would never otherwise think about them, let alone buy them.

In terms of the device itself, for me it seems enormous - too big to carry around and hold up infront of me to read - but in reality it probably isn't any bigger than a large paperback opened up. I don't have a reader, and although I'm all for ebooks I won't be buying one until prices come down...hopefully the advent of this iPad will start to drive this.

This pundit
http://gizmodo.com/5458531/why-the-ipad-will-crush-netbooks-and-ebook-readers
is saying a lot of you are wrong - that the iPad WILL have an effect.

Ignore the article's title - it is a bit inflammatory and somewhat off the mark. The article appears to be claiming that where Apple will succeed is selling the iPad to "new" customers which are not enticed by current offerings (essentially customers who are not on Mobile Read at all). So not really crushing existing devices so much as stealing future customers away from them, which they could have had, in large numbers.

I do not know whether to believe the author - I thought everyone had a desktop, laptop, netbook or smart phone by now. So not sure about who/where/what these new customers are which will buy an iPad.

I agree with those posting here that the iPad has a good chance to have more of an impact on the Periodical market going wireless, electronic and essentially being saved. Everything I read implies it is a grim affair to attempt to start a new magazine now.

Gourmet died this year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmet_%28magazine%29
It would be interesting if it were to resurface on the iPad.

*** Edit ***
I see Simon John Cox's post above mine and the article I referenced says much the same as what he states in his first paragraph.

I'd prefer an iPad nano - same functionality but the size of my Sony PRS 500 :)

it'll come.

Maybe in the US. iBooks is only available in US of A ... Fail for me.
It will not spell the end of e-ink screens (IMO) so long as it's backlit and it has battery life <10 hrs.

1. iBooks is initially US-only it says and selected countries on the apple page and video!
2. No built-in camera neither does the kindle DX
3. No USB ports neither does the kindle(i assume you mean host ports)
4. No memory card read fair point but does have much larger memory than any other ereader
5. Keyboard dock sold separately no keyboard dock available for other ereaders
6. No multi-tasking neither do other ereaders
7. No Adobe Flash support neither do other ereaders
8. Can only run Apple-sanctioned apps true
9. Can only access iTunes videos and music not sure what you mean I can pout any music or video I have that isnt DRM into itunes and other ereaders hane no access to video
10. Lacks HDMI port so do other ereaders ;)
11. Screen is 4:3 aspect ratio, not 16:9 widescreen better for reading what aspect is kindle DX?

12. No full GPS support neither do ereaders

if you compare the iPad to larger ereaders( in red above) for me it smashes them to pieces for price and what you get! however I read on an LCD screen at work for 10 hours a day with no eye issues!

so for some the sacrifices to get a similiar sized eink screen might be worth while.

Interestingly if you compare it to a netbook or laptop of a similiar price it doesnt come across as well.

But in comparison to a Kindle DX or archos media player type device it seems very competitive to me.

if you compare the iPad to larger ereaders( in red above) for me it smashes them to pieces for price and what you get! however I read on an LCD screen at work for 10 hours a day with no eye issues!

so for some the sacrifices to get a similiar sized eink screen might be worth while.

Interestingly if you compare it to a netbook or laptop of a similiar price it doesnt come across as well.

But in comparison to a Kindle DX or archos media player type device it seems very competitive to me.

Man, you really, really like this thing, don't you? :D

I'd say in comparison to a lemon meringue pie the iPad is extremely competitive. :rofl:

Man, you really, really like this thing, don't you? :D

I'd say in compairison to a lemon meringue pie the iPad is extermely competitive. :rofl:

I do because its perfect for what I want,

Web, Comics, Movies, music, VNC, email, sharing photos.

I was close to ordering a Kindle DX but whats the point, LCD screens dont bother my eyes and the iPad is $20 more.

The keyboard dock will be nice at home and is competitively priced, look at the nexus 1 desk dock $49 just for a dock with no keyboard.

It wont replace my home computer of my work laptop, but will replace my dell mini 9 and fit in better with my other Mac products(bluetooth keyboard for one)

I think people are comparing it to laptops which it cant and doesnt comete with or with the samller eink readers which it doesnt compete with.

However for the general consumption of a wide range of media on the go, with a nice UI and the app market to expand what it is capable of at $499 it seems a great buy...For ME!

With the best will in the world to Apple and those who need or want the iPad, my dream when I first started with ebooks twelve years ago was a simple, single-function, ebook-dedicated reading device no bigger than a paperback.

My dream came true. I already have a powerful PC with a huge monitor, a 17" laptop and a netbook. And -- for recreational reading -- I have my wee, easy-on-the-eye Sony PRS 505 with a whole library in there.

For me (sorry, Harry -- but surely a forum is about personal views -- the iPad is actually a step backwards for ebook reading, taking the onus off ebooks and offering a dozen distrations ... at a price.

Give the world something like the 505 -- even the Kindle -- bubble-wrapped at the supermarket checkout for sixty bucks, price ebooks fairly, and there will be an explosion in reading.

Cheers. Neil

I see Simon John Cox's post above mine and the article I referenced says much the same as what he states in his first paragraph.

That's because I am the zeitgeist. :D

With the best will in the world to Apple and those who need or want the iPad, my dream when I first started with ebooks twelve years ago was a simple, single-function, ebook-dedicated reading device no bigger than a paperback.

My dream came true. I already have a powerful PC with a huge monitor, a 17" laptop and a netbook. And -- for recreational reading -- I have my wee, easy-on-the-eye Sony PRS 505 with a whole library in there.

For me (sorry, Harry -- but surely a forum is about personal views -- the iPad is actually a step backwards for ebook reading, taking the onus off ebooks and offering a dozen distrations ... at a price.

Give the world something like the 505 -- even the Kindle -- bubble-wrapped at the supermarket checkout for sixty bucks, price ebooks fairly, and there will be an explosion in reading.

Cheers. Neil

whilst I agree in theory and love my sony 300 for NOVEL reading it sucks at technical ereading, comic ereadingMagazine reading and web ereading.

Ereading isnt just novels.

so for ereading the iPad is better and more flexible.

for reading my next novel i will be using my PRS300

I think people are comparing it to laptops which it cant and doesnt comete with or with the samller eink readers which it doesnt compete with.

Initially* it looks to me as though it will be a "watch TV on the train" kind of device, bridging the gap between the laptop, which is great for watching things on but is more or less static (I know technically they're portable, but they're just too big to have on your lap on a train or a plane) and the mobile phone, which is truly portable but really too small to watch things on for an extended period. As such it won't compete with laptops or phones, but it will be in the same market segment as reader devices, as it will perform the same function (i.e. truly portable entertainment).

Whether it will compete directly with e-ink readers, however, will depend upon whether the kind of people who buy e-ink readers are only interested in ebooks, or whether they'd like to watch TV, video, browse the internet etc. whilst they're out and about as well. The multi-application nature of it could kill off its single application competitors.

*No doubt new uses and applications will evolve over time and take it in directions that no-one could have predicted

For me (sorry, Harry -- but surely a forum is about personal views -- the iPad is actually a step backwards for ebook reading, taking the onus off ebooks and offering a dozen distrations ... at a price.

This is interesting. The iPhone has exploded onto the mobile phone market precisely because it offers a million different uses - not just telephone and SMS (which itself was an unexpected additional function that has ballooned far beyond anyone's predictions). It's an electronic Swiss Army Knife, and that's why people want it.

I think today that convenience is so highly prized that having one device that can do multiple things is what sells. Even to the point where people are willing to accept inferior functionalities (in comparison to a single-purpose dedicated device, say) - the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Give the world something like the 505 -- even the Kindle -- bubble-wrapped at the supermarket checkout for sixty bucks, price ebooks fairly, and there will be an explosion in reading.

I don't disagree with this in principle, but I think it also needs the kind of marketing that Apple splurged on its iPod and iPhone to truly kickstart the revolution...and I'm not convinced that a Sony or an Amazon would have the brand cachet to get people interested enough.

Apple's branding is great - they have positioned themselves as "cool" and "alternative" and "innovative", and as such their new products are bought by people who consider themselves to be "cool" and "alternative" and "innovative" (and whose friends probably see them this way), and these people act as word-of-mouth advertisers for the products, adding to the image.

Amazon or Sony selling ebook readers: "oh". Apple selling ebook readers: exciting.

Besides, if Apple dominates the market then at least one of its competitors will adopt a price-leading position...meaning that your dream of a $60 reader will come true. :D

This is interesting. The iPhone has exploded onto the mobile phone market precisely because it offers a million different uses - not just telephone and SMS (which itself was an unexpected additional function that has ballooned far beyond anyone's predictions). It's an electronic Swiss Army Knife, and that's why people want it.
What is interesting to me is that, at least according to an analisys made in Italy on a national newspaper (can't find a link to the online version but will post it as soon as I find it) half of the iPhone owners have also another mobile phone, and most of them admit that the main phone number is NOT on their iPhone, but on the other device, and also that they have also another MP3 player, be it an iPod or another device.

Which is unique among smartphones: usually, those who buy smartphones use them to replace their regular mobile AND have dozens of other functions (think blackberry, windows mobile, android...).
If whay I wrote is not limited to Italy (it may well be), it means that people do not buy the iPhone to use it for its two main purposes (it's i-PHONE: it makes calls, and it's the son of the iPod, so it's also a great mp3 player), but for... what? for everything else. It's a pretty toy.

It does a little of everything, and not as good as a dedicated device, BUT is pocket-sized and for the normal people that's enough. Oddly enough, the "normal people" end up buying also dedicated devices (at least for phone calls and mp3).

What I expect from the iPad is that:
people who need powerful computers (like me - I'm a programmer) will stick with PCs and Notebooks: I found the idea of a Netbook a great idea, for example, but I never bought one and will never buy one because it lacks the power and capability to run either Eclipse or Visual Studio, and I need them for work, and the iPad is the same;
People who REALLY need a multi-capable device, though, will not buy it and instead buy a Laptop or MacBook. I mean, I know the iPad has a pretty and shiny photogallery application but... ehrm... how do I put my camera's pictures in that? It doesn't have neither a USB port nor a card reader! On the other hand, people who really need multi-capable transportable device are already sticking to laptops (including MacBooks), because those are still the only devices which can do everything, and have everything embedded (I'm speaking of webcams, CD readers, Card readers, wifi et al).
People who need a device that does only a few things while sitting on their armchair, will probably buy it. I see it as a good device to kill some time: it will play nice games (not graphics-intensive ones but nice games nonetheless), it will play music, it will play movies, it will let you read books, it will browse the web and it will show you your holiday's pictures. Essentially, what people buy netbooks for, without the extra-parts of netbooks.
People who just want an ebook-reader probably won't buy it, otherwise they would have bought already a non-dedicated device.
And then there are fanboys who will buy anything from their favourite brand :D But every brand has at least a few fanboys (even Microsoft, you know) so I do not analize them.

In the end, I believe that the iPad will cause netbook sales to drop; it won't cause ebook readers sales to drop, but it will make ebook sales grow. It won't "steal" customers from Amazon and Sony, instead it will create its own new customers base. The same way the iPhone did NOT steal customers to Blackberry, but made its own new, larger customer base.

The linear resolution is a problem, but at least at usable sizes, proper screen treatment for type can be used.

It will still not compare well to paper, but it will most certainly be better than anything on even 200ppi EPD.

Since legibility is the basic requirement for type which must supersede all other issues, I find this statement bizarre in the extreme. A 200dpi device is automatically better than a 132dpi one for displaying type.

I fear we're going to end up with a walled e-book garden locked behind some new, draconian, Apple DRM scheme

Why do you think so? Apple dropped DRM from iTunes - why should they introduce DRM into iBooks?

Martin

The fact of the matter is that it will be good enough as an e-reader for most people.

Agreed, the iFap will probably turn out to be a good enough reading device for 95% of the population. Since that 95% don't read or buy books, one has to question just how much impact it will actually have on e-book publishing (periodicals, 'nother story. Also potentially reference/scholarly work, depending on the app support).

Never mind

Why do you think so? Apple dropped DRM from iTunes - why should they introduce DRM into iBooks?

I didn't say I expected this to happen, just that I'm afraid this might happen. Turn it around - why would you expect they wouldn't introduce a new, draconian, DRM system for e-books as they enter the market when they introduced a new, draconian DRM system for mp3s when they entered that market?

Hopefully it won't happen, but I wouldn't rule it out completely, especially since they've said they want to see e-book prices go up by 50%, and they're going to need some way of keeping Amazon's books off the iFap to pull that off.

Since legibility is the basic requirement for type which must supersede all other issues, I find this statement bizarre in the extreme. A 200dpi device is automatically better than a 132dpi one for displaying type.
If their contrast is equal and if they are both equally capable of using hinting to offset their limitations. They are not.

Another interesting article http://the-tech-guru-radlett.blogspot.com/2010/01/apples-ipad-tablet-could-slay-ebooks.html?spref=tw

Sibel

Why do you think so? Apple dropped DRM from iTunes - why should they introduce DRM into iBooks?

Martin
Apple only dropped DRM for music. However, it still uses DRM on audiobooks and movies, because that's what those industries demand. Considering that all mayor publishers currently want DRM, I wouldn't be surprised to see the EPUB iBooks DRM'ed as well. After all, Apple is new to the market and has to play by their rules. I think the book industry is especially problematic, because most of them don't even want eBooks in the first place and still live in an analog world.

Hopefully, the piracy rates for movies and eBooks will reach such a high point that eventually those industries will have to drop DRM as well. Only without DRM these digital markets can really flourish.

***one has to question just how much impact it will actually have on e-book publishing***

Exactly, Pardoz. Ebook facility is a mere also-ran with this new machine. I guess that's OK because Amazon made no promises to the contrary. I can't see the iPad encouraging people to read books -- too many bells, whistles and other attractions. It's ebook-DEDICATED devices (cheap as hell with fair title prices) that will increase the popularity of reading for pleasure. This is just a pretty smart new gizmo that can handle ebooks as an incidental, like your PC, laptop, netbook and phone. Neil

If their contrast is equal and if they are both equally capable of using hinting to offset their limitations. They are not.
For those with normal vision, global contrast has a far lower impact on the readability of text than resolution. The eye's contrast sensitivity function peaks at around 6-8 cycles per degree, and the closer the device can get to matching that the better.

Here's an example: 'Il1' in Times New Roman. The text on the right is rendered at half the point size of that on the left then scaled by 200% without interpolation so both elements are the same size, but with half the resolution on the right. The 'l' on the left is 17 pixels high. The contrast on the left is markedly lower, yet the text is far more legible, in fact the 'I' and 'l' on the right have blended together and look more like a Cyrillic capital delta.
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/7658/fontcontrastexample.png

As for hinting, while Apple developed the technology for use with their original laser printer, they have long-since altered their approach to font rendering (http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000885.html). Hinting deliberately distorts character shapes to align them with the pixel grid and produce sharper borders. Apple's current anti-aliasing scheme is designed to retain character shapes and mimic the overall appearance of text on the page in print (the 'typographic colour'). Lots of people like it, and it works well when using large sizes which give the rendering engine lots of pixels to play with. But small text turns into mush.

I'm not privy to the inner secrets of exactly how Apple's text rendering engine works, but it certainly doesn't use hinting in the same manner as MS's ClearType. ClearType produces much sharper text, but only properly works with fonts that have been specifically designed for it from the ground up and can introduce clearly visible distortions in character shapes.

http://blogs.adobe.com/digitaleditions/

No adobe support. Apple's own flavour it seems.

http://blogs.adobe.com/digitaleditions/

No adobe support. Apple's own flavour it seems.

FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL

I can't say I'm surprised though. Jobs would have had to swallow a lot of pride to use Adobe's DRM on an Apple product, and he's a very fussy eater.

Nothing. People will grow tired of the huge and heavy device for general reading very fast.

Magazines? They might take off once more and more larger sized screens will show up.

Kindle 2 sales would not be affected by this iPad. I will no way bring this iPad to my bed to read the novels. But there is a problem with Kindle DX since it is targeted to bring text- and tech- books to customers (as Amazon has distributed Kindle DX to some universities), but iPad is just far better than DX in displaying such books and plus 10 bucks only. Therefore I suppose any similar attempts (10-inch ereaders) would not be successful this year and later on.

Any thoughts?

Nothing. People will grow tired of the huge and heavy device for general reading very fast.

Magazines? They might take off once more and more larger sized screens will show up.

Agreed. I'd still like one, though, but not for reading ebooks. I think it would be great as a portable writing device. Of course, the iWorks word processor costs extra, and if you want the AT&T wireless, that will set you back about $15/month, and only works on the higher-priced model.

It's probably best that I can't afford one at present.

Second, I think e-ink screens will be obsoleted within a year (unless we get color and then only if it's implemented well).

I'm not so sure. The e-ink screen is very easy on the eyes when you do a lot of heavy reading and don't care for fast refresh rates but rather stick with great battery life, a normal lcd/oled screen isn't going to be able to match this.

http://blog.kobobooks.com/

Kobo obviously isn't iBooks, but they seem pretty confident they'll have an app for iPad. Either they know they'll be allowed on the platform or it hasn't occured to them Apple might not allow other ebook apps.

As their clear embracing of DRM with the iPad shows, it wasn't Apple's idea to cut DRM from iTunes, EMI forced them into it. Said that for a long time.

I understand your obvious stance about Apple, but I've seen no proof Apple didn't drive cutting DRM from music on their own. I'm interested to read your reasoning.

No one asked, but here is mine: :p

Apple cares about selling more iPods/iPhones/iPads. Whether content has DRM or not doesn't change that. An iPod still plays music if it has DRM or not. An iPhone plays non-DRMed video, music, and can read non-DRMed books as well.

The industries (music, film, publishing) care very much about DRM.

When Apple first started the iTunes Store, it was to drive sales of the iPod. They had no clout, and no power over the music industry. They accepted DRM readily as a requirement, because they didn't have a choice. Once the iTunes Store gained popularity, Apple suddenly had clout, and power, and could dictate terms.One of those terms was removing DRM. Why did the music industry allow it?
1) Apple had power they didn't have before. 2) The music industry wanted something Apple didn't want-variable pricing. They traded-Apple got DRM-free music, the industry got variable pricing. Which tells me, at least, that it was Apple driving the removal of DRM, from music.

That is how I see things occurring, based on the evidence I've seen. If you have proof of events happening otherwise, I am interested in seeing it.

So yes, yes, but what about MOVIES? what about BOOKS? Huh? HUH??? They are EMBRACING DRM!!

I know its difficult to believe, but there are different industries. Apple has no leverage over publishers (yet), and has no leverage over film/TV studios (yet). So, they are back to where they are with movies and books as they were with music at the beginning.

Do they CARE about DRM on this content? I think what they care about, is selling more iPods/iPhones/iPads. I think the film and book publishers care very much about DRM still, and won't let Apple remove DRM. So Apple can either accept what the film and book publishers terms are (for now), or not offer anything at all.

Is that a different interpretation of events than anyone else has? I mean, not colored by an obvious distaste for anything with an Apple logo? Has any other major consumer hardware company managed to make DRM free deals with film/TV/publishing? Microsoft? Asus? Acer? Amazon?

I just think there is a huge difference between accusing a company of "embracing DRM", instead of just seeing that they do what they have to to play by the rules of someone else (in this case, the publishers)

Kindle 2 sales would not be affected by this iPad. I will no way bring this iPad to my bed to read the novels. But there is a problem with Kindle DX since it is targeted to bring text- and tech- books to customers (as Amazon has distributed Kindle DX to some universities), but iPad is just far better than DX in displaying such books and plus 10 bucks only. Therefore I suppose any similar attempts (10-inch ereaders) would not be successful this year and later on.

Any thoughts?

One can only hope that the pricing of the larger devices comes down. I don't see how they will be able to compete otherwise. All of a sudden paying more than $500 for a 9-10inch e-ink reader sounds expensive.

Never mind

The iPad is not a dedicated e-book reader; it obviously isn't designed to be one. But it could still take some market share from other readers, especially if the e-book producers make, or okay, iPad apps for e-book reading (as, for instance, Amazon has already said it plans to do).

What I see out of this device is hardware good for digital magazines and other periodicals, especially those with color. Magazine publishers and textbook makers have so far been frustrated by the current greyscale e-book readers, and hoping for a color device to give them the entry into the portable digital media market that they want. The iPad may be exactly what some of them are looking for.

It's been my feeling for years that creating a portable digital market for magazines and other color-enabled texts would get more Americans into digital reading than novels have so far... specialty and theme magazines, especially, are a major and so-far largely untapped market for portable digital media. Further, enabling owners to be able to "clip and save" select portions of magazines and discard the rest, would create a digital scrapbook that could be hugely popular with the public (Personal plug: I described this in my novel Chasing the Light (http://www.stevejordanbooks.com/novels/light.htm)).

iPad looks like just the kind of hardware needed for the e-scrapbook software I described (though I can tell from descriptions that screen resolution could use some improvement).

At any rate, if people buy the iPad for reading digital magazines and similar content, or for that matter any other media, they will most likely use it to read the occasional e-book, too... especially if it is easy enough to get e-books for their device. An iPad-optimized e-book portal combined with e-book reading apps could, therefore, bring a lot of new readers to the "e" side. Those who won't buy dedicated devices will use a device they already use for other things, because... well, they have it. The same way I use my PDA for reading e-books, and other people use cellphones, a purpose for which they were not originally purchased, but which they handle admirably.

And there's every reason to expect some owners of dedicated devices will decide the iPad is actually more in line with what they want, and will abandon the dedicated devices in favor of a multi-use, multi-media device.

Um, it's pretty darn clear what happened. It was EMI's hail mary pass. They missed, but took out eBook DRM as collateral damage. It's notable that only EMI were in at first (and I won't go into the long winded explanation, but EMI are probably the company in big music most insulated from direct pressure, even if only marginally - it's not really believable they caved in first and separately!) and with a higher price.

Apple like DRM because it ties you into their infrastructure.

Apple love control, and DRM is a form of control. End of story, afaik - their using their own propitiatory DRM for ePub was sadly predictable - they get their PR, and they get their control. I'm going to be VERY interested in their pricing, and I bet iBooks dosn't come to the PC anytime soon either.



So you believe if Apple had their way, all iTunes music would still have DRM. But the record industry forced them to remove it. Is that a fair assessment?

Never mind

I agree with those posting here that the iPad has a good chance to have more of an impact on the Periodical market going wireless, electronic and essentially being saved.
OK, but why would you pay for an electronic version of a magazine, when you're walking around with a fully functional web browser, and can access the periodical content -- and competing content, like blogs -- for free?

It may be easier to read periodical content on an iPad, but I'm not convinced that a lot of people are going to pay extra for the privilege -- or at least, not enough to "save" the industry.

Well, GQ managed to sell 7,000 copies of their November issue as an iPhone app, and twice that for December, so there's a market and the question is where the ceiling is after the novelty factor wears off.

I can see people switching from paper subscriptions to electronic for this --- an interesting question will be how advertising in such are handled.

William

I think with time iPad will do for Magazines, Newspapers, textbooks, technical manuals, coffee table books (will these be called coffee table pads ?) and most importantly comics what the Kindle did for books

Never mind

txtr have a brief entry announcing an iPad app on their blog. With support for drm'ed epubs and pdf's. Just like their iphone app.

Kobo and txtr are either extremely optimistic, haven't thought about the possibly of their apps being denied or they know something we don't ;)

I think that everything changes quickly and trying to predict what the situation will be in a year, much less 5 or 10 years, is hopeless. Clearly, within a couple years, Amazon and others will be able to respond with color touch displays that will have battery lives way better than the iPad's LCD. In turn, the iPad and similar devices may go to OLED, also more efficient but very bright and responsive.

We can predict all we want, but really will just need to wait and see. Too many variables here to make any kind of reliable prediction.

Will I buy an iPad? The jury is still out on that one. I will wait for more details. I am pretty sure that other DRM content will not be allowed on the iPad because it makes no sense given Apple's history on this sort of thing. What I am waiting to see is whether iBook will read non-DRM content like BAEN or public domain. I would suggest that it will since Apple will not want to lock users out of the huge number of public domain books and their publisher partners probably do not feel threatened by either public domain or publishers like BAEN.

Overall, the reactions (not so much here - for some reason Mobileread users seem to be somewhat more sane <G>) have been the same as to most new high profile products. There are the folks that love it. There are the folks who (like me) tend to say "wait and see". Then there are the usual "this stinks and I hate it" folks who are VERY LOUD and often somewhat obnoxious. Devices change - people don't.....

IMHO, what will make or break the device is not so much books, most of which work well on e-paper readers, but newspapers and magazines (which do not). It will be interesting to see what publications sign on before launch. Given the recent financial failure of the paper versions of many publications, the newspaper and magazine publishers pretty much have to embrace this and other similar devices. It is that or cease to exist.

Never mind

Bluntly, I'd count on optimism. Apple have not been shy about shafting entire categories of apps before or ones from big names. Given the fact that the app conversion won't be a ton of work (a few days I'd be thinking), it's really, really not a big gamble.

I tend to agree, I'm also trying to be optmistic since I quite like the device. Mainly for it's comic book potential rather than ebooks. But if they don't allow 3rd part ebook readers (or allow non-drm'ed ebooks to be viewed in iBook) even with comics it'll be a no sale here.

OK, but why would you pay for an electronic version of a magazine, when you're walking around with a fully functional web browser, and can access the periodical content -- and competing content, like blogs -- for free?

It may be easier to read periodical content on an iPad, but I'm not convinced that a lot of people are going to pay extra for the privilege -- or at least, not enough to "save" the industry.

The problem with accessing the web content is that you need to be online to do it, and that is not always possible (or desirable). Downloadable and save-able content is preferable to online content, especially if you have some control over what parts you save or discard (thereby not wasting memory).

People who presently have magazine subscriptions, or purchase the magazines, but appreciate the advantages of going digital (not the least of which is cutting down on paper consumption), will be more willing to pay for digital content--especially if the downloadable magazines have exclusive content that isn't on a free website.

Again, my bet is disallowing other people's apps. They've proven quite unresponsive to criticism about this sort of thing in the past...

Hey, if they want to do it that way, that's fine. Now that the genie is out of the bottle, soon we can expect a competing device that will have more flexibility than Apple, like an Android device, and people will get their desired apps anyway.

Note: According to TeleRead, Kobo has announced an iPad app in development, too.

Now that the genie is out of the bottle, soon we can expect a competing device that will have more flexibility than Apple, like an Android device, and people will get their desired apps anyway.


How did the genie only get out of the bottle yesterday? Why do you think its only now we can soon expect such a device?

Never mind

How did the genie only get out of the bottle yesterday? Why do you think its only now we can soon expect such a device?

like this http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/msis-10-inch-tablet-launching-this-year-at-500-patently-ignor/


that is much better use of 500$ then the apple product I think.
its got things.. like mutitasking/flash soon/ open evro/usb slots
that make it more usfull to me.

How did the genie only get out of the bottle yesterday? Why do you think its only now we can soon expect such a device?

I only meant that Apple's announcement now confirms the iPad's actual configuration, and therefore exactly what everyone else will be competing against. Like it or not, competitors and customers will be measuring other devices against the iPad.

The reason I said "soon" is because I know competitors are already working on devices of their own. Now that they'll see iPad's strengths and weaknesses, we can expect some of them to directly address those points.

OK, but why would you pay for an electronic version of a magazine, when you're walking around with a fully functional web browser, and can access the periodical content -- and competing content, like blogs -- for free?

It may be easier to read periodical content on an iPad, but I'm not convinced that a lot of people are going to pay extra for the privilege -- or at least, not enough to "save" the industry.

Yeah I don't think it would save the industry.

But I'd probably do it. For instance I had a Newsweek sub last year. I read every issue pretty much cover to cover. I've tried reading online since it ran out (will probably renew soon) and I barely read a 10th as much. It's just not the same experience, you can't find every article as easily as you can just reading front to back as the site has so many layers and there aren't that many stores linked to on the front page of the site etc.

I agree though, that people who won't pay for paper subscriptions won't pay for electronic subscriptions in great numbers either, so I don't see it saving the industry.

I only meant that Apple's announcement now confirms the iPad's actual configuration, and therefore exactly what everyone else will be competing against. Like it or not, competitors and customers will be measuring other devices against the iPad.

The reason I said "soon" is because I know competitors are already working on devices of their own. Now that they'll see iPad's strengths and weaknesses, we can expect some of them to directly address those points.


I think it's a good thing. Especially that the iPad touts a 10 hour battery life, a $499 price tag for the basic model, has a great screen etc.

There are lots of things that need added for me to by one--stylus writing, multi tasking, maybe a screen ration closer to 16:9 to be better for movies than 4:3 etc.

But Apple has set the bar high with what this tablet can do for $499, so I'm really eager to see what competitors put out. If they want to have a chance against Apple's market and following, they'll have to match it and add improvements without driving up price or driving battery life down.

I only meant that Apple's announcement now confirms the iPad's actual configuration, and therefore exactly what everyone else will be competing against. Like it or not, competitors and customers will be measuring other devices against the iPad.

The reason I said "soon" is because I know competitors are already working on devices of their own. Now that they'll see iPad's strengths and weaknesses, we can expect some of them to directly address those points.

Yeah, I'm hoping a lot of these companies are and have been working on their own "magical" experiences, and won't let what Apple showed yesterday change their vision. (Although the price thing will definitely resonate).

Why do you think so? Apple dropped DRM from iTunes - why should they introduce DRM into iBooks?

Martin

Same reason Amazon rolled out their music store DRM free (complete with anti-authoritarian t-shirts (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2332/2179634796_5ba0bf2e10.jpg)!) and then locked their books to the Kindle.

As others have pointed out, they're rolling DRM on their books and not offering ADEPT support. That is a giant step back for e-publishing and may be the biggest ripple this causes (on the relatively small market to which all those on these fora subscribe, anyway). :furious2:

After all, Apple is new to the market and has to play by their rules.

Indeed a good point - and I expect so as well. Only it does not warrant the word "draconian" as used in the original post.

Of course I hope they go to use ADE. Not because it is cracked but because it already almost standard for everybody ∉ Amazon corporation.

But I read the first posting that this might not be the case :smack: .

Martin

As others have pointed out, they're rolling DRM on their books and not offering ADEPT support.

We can only hope it is hacked quickly so we can exchange our ePUB freely. That's freely among my devices, not freely as in piracy.

Martin

The problem with accessing the web content is that you need to be online to do it, and that is not always possible (or desirable). Downloadable and save-able content is preferable to online content....
Seems to me the whole point of this device is to be connected a fair amount of the time. Since GQ's estimated circulation is close to 800,000 -- and 7,000 paid downloads @ $3 each is only around $21k in revenues, some of which goes to Apple -- those aren't exactly impressive numbers, certainly not enough to declare the industry as "saved." I'd imagine that browsing a magazine via Safari etc on the iPad will be much more satisfying than on an iPhone. And magazine publishers will be SOL if Instapaper actually catches on. (It might not though, since that is a somewhat geeky extra.)

Newspapers saw dollar signs when the Kindle DX came out, but I think they've gotten a little more down-to-earth since then. The only substantial way to entice users to subscribe en masse is to erect paywalls on the website, which presents its own series of difficulties.

You've benchmarked the processor already?

Don't need to. I can read technical articles. The shiny new processor is basically an ARM Cortex A9 system on a chip with a slower graphics system than Nvidia provides for the Ion. . Basically a cell phone processor. So slow. No matter how much you want to twist and turn. It's still slow.

Another reason it can't be anything but slow is the fact that it uses a nine point something IPS LCD panel. Very nice, but a bit power hungry. And excluding some incredible new battery technology that Apple invented and kept to themselves, a 10 hour battery fitting into a device of that size demands that the rest of the machine be as power sipping as possible. So no big powerful processor, no huge storage, no large amounts of memory, no big graphics subsystem.

So tell me.. Why would I need to read a benchmark on a device with already published specifications.

People have been discussing the merits and drawbacks of an ARM based sub netbook for months. Most are saying it will be too slow to be worth using. Now they can find out. Before they fill that gigantic 16 gig of storage on a single tasking system.

:rofl:

Student textbook readers and homework devices. Yep. A school district could make them mandatory for all students from grade school up. :D

Derek
And the blind will sue.

Amazon's stock didn't seem to mind the announcement. I'm guessing maybe its more a validation than a threat, at this stage.

But B&N's stock took a dive for some reason.

B&N just doesn't get it is why.

I rescind all my earlier predictions. This thing will do absolutely nothing for ebooks, not a single damned thing. I doubt it'll do anything for tablets either, or Apple. Too much sizzle and not enough steak :)

I think the iPad will harm sales of the Kindle DX big time. Other large screen readers are going to be in trouble too.

OK, but why would you pay for an electronic version of a magazine, when you're walking around with a fully functional web browser, and can access the periodical content -- and competing content, like blogs -- for free?

It may be easier to read periodical content on an iPad, but I'm not convinced that a lot of people are going to pay extra for the privilege -- or at least, not enough to "save" the industry.

There were articles on the web before the iPad came out that some of that free periodical content MAY be drying up in the future. Specifically the articles were talking about the New York Times and when contacted the NYT representative dodged the question. This was on engadget or gizmodo.

I intend to purchase an iPad. Once that is in my possession I intend to subscribe to New York Times. The goal is to use the New York Times 'reader' software they have (uses Adobe AIR technology - whatever that is); hopefully that NYT Reader will be up and working for the iPad. The NYT presentation at the Apple Event made use of this Reader software.

Anyway the history of the New York Times has been to pull some content off the web, put it back on, etc - I really do not know where the NYT is at today (whether 100% of the print edition is available free online or not).

Going to go with those here on the Forums who point out Apple gets most of its revenue
http://gizmodo.com/5457420/apple-the-iphone-company
from hardware. Which is to say I am not really seeing Steve's minions declaring, "Hi. Remember that Barnes and Noble Application we carried and let you read your Barnes and Noble eBooks on your iPhone - well we removed it for our new Multimedia Device. Just not a good fit."

No. I really can't see a hardware company removing something they have already approved, which is not hardware, so as to lower the functionality of their new hardware release. You tend to scare off customers for your $700 multimedia hardware pulling stunts like that.

Some of the postings, when combined on this forum, are a bit schizophrenic - the claim the iPad is not a good eReader device and is not really intended to be such, then the claim that Apple wants the eBook market all to themselves with restrictive DRM. I am in the camp the Apple DRM exists right now to support the iBookStore launch to support the hardware device. This to give Apple customers who do not want a headache from traipsing through the DRM/format eBook minefield (and all of you know what a confusing mess that is right now).

Do not really understand where some of you are coming from stating the Apple is a heavy device. It is one and a half pounds. I weighed a physical copy of the Complete Works of Shakespeare last night and it came in at almost three times the weight.

This is a problem for Apple. If they allow readers for ADE-ePub or AZW/MOBI, then they're going to slash - dramatically - the market for iBooks. Very few readers are going to put up with Apple's own DRM...

Again, my bet is disallowing other people's apps. They've proven quite unresponsive to criticism about this sort of thing in the past...


kjk - That's precisely it. Heck, in the UK Play.com started selling DRM-free MP3's, and Apple rushed through it's UK agreement in response (indeed, it actually broke the UK store with a bad update it had to pull and put back up a day later, fixed).


My own bet is that Apple the hardware company cares very little for the long term viability of iBooks.
http://gizmodo.com/5457420/apple-the-iphone-company

Maybe in the US. iBooks is only available in US of A ... Fail for me.
It will not spell the end of e-ink screens (IMO) so long as it's backlit and it has battery life <10 hrs.

Among other features that iPad doesn't have (http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/12-key-features-the-ipad-lacks-20100128-n1ae.html):

1. iBooks is initially US-only
2. No built-in camera
3. No USB ports
4. No memory card read
5. Keyboard dock sold separately
6. No multi-tasking
7. No Adobe Flash support
8. Can only run Apple-sanctioned apps
9. Can only access iTunes videos and music
10. Lacks HDMI port
11. Screen is 4:3 aspect ratio, not 16:9 widescreen

12. No full GPS support

And when the Kindle DX came out, it could do even less. Still does less now.

Nothing.

It's a netbook with a slower processor and no keyboard.

It's no netbook.


Netbooks run full a OS. The iPad runs a stripped down version of the Mac OS that only allows for Safari-based apps to run.
Netbooks have useful ports (USB, flash card reader, monitor port), I didn't notice any of these on the iPad. Forget about using iPad for presentations unless Apple sells an expensive add-on.
Netbooks don't restrict which apps you install, the iPad allows only Apple approved apps.
Netbooks can run multiple apps similtaneously, the iPad can't.
Netbooks usually have a webcam, I didn't notice one on the iPad.
Netbooks can be used by professionals to get their jobs done, I serious doubt the iPad will be very useful at the office or home office.
Netbooks can exchange universal file types with other computers, but don't expect a true file system with the iPad.
Netbooks are full blown computers, iPads are just larger iPod touches that look pretty.

Are you kidding? It is not about hardware. The question was what will it do for eBook pricing and availability.

And I still say .. Nothing..

Hardware defines what the software can do. The iPhone OS may very well be cut to the bone, but unless computers have changed a great deal, you still need to have a given amount of power to do a given amount of work in a given amount of time. So the single application that this device can run will be limited to what power is available. Plenty of oomph for an e-book reader(My Cybook only has a 400Mhz processor), but not so much for a word processor or for opening a graphics heavy PDF or whatever.

It will do a great things. It will add a huge buying force for books in another store. It will open more doors for eBooks, acceptance, standardization and will create more competition!!!

And end world hunger and fix global warming.. and make all right with the world. Sorry.. I don't swallow it. How will it add huge buying force when every book will more than likely come from the Apple iTunes store? A subset of already available books that are easily bought elsewhere.

PLUS it will single-handedly bring more users to ebooks than are here now.

Would these be the e-book users that balk at paying $200 for an e-book reader? In which case they will certainly be forming lines around the block for one two and a half times the price. And paying for PD books in app form.. Hell.. I bet they will all buy three. And the case and the keyboard,and half a dozen docking stations, and the USB dongle and the SD card dongle, and the lunch box.

This device is going to sell millions!! And will likely sell many millions of ebooks. More authors and publishers will be forced to include their works as eBooks.

No doubt. But millions are not really that big any more. And of those millions, how many will use it mostly as a video watching device or a web surfing device? It might get the text book mob to finally shut up about e-ink being rubbish, but if the video I saw today is anything to go by, the page turn animation takes about as much time as the screen blanking update on my Cybook.

As I mentioned in another post you will likely see e-Ink go away. It won't be very fast but unless e-ink and the current eReader manufacturers can drive the prices down to the magic sub-$100 category, the color and backlighting is going to be very hard stay away from.

I thought that was supposed to be PixelQi.. The great e-ink killer from the last few months? And all the other new and yet to be released technologies that were the death of the e-ink reader.

Slight flaw with your prediction.. Despite the iPod being available for ten years or so, lots of other players are freely available on the market. Some have little LCD non backlit displays, some are memory stick shaped, some have video, some even surf the web. iProducts have not, despite the assurances of Apple fans, taken over.

You may very well be wetting your self in anticipation of a colour device, but to be perfectly honest, I'm not planning to buy one for at least another three years. At which time, I'll go for another non backlit device if at all possible. And I think there are enough like minded people to keep e-book readers selling well enough to make a profit.

You should also guess that within 1 year from today there will be at least 6-12 more color tablets hit the market and then the prices will fall. Most of the tablet people will read some books on it even if the main draw is web and other media.


Oh I'm not going to guess. Because I already know. There are quite a few ARM based sub-netbooks on the horizon. I'll be watching very closely. I'm hoping someone brings out at least one with a 7 inch wide screen clamshell design. Just right for replacing my PDA. With a custom Linux OS and a nice little community around it. And I very much doubt any will have e-ink. Colour or not.

If they are smart, many will be tablets. this is where the Linux netbooks went wrong. No imagination in the form factor design,so people expected little laptops, and expected the little laptops to run Windows. But these sub-netbooks, no matter the form factor, will be much cheaper and possibly faster than Apple's over priced sales device. With any luck, it might even give Adobe the nudge to port it's e-book software to Linux.

What they will be very likely to be is a quarter the price of the iPad. And will sell just about everywhere as cheap portable computers that can do useful stuff as well as play Youtube and other flash video streaming sites, and have removable storage. Some with wifi, some with 3G. It's all good.

It is so NOT about hardware or feeds-and-speeds.

No.. You are absolutely right. It's about marketing and shiny things and stupid people who buy a brand instead of a device. Nike have been sucking money from them for years. :D

But it's also about being fit for purpose. And I don't want to read my novels on a backlit screen, and I certainly don't want to spend nearly £500 for one.

http://blog.kobobooks.com/

Kobo obviously isn't iBooks, but they seem pretty confident they'll have an app for iPad. Either they know they'll be allowed on the platform or it hasn't occured to them Apple might not allow other ebook apps..

Don't forget that there is already the txtr app that uses Adobe's DRM.

Actually, according to Adobe (http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplatform...oken_link.html) the ipad will use a non adobe epub drm! Thus it is to be expected that other applications which allow the reading of adobe epub will be removed...

an excerpt:

"[...]Unlike many other ebook readers using the ePub file format, consumers will not be able to access ePub content with Apple's DRM technology on devices made by other manufacturers.[...]"

cheers,

kaas

Netbooks are full blown computers,


I wouldn't say full blown. Their gimped computers, but have a full OS.

The lack of HD video--or decent video at all on most Netbooks--keeps them from being a full-blown computer/laptop. Along with other power deficiencies.

At least the iPad can do HD video, 3D games etc. Which is a lot of what I'd want to use a personal internet/multimedia machine like a netbook or tablet for.

I'll always have a laptop provided by my work for my real computing needs at home. Just need something else for reading, video watching etc. to save wear and tear, threat of viruses etc. on the work laptop.

Actually, according to Adobe (http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplatform...oken_link.html) the ipad will use a non adobe epub drm! Thus it is to be expected that other applications which allow the reading of adobe epub will be removed...

an excerpt:

"[...]Unlike many other ebook readers using the ePub file format, consumers will not be able to access ePub content with Apple's DRM technology on devices made by other manufacturers.[...]"

cheers,

kaas

Well that depends entirely on Apple. They've been alot less strict recently when it comes to apps, they've also had some bad publicy on more than one occasion when it comes to app approval. People know about the kindle on iPhone app and will be expecting it on the iPad.

I also don't think they'll be expecting to pull in much money at all with eBooks. Music and video will continue to be the main focus I think with support for magazines and books thrown in to keep the publishers interested incase the world finally does go print free at some point ;)

So who knows. Personally I'd settle for being able to read drm free epubs (I always strip the drm) in the iBook app but we don't even know if this is possible. It's just a waiting game atm to find out.

Never mind

No.. You are absolutely right. It's about marketing and shiny things and stupid people who buy a brand instead of a device. Nike have been sucking money from them for years. :D



Okay, going to modify my prediction for iPad versus eBooks.

Though said in jest I think John is correct - the marketing and the shiny thing (the iPad) WILL sell and it will open up new business opportunities for consumption of text media on devices that are bigger than an iPhone, have more functionality than a Kindle, are not quite a Netbook.

So what the iPad does is connect to the "cloud" (hate that term) and has the POTENTIAL to burrow a shortened path from the publisher to the reader. So my prediction is that eBooks (and books) will change over time once these devices become more common:
o authors will contact their publisher(s) and will hand over shortened manuscripts (a book like the 17 chapter Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone will become a 6 chapter book)
o authors won't take six months to a year to write a book - they will be expected to turn around the next 'book' in a series in two to three months
o publishers will have a stable of artists who crank out colored art to be included in these electronic-only, shortened 'books'.

So not only will you see immediate release of new 'books' for these devices you will not even see the book anywhere near a physical press.

Reasoning:
You have already seen it happen with video rental stories (direct to DVD movies) and it has already happened with video games ('snackable' category of video games).


So the prediction is...
more electronic books, of shorter length, and the text word has to give way some to make room for illustrations. Books delivered over the internet to your ASUS or APPLE or whatever device you prefer. Bookstores take it even more on the chin.

This is my prediction for eBooks thanks to the iPad. The phrase "curl up with a good book" will survive, but the understanding is you are not curling up with your printed book, nor are your curling up with your Kindle (okay, some of the readers here on these Forums will still be doing such but you will be in the minority). Also you will not be curled up for hours and hours and hours.

Once iPad version 5 gets beefier I would expect the illustrations might have to make way for short, short animations - like Harry Potter playing 'football' on his broom or some such.

Once this trend begins and the "new media" starts to flow the device category hardware will become even more desirable because that is the only way the left-out-in-the-cold consumer can be part of the latest "Harry Potter" release. So sort of a chicken-and-egg synergy at work.

My apology if someone else made this prediction on this thread and I missed it. Would not mind you referencing your post so I could go back and read it, if this happened.

*** EDIT ***
ALSO, for Reasoning, you have also already seen this happen with Music. I recall reading Albums don't sell so well any more, it is the sales of the individual songs slowly surpassing those of the entire album.

I have heard the music publishers hate this trend.

The iPad will make it impossible to read ebooks in full sunlight.

And the blind will sue.

No doubt. But then, the blind sue over there not being built-in Braille support on the average PC, so what's your point? And there's nothing stopping them from buying the keyboard dock for it... :D

Derek

Very simply it will do a couple of things...
- Put an e-reader device into the hands of more people
- Give magazine publishers a nice color platform for their magazines
- Get casual magazine readers the perfect device. They will no longer have to buy magazines! That could be a game changer.
- Put pressure on ebook prices, with a new HUGE competitor in the market place.

The iPad will make it impossible to read ebooks in full sunlight.

Could probably turn down the backlighting to get it readable.

Non issue for me as I hate the outdoors and can't recall the last time I did any reading outside in direct sunlight anyway.

Seems to me the whole point of this device is to be connected a fair amount of the time.

Not sure about that myself... after all, it's coming out with a wireless AND a 3G version (for $130 more). Wireless suggests connectivity when convenient, and still functional at other times. Not every task requires always-on connectivity.

Yeah, there's no reason to leave the wifi on all the time if you're just reading, using apps that don't need it, watching videos stored on the device rather than streaming online etc.

Connectivity is a draw, but there's no reason you can't turn off the WiFi and/or 3G when you don't need it to save battery life.

The iPad will make it impossible to read ebooks in full sunlight.

I live in Florida where it is already impossible to read physical books in full sunlight and quite foolish to do so for an hour or more.

It's no netbook.


Netbooks run full a OS. The iPad runs a stripped down version of the Mac OS that only allows for Safari-based apps to run.
snipped for brevity


My apologies. I should have said cut down sub-netbook.

It's no netbook.


Netbooks run full a OS. The iPad runs a stripped down version of the Mac OS that only allows for Safari-based apps to run.


Not arguing with your list, as most of the complaints are fairly valid... but this one is an error, yes? The OS is stripped down, but last time I checked, there were plenty of apps that weren't Safari-based available for the iPhone.

Not arguing with your list, as most of the complaints are fairly valid... but this one is an error, yes? The OS is stripped down, but last time I checked, there were plenty of apps that weren't Safari-based available for the iPhone.

That was a limitation back before the SDK 2 years ago...native applications have been around for a while, now.

That was a limitation back before the SDK 2 years ago...native applications have been around for a while, now.

Yes, I know. :)

I'd prefer an iPad nano - same functionality but the size of my Sony PRS 500 :)

it'll come.

I think they call it the iPod.

Yeah, I know. Not really. But I couldn't resist.

- Put pressure on ebook prices, with a new HUGE competitor in the market place.

If Jobs has his way, put pressure up on e-book prices (to the tune of around 50% more).

Never mind

Evidence for that?

Apple wanting to drive e-book prices up? Hardly a secret, they want to move the price point up to 14.99 from Amazon's 9.99, they've said so repeatedly. Here's the Wall Street Journal on it: Apple's business model for books, which the company has kept under tight wraps, shifts the focus away from the bargain-basement prices Amazon has made popular, according to publishers that have met directly with the company. Apple is asking publishers to set two e-book price points for hardcover best sellers: $12.99 and $14.99 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703906204575027503731077976.html).

The same article notes "The Apple model would bring in less revenue per title for publishers and authors...But there is nevertheless a strong draw: In adopting the Apple model, the balance of power would shift at least partly back to publishers, which regain control of pricing. In setting higher prices, they could provide a level playing field for all e-book retailers." (emphasis mine).

Never mind

A year ago, Jobs went on about how eBooks didn't make sense. Now he's come out with a device he says will do the Kindle one better. I've never understood why tablet computers didn't sell well and am excited about the iPad. I don't think it'll kill the Kindle. But I do think it'll expand the market, get more publishers and readers on-board the eReading trend, and offer another option for reading.

I think the Kindle/Nook's wireless access is a big deal and don't see paying $20 a month or so for wireless on an iPad. Then again, I hate the subscription model (pay even if you're not using it).

Anyway, welcome Apple, to the world we've been playing in for a decade or more.

Rob Preece
Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com

Because we happen to believe that e-ink is good technology but will not be around come 2015.
You may be right, but e-ink won't be replaced by a backlit LCD screen for reading.

When the next generation Ipad comes out and it is finally using a 3rd generation (not yet available) epaper screen I might try it.

A year ago, Jobs went on about how eBooks didn't make sense. Now he's come out with a device he says will do the Kindle one better. I've never understood why tablet computers didn't sell well and am excited about the iPad. I don't think it'll kill the Kindle. But I do think it'll expand the market, get more publishers and readers on-board the eReading trend, and offer another option for reading.

I think the Kindle/Nook's wireless access is a big deal and don't see paying $20 a month or so for wireless on an iPad. Then again, I hate the subscription model (pay even if you're not using it).

Anyway, welcome Apple, to the world we've been playing in for a decade or more.

Rob Preece
Publisher, www.BooksForABuck.com

I thought he said no one reads so apple wont be looking at launching a product for the ebook market?

I dont think the iPad is an Ereader. it can be used to do ereading but so can the touch and iPhone.

$12.99 and $14.99 seem like a fair price to me for a new book, in the keynote they showed a couple of paperbacks at $4.99(twilight and lovely bones I believe) so $14.99 dropping to $4.99 seems reasonable to me.

If Jobs has his way, put pressure up on e-book prices (to the tune of around 50% more).
Maybe Apple just didn't want to get in the fight Amazon and the book industry have over the 9.99$ price. It's not something the publishers are very fond of; some have even put their eBook releases on hold because of that.

I can hardly imagine Jobs saying: ”Whutt, 10 bucks is way to cheap! Let's make it more expensive for no apparent reason!” Apple fought very long to get the price of music down to .99$ a song and eventually they lost and had to price chart music higher (1.29$).

As long as they don't include DRM in their ebooks I don't mind the 12-14.99 price tag for hardcover bestsellers.

Apple wanting to drive e-book prices up? Hardly a secret, they want to move the price point up to 14.99 from Amazon's 9.99, they've said so repeatedly. Here's the Wall Street Journal on it: Apple's business model for books, which the company has kept under tight wraps, shifts the focus away from the bargain-basement prices Amazon has made popular, according to publishers that have met directly with the company. Apple is asking publishers to set two e-book price points for hardcover best sellers: $12.99 and $14.99 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703906204575027503731077976.html).

The same article notes "The Apple model would bring in less revenue per title for publishers and authors...But there is nevertheless a strong draw: In adopting the Apple model, the balance of power would shift at least partly back to publishers, which regain control of pricing. In setting higher prices, they could provide a level playing field for all e-book retailers." (emphasis mine).

The question is if the iPad owners will be happy with paying $5 bucks more for the same book, seems to me users will just use the Kindle app (if available) on there iPad and thereby support Amazons pricing indirectly.

As long as they don't include DRM in their ebooks I don't mind the 12-14.99 price tag for hardcover bestsellers.

They're not only including DRM, they're including their own DRM, which isn't compatible with anybody else's DRM.

The question is if the iPad owners will be happy with paying $5 bucks more for the same book, seems to me users will just use the Kindle app (if available) on there iPad and thereby support Amazons pricing indirectly.

Which is why I'm currently betting against the Kindle/Kobo/B&N/anybody else apps being allowed to run on the iFap.

Which is why I'm currently betting against the Kindle/Kobo/B&N/anybody else apps being allowed to run on the iFap.

Apple would only be shooting itself in the foot by refusing to allow apps from major corporations that are already demanding them (and therefore losing income gained through corporate licensing). If they don't allow it, the apps will simply end up on competitive devices (some of which are right around the corner), losing Apple all of that business.

No: Apple will agree to the apps. And at least some of the apps will allow owners to read independently-purchased e-books as well. People unhappy with the iPad arrangement will simply use other hardware and buy elsewhere. So Apple will not control the market, they will simply be one more influential factor among others.

Apple would only be shooting itself in the foot by refusing to allow apps from major corporations that are already demanding them (and therefore losing income gained through corporate licensing).

On the other hand, if they're serious about their e-book strategy as laid out to the publishers (raise ebook prices to 15 bucks for an e-book bestseller, Apple takes a smaller cut of the price) they'd be cutting their own throats to open the device to anybody else. If I can buy the book for $9.99 by clicking 'Kindle', why would I pay 14.99 by clicking 'iBook'?

At this point we just don't have any solid info. Last week, lots of people 'knew' that Apple's e-books would be DRM-free, and the more realistic ones figured they'd be using Adobe DRM. This week we 'know' that they'll be opening the app store to competing bookstore/reading apps. I certainly hope they will, just as I hope that somebody cracks their new DRM quickly, but it's just hope and guesswork at this point.

If you go with the argument that Apple is a hardware company versus a software or an apps company then I can see them allowing all of the reader apps. And if you look at Apple's sales figures, the hardware far outsells the software and the apps. Check out this figure: (http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-apple-the-iphone-company-2010-1)

http://static.businessinsider.com/image/4b5f368b0000000000ed89ca/apple-revenue-by-segment.gif

As you can see Apple makes most of their revenue from hardware sales so it would make sense for them to allow as many apps as possible in order to sell more hardware.

I wonder how much pull the publishers have in this?

Last week, lots of people 'knew' that Apple's e-books would be DRM-free

Oh, come on. Link me to a lot of people who claimed Apple's eBooks would be DRM free. Seriously, I understand your enduring skepticism about Apple. But you don't need to exaggerate to make the point-we get it.

If you go with the argument that Apple is a hardware company versus a software or an apps company then I can see them allowing all of the reader apps. And if you look at Apple's sales figures, the hardware far outsells the software and the apps. Check out this figure: (http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-apple-the-iphone-company-2010-1)

http://static.businessinsider.com/image/4b5f368b0000000000ed89ca/apple-revenue-by-segment.gif

As you can see Apple makes most of their revenue from hardware sales so it would make sense for them to allow as many apps as possible in order to sell more hardware.

I wonder how much pull the publishers have in this?

Hey, I don't see AppleTV in there!

Hey, I don't see AppleTV in there!

Its represented by the grey line running along the bottom.

Hey, I don't see AppleTV in there!

:rofl:

One of the major reasons Microsoft became the dominant force it did is because they realized that growing the market gave them more sales than cornering the market. IOW, they marketed PC's to non-PC users (in the generic sense of PC).

Apple, I think, is attempting the same with the iPad.

Sorry that I'm responding late to this, but I don't have the same opinion that you do Calvin-c. Apple was in the game before Microsoft and the IBM PC and the reason that apple lost was the same reason that (I hope -- no bias here - grin) they will lose the current market.

Apple has always had more polished products because of their tight control of their products. But, as much as people like to bash Microsoft about its closed system, MS's openness is what won it the market. You could buy any hardware from any manufacturer and run windows. There were many more app's available on Windows machines.

When we go to the iphone, the closed system got even tighter because of the restrictive app store approval process. Frankly, Steve Jobs had a telling moment in the interview posted on the net with Mossberg.

Jobs was asked about the comparison of ibooks for the ipod with the Kindle. Jobs defended ibooks and said it was better. I have no problems with that as far as it goes. However, I would have preferred him to say something like this: 'We believe that iBooks will be a superior choice with its interface, book selection and prices; however, the ipad is an open device and we would welcome an upgraded Kindle app customized for the ipad so you can purchase an ipad and have your choice of book reading applications.' Instead, i expect them to do everything they can to squash competition on the ipad.

This is all speculation, but my prediction is that android will be the long term winner in the field because of its openness. I'm watching the same thing I saw with the Apple/Mac versus IBM-Dos/Windows. Android is cruder, there is fragmentation in the Android market, but there is choice. For example, where is the iphone with a keyboard (for my kids)? I believe there will be a Android/Chrome or possibly a Windows7 tablet from (Acer/HTC/HP/Dell/Archos/Toshiba/Samsung/LG/Sony/Hanlin/Netronix/Someone) that is better for me than the single solution from Apple. Although, no doubt, Apple will be near the top.

Reemphasizing that last point, I think that Apple will be at the top, but I don't think that it can always deliver the absolute best from among the dozens of competitors for the next twenty years. A solution, such as Android, that invites participation from many manufacturers will have a better chance of producing a device that satisfies me.

MLH

Great discussion. Seems to me serious readers have either already bought an e-book reader or decided they will never buy one (lots of people in that camp). So I don't see that the people who are going to buy this (and there will be lots of them) are going to massively change the e-book market because, in the main, they aren't book readers. I don't see that the Apple-DRM issue is an issue for these people - the few books they will read they will read only on this device because they won't have any other e-reading hardware or software.

The newspaper/magazine market is interesting. There is a war underway already between those newspapers (like all those owned by Rupert Murdoch) who want to charge for e-access and others (like the Guardian group in the UK) who don't and (in a 3rd camp) those like the BBC who aren't a newspaper but still provide enormous amounts of news and journalism through their licence-fee funded operations. (Time we took steps to stop all those from outside the UK accessing for free stuff I have paid for. :chinscratch:) Until the dust settles on that little conflict no telling what is going to happen to the paid for model which seems to be central to the iPad.

On the hardware front I think its clear that the ipad will force the price of e-readers down. Some of the comparisons made here aren't necessarily valid (the $499 model is clearly limited because of tiny memory and no 3G) but the e-reader makers will respond to avoid their business model being savaged.

It is, though, just an iPod on steroids. I want a device that size (but preferably 16:9) that is a proper computer. But it would have to be significantly better than my netbook to make it worthwhile.

I'm getting more and more curious about this idea of reading technical books and journals etc on e-readers. I've said it elsewhere but as a researcher I find e-readers are useless. You can't flick backwards and forewards between index and main text. You can't stick little labels in pages (different colours to tell me different things). Now - if there was a device that allowed to to mark a section of text and drag it into one of several folders, and take with it any references in this bit of text, and kept with it all referencing material. Then we'd be on a winner - but the market would be tiny. So my e-reader is for novels. But maybe I'm missing something, or just being useless (no surprise :blink:)

As you can see Apple makes most of their revenue from hardware sales so it would make sense for them to allow as many apps as possible in order to sell more hardware.

And yet it seems so many of their design decisions (such as forgoing SD card slots) are driven by content.

(Time we took steps to stop all those from outside the UK accessing for free stuff I have paid for. :chinscratch:)

Already been done (thus the market for VPNs that make Auntie Beeb think one is in the UK).

Sorry that I'm responding late to this, but I don't have the same opinion that you do Calvin-c. Apple was in the game before Microsoft and the IBM PC and the reason that apple lost was the same reason that (I hope -- no bias here - grin) they will lose the current market.
The beginning of the computer industry is absolutely not comparable with today's situation.

Apple has always had more polished products because of their tight control of their products. But, as much as people like to bash Microsoft about its closed system, MS's openness is what won it the market. You could buy any hardware from any manufacturer and run windows. There were many more app's available on Windows machines.
That was not the reason for Microsoft to take over the PC market. Microsoft did not succeed because of so-called ”openness”, but because of clever business strategies. It began when IBM agreed to license Microsoft's not-yet-existent operating system (MS-DOS) instead of buying it, because it wrongly believed that the money was earned with hardware and not with software anyway (there is a very famous quote, don't find it currently). The IBM-PC quickly gained market share through low quality at low prices, not through openness or anything else. It was simply cheaper, partly due to its components and partly due to the competition between PC-clone makers.

The next big hit for Microsoft was to basically give PC manufacturers Windows for free, which led to a market penetration with Windows PCs. Then they abused their monopoly by making adhesion contracts. Again, openness had nothing to do with it. The industry was stupid enough to catch the bait and the costumer didn't really have a chance anyway.

Apple lost market share because it could and would not compete at these low prices.

I'd recommend watching the movie Pirates Of Silicon Valley.

Todays situation is vastly different from then. The main differences are that Microsoft is carefully watched by the EU and other organizations and therefore can't dictate the market anymore as they did in the past; consumers have also (finally) become aware of the often mediocre quality of MS products; and, lastly, Apple products have become much less expensive than they used to be.

Superior ergonomics + good technology + competitive prices = win

This is all speculation, but my prediction is that android will be the long term winner in the field because of its openness. I'm watching the same thing I saw with the Apple/Mac versus IBM-Dos/Windows. Android is cruder, there is fragmentation in the Android market, but there is choice.
That's funny considering that Android has been in the market for some time now and until this day could not gain any significant market share. The future doesn't look any better either, the growth of market share in pretty low. Even the techblog Engadget questions the current situation of Android.

I'm sure it will stay for a long time and will be adopted by several manufacturers (Sony-Ericsson with Rachael being a prominent example), I just don't see it at the top. In the long term I predict the smartphone market to be led by Apple, followed by Palm, and then by Android devices. Google would have to overhaul Android substantially to change this situation. I don't think Windows Mobile can recover from the past years, especially if Microsoft cuts backwards compatibility.

For example, where is the iphone with a keyboard (for my kids)? I believe there will be a Android/Chrome or possibly a Windows7 tablet from (Acer/HTC/HP/Dell/Archos/Toshiba/Samsung/LG/Sony/Hanlin/Netronix/Someone) that is better for me than the single solution from Apple. Although, no doubt, Apple will be near the top.
Apple has never served everyone. They pick out markets they are interested in and ignore the rest. In my opinion that is a better strategy then to flood the stores with ”me-too” products. But obviously because of that, Apple products can't satisfy everyone.

Apple has never served everyone. They pick out markets they are interested in and ignore the rest. In my opinion that is a better strategy then to flood the stores with ”me-too” products. But obviously because of that, Apple products can't satisfy everyone.

Exactly. I think what puzzles/infuriates/irritates people the most about Apple, is their misunderstanding of who Apple designs products for.

Other companies are very concerned about appealing to the widest markets possible, providing any and every possible feature that they think their customers want to use them (Dell's site is a great example).

Apple, at least under Jobs, have always designed the products the way they want to use them.

Indeed a good point - and I expect so as well. Only it does not warrant the word "draconian" as used in the original post.

Of course I hope they go to use ADE. Not because it is cracked but because it already almost standard for everybody ∉ Amazon corporation.

But I read the first posting that this might not be the case :smack: .

Martin

Can't Adobe 'just do' an iPad app version of ADE? This would finesse the need to tether to get content on iPad, or somehow twist Apple's arm to make iPad interoperate with the existing ADE application for win/mac, which I can imagine, will never happen.

Can't Adobe 'just do' an iPad app version of ADE? This would finesse the need to tether to get content on iPad, or somehow twist Apple's arm to make iPad interoperate with the existing ADE application for win/mac, which I can imagine, will never happen.

Hmm... they should be able to. It'd take some work as right now ADE is built on the Air platform (which I don't think they've ported to the iPhone yet). But if Adobe wants to show Apple how it's done in this space, they've got an SDK to do it with.

Excellent idea though.

Can't Adobe 'just do' an iPad app version of ADE?

Absolutely. Problem is, that's the wrong question. Anybody with the coding skills can write any app they want, within the limits of the device. The question is whether or not Apple will let you install and run it, and the answer to that question we probably won't know for another month or two, depending on how fast developers submit apps to Apple for approval and how long it takes before those application applications are approved or rejected.

Can't Adobe 'just do' an iPad app version of ADE? There is already a mobile ADE-based iPhone app. See Get txtr on your iPhone (http://reader.txtr.com/services/iphone-app/), and txtr has announced an iPad version.

I intend to purchase an iPad. Once that is in my possession I intend to subscribe to New York Times. The goal is to use the New York Times 'reader' software they have (uses Adobe AIR technology - whatever that is); hopefully that NYT Reader will be up and working for the iPad. The NYT presentation at the Apple Event made use of this Reader software.


FYI: iPad doesn't run Flash, and therefore AIR. The app shown in the NYT is therefore not AIR-based, but just a regular iPhone SDK app that they're working on.

There is already a mobile ADE-based iPhone app. See Get txtr on your iPhone (http://reader.txtr.com/services/iphone-app/), and txtr has announced an iPad version.

Even better!

Absolutely. Problem is, that's the wrong question. Anybody with the coding skills can write any app they want, within the limits of the device. The question is whether or not Apple will let you install and run it, and the answer to that question we probably won't know for another month or two, depending on how fast developers submit apps to Apple for approval and how long it takes before those application applications are approved or rejected.

The number of apps Apple has rejected is infinitesimal compared to those they have not. Where there are conflicts with 'core functionality', yes, there are barriers. But iBooks is just another iPad app, not core functionality, and they have allowed these things on the iPhone, so I don't see any indication that would change with iPad. But given the opacity of the approval process, I agree that we'll have to wait and see.

Guess what the iPad might bring, is some more peaple e-reading;

Right now, e-reading a still stuff reserved to people reading a lot, some would not pay that much for something you can only read on it.
iPad being a totally differant beast than e-reader will attract different people. Even peaple not reading that much, who, because they've bought an iPad for one of it's other function, will find themselves using it as e-reader, just because they can.

Where there are conflicts with 'core functionality', yes, there are barriers. But iBooks is just another iPad app, not core functionality

Unless you're in charge of app approvals at Apple, that's your opinion. Not to say you're wrong (I hope you're right, in fact), just to say that it's not your call on what is or is not 'core functionality' any more than it is mine.

and they have allowed these things on the iPhone

They never had an iBook app with its own iBookstore either, which may change the picture. It may not, too, but right now we don't know.

In a month or two the txtr app (and the Kobo app, and the Kindle app, and Stanza, and the multitude of other options I haven't mentioned) will, or will not, have been approved. Until we know, I don't think that phrasing opinion as fact is really terribly helpful.

I propose the title of this thread be changed to:

What will e-books do for the iPad

E-books and e-reading in general are much bigger phenomena than the iPad and they will take over people's reading habits, even if Apple never existed.

IMO, the iPad is in far greater need of a reason for existence, than e-books.

I do actually own a Kindle DX. I bought it because I read a lot and I read fast and frankly my thumb could not keep up with my eyes. I also bought if because I have a retinal eye disease and backlight is very hard on my eyes. So, I agree that those of us who have a dedicated ereader to just be able to read aren't going to be the ones interested in the iPad. Even owning a Kindle DX, I do not regret the purchase or wish I waited, in fact, iShrugged. :D:D

What will e-books do for the iPad

E-books and e-reading in general are much bigger phenomena than the iPad and they will take over people's reading habits, even if Apple never existed.

IMO, the iPad is in far greater need of a reason for existence, than e-books.

Agreed... Kinda. It's a two way street, many people have been looking at e-readers recently and will be thrilled that the iPad can operate as an e-reader so will buy one.

At the same time, others will simply be buying this device for games, comics, internet, video or so they can use it to read color cookbooks. Those people will suddenly have an e-reader device and may begin to purchase e-books.

Beneficial both ways. I am particularly looking forward to how companies like Amazon will respond to a $500 color touch screen tablet with the itunes stores distribution power behind it. Products like the Kindle DX (which I own) are effectively dead in the water to all except the most hardcore readers who either hate apple or hate LED backlit screens.

Agreed... Kinda. It's a two way street, many people have been looking at e-readers recently and will be thrilled that the iPad can operate as an e-reader so will buy one.

At the same time, others will simply be buying this device for games, comics, internet, video or so they can use it to read color cookbooks. Those people will suddenly have an e-reader device and may begin to purchase e-books.


What he said. He just described me, a customer in 2010 with a credit card.

I was looking for an eReader in 2010 - but wait! I don't believe Black and White text media is the only thing I am going to want to read in 2011! So instead of a $200 eReader why not take that $200 and use it as part of the payment on a device which does more for 2010 and 2011?

I own a PSP 1000, which in 2009 Sony put a Comics Reader on. I have no need for Comics but the direction that media in general is heading towards is pretty clear. Your media will come to you over the air, it will have color and graphics, some of it will be periodical, and oh - some of it will be text.

Then Apple comes out with the iPad. I have no Apple products right now (except for QuickTime) but the iPad works for me.

I have a 1st generation Kindle, and I love it. The entire time I have had it I have tried to grow it into a work device. As a technical worker I carry (not kidding) forty pounds of manuals with me as I travel around the country. I have tried to work with document readers on my laptop, my iphone, and my kindle to find a way to manage them and use them. I think Apple may have solved that problem with this product.

I am certain that the ebook application will allow other .epub documents, and the iphone OS (which the iPad is running) already has a native PDF viewer, if not the pages application demoed at the keynote will suffice until a better one comes along. That being said this does not replace my kindle. 10" is too big. I do the majority of my reading in bed, and I sure I will find it hard to bring this device with me to curl up with like my small Kindle.

Will the iPad open up ebooks? Absolutely, it will open it up for those documents that are not currently well supported. The Textbook, Newspaper, magazine, and happily my technical manuals. This growth is a good thing, books are like pictures in how they are enjoyed. I am sure they will slowly change from paper to digital just like film moved to digital, however, I it will take a very long time.

This is a good thing

Hey, I don't see AppleTV in there!

people may laugh at the apple tv, but it serves a critical function. it gives you the option of playing anything you have in itunes on the tv. if you know your itunes movies/tv shows can be played on your tv, not just your computer, you're more likely to buy movies/tv shows for your iphone.

I think e-ink screens will be obsoleted within a year (unless we get color and then only if it's implemented well).

If I live that long I will remind you about it ;)

'

Do you think it is possible for you to actually post something without being so insulting to others? I mean, seriously, is it even possible?

Originally Posted by hidari
I predict that Mr. Jobs will sell lots of tablets to people who won't use them much but they will have "a cool' device by Crapple, thus they will be cool and cutting edge.

I happen to agree with hidari.
Probably 1/3 of sales could be attributed to this particular group.

I believe Shaggy and Connallmac summed it up:
I'm not so sure about that. Most people who are in the market for an epaper device specifically aren't interested in LCD. There are already notebook/laptop alternatives to a larger eReader. They chose the eReader because of the display technology. The iPad doesn't change any of that.
Don't forget the battery life issue. We all know that the listed spec of 10 hours is at best an optimistic stretch.

That's it. Nothing to add.

The newspaper/magazine market is interesting. There is a war underway already between those newspapers (like all those owned by Rupert Murdoch) who want to charge for e-access and others (like the Guardian group in the UK) who don't and (in a 3rd camp) those like the BBC who aren't a newspaper but still provide enormous amounts of news and journalism through their licence-fee funded operations.

Mag and newspaper publishers have also been frustrated by the current state of e-book reading devices (especially lack of color), and how badly (in their opinion) it presented their product. They have been screaming for better HW for their magazines, and now that a device is out there, they have something to aim for. Expect a number of magazines to create subscription-based apps for their products, and possibly remove most of the online magazine content to encourage users to subscribe to the apps.

It is, though, just an iPod on steroids. I want a device that size (but preferably 16:9) that is a proper computer. But it would have to be significantly better than my netbook to make it worthwhile.

An iPod on steroids it is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of people who need no more for their daily use than a device like this. And sure, some will not want it because it's not pocketable... but possibly as many others will want it, for exactly the same reason. (Hey, don't know how you're gonna carry it around? I think any woman can tell you... :p) Consider that, and look at how well iPod Touch has done in the market, and I think there's no doubt iPad will do well.

As far as e-books, I agree with others that, once people have these devices, some of them will discover they can now read e-books, and so will try it, possibly for the first time. Some (hopefully many) of those will like the experience, and keep it up. I don't expect the e-book industry to impact iPad sales one way or the other, but I do expect iPad owners to grow the number of e-book reading consumers.

I heartily agree with all 186 posts before me: No one knows the answer, but it is fun trying to be the first to get it right.

I particularly like the suggestion that the thread name could be "what can ebooks do for the iPad?" Either one is appropriate. I don't think either will have any significant impact on the other. I doubt (echo in here, cuz I'm not the first to say any of this) that ebooks will be the primary draw for the majority of iPad purchasers., but I do think a few more folk will learn about ebooks thru iBook hype.

I am excited, tho, to see how things stand in, say, 6 months.

I think the iPad will induce less sleep than the nook did after the waiting period, but I don't expect the iPad will drive Apple's revenues significantly as the previous iGadgets have. It really doesn't appear to be anything actually NEW -- just a lot of old ideas packaged in a pretty new priority wrapper. For the most part, it is the wrapper most people will be buying -- after which they will decide what things inside it will be useful.

Never mind

I admit that I am a confirmed technophile. I have had innumerable mobile phones over the years always searching for the perfect phone for me. I have also been an ebook reader since the days of the Franklin eBook reader and have also been immersed in the perfect eBook reader search. Currently I have three different Sony readers - 500, 505 and 700 - and an iRex. None of these is for me the perfect reader, (the 505 is the best of the batch but the ereader PC software is still such unfriendly rubbish), but the search goes on.

The thing about eBooks is that until very recently the process of acquiring and reading eBooks has never been very simple and straightforward. I have a variety of programs on my PC (mainly sourced from or through this forum) for dealing with the various ebooks I own that I want to get onto my readers, so I have had to have means of removing DRM, changing format etc - you all do this.

Some time ago my wife expressed an interest in getting an eReader, attracted by the concept of having all her reading material on the one small device but after we explored the options, the numerous different readers which supported only certain DRM schemes, the pathetic handling of PDFs etc, she flagged it away as it was just too complicated for her. She was looking for simple, easy trouble free. And at the time it didn't really exist.

Now that is different. I think the iPad is going to be the device that makes it simple for people to acquire and read ebooks. In the same way that Apple made buying music simple, (and my wife is a regular purchaser of iTunes music because it is easy), I believe Apple and the iPad will simplify the process for non technical people to buy and read eBooks.

Now, that will not satisfy the bulk of people on this forum, because forumites tend to be both focused on the best ebook reading experience, as well as being very capable of doing whatever manipulation is necessary to allow them to read their books on the reader of their choice in the format of their choice.

But people like my wife and even my mother-in-law, will find the iPad reading and book acquisition process simple and easy to cope with, because lets face it, Apple is really good at making it easy for the neophyte. And I predict for these people who are not technical in the eBook sense, iPad will open up the eBook world and attract shedloads more people into the eBook experience than would ever be accomplished with the fragmented and technically difficult process we currently go through.

I can definitely see my wife with an iPad and an Apple Bookstore account and I can see her using it extensively.

Just my 2c worth.

Well, it looks like the first thing the iPad has done for eBooks is cause their price to rise from $9.99 to $14.99. Amazon just announced that they have caved to Macmillan's demands to use Apple's pricing structure. Thank you crApple

eventually every ebook will have the Apple symbol on them

Mag and newspaper publishers have also been frustrated by the current state of e-book reading devices (especially lack of color), and how badly (in their opinion) it presented their product. They have been screaming for better HW for their magazines, and now that a device is out there, they have something to aim for. Expect a number of magazines to create subscription-based apps for their products, and possibly remove most of the online magazine content to encourage users to subscribe to the apps.



An iPod on steroids it is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of people who need no more for their daily use than a device like this. And sure, some will not want it because it's not pocketable... but possibly as many others will want it, for exactly the same reason. (Hey, don't know how you're gonna carry it around? I think any woman can tell you... :p) Consider that, and look at how well iPod Touch has done in the market, and I think there's no doubt iPad will do well.

As far as e-books, I agree with others that, once people use these devices, some of them will discover they can now read e-books, and so will try it, possibly for the first time. Some (hopefully many) of those will like the experience, and keep it up. I don't expect the e-book industry to impact iPad sales one way or the other, but I do expect iPad owners to grow the number of e-book reading consumers.

The only thing Apple brings to the tablet game that wasn't there before is the advanced marketing techniques.

The only thing Apple brings to the tablet game that wasn't there before is the advanced marketing techniques.

Well... if their "advanced marketing techniques" can convince consumers to buy digital magazine subscriptions and read them on the iPad...

Mag and newspaper publishers have also been frustrated by the current state of e-book reading devices (especially lack of color), and how badly (in their opinion) it presented their product. They have been screaming for better HW for their magazines, and now that a device is out there, they have something to aim for. Expect a number of magazines to create subscription-based apps for their products, and possibly remove most of the online magazine content to encourage users to subscribe to the apps.



An iPod on steroids it is, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of people who need no more for their daily use than a device like this. And sure, some will not want it because it's not pocketable... but possibly as many others will want it, for exactly the same reason. (Hey, don't know how you're gonna carry it around? I think any woman can tell you... :p) Consider that, and look at how well iPod Touch has done in the market, and I think there's no doubt iPad will do well.

As far as e-books, I agree with others that, once people use these devices, some of them will discover they can now read e-books, and so will try it, possibly for the first time. Some (hopefully many) of those will like the experience, and keep it up. I don't expect the e-book industry to impact iPad sales one way or the other, but I do expect iPad owners to grow the number of e-book reading consumers.

The only thing Apple brings to the tablet game that wasn't there before is the advanced marketing techniques.

Very simply it will do a couple of things...
- Put an e-reader device into the hands of more people
- Give magazine publishers a nice color platform for their magazines
- Get casual magazine readers the perfect device. They will no longer have to buy magazines! That could be a game changer.
- Put pressure on ebook prices, with a new HUGE competitor in the market place.

Probably the wrong forum for me to add this response. But I will anyway...No way magazines will be free. I think the next big move for publishing other than books is to start making revenue away from the web and not giving much of anything for free.

The music and movie guys started the whole DRM mess. Now the newspaper publishers (Murdoch already said it) that they don't want their news items to be free on all of the search engines much longer. Look for more costs added to get and read newspapers. They know this is their saving grace as printed consumption continues to free-fall.

Magazine guys will use this as well. No more freebies on the web. Maybe some tickler stuff in the near future but they want the profits without the costs of printing , distributing and selling.

Jobs already screwed the book reader with his new pricing scheme. Had such an immediate impact that Amazon had to belly up to McMillian's new price model. Amazon tried to take them off for awhile but that didn't work and had to eat crow and now will sell books at a significant increase to all of us.

Duck - because Apple's pricing model greatly favors the publisher. And unless Jobs and Co. figure something out differently in the future, the magazine and newspaper guys are salivating for the opportunity to sell there wares electronically at a hefty price and save all of the costs of printing, distribution, old issues and selling costs.

The music and movie guys started the whole DRM mess.

To be clear: "The whole DRM mess" actually began decades back with software apps, not music and movies. All this is hardly new... nor are the various strategies discussed. And it is important to note that most software apps that apply DRM today (for example, Microsoft, Adobe products) seem to be very effective, very successful, and still very strong sales leaders. So clearly, workable DRM isn't impossible, and it isn't always a mess.

We now return to your regularly scheduled program...

I agree, magazines will not be free. Digital magazines will probably be sold as digital subscriptions or one-time digital purchases, with premium content available only for payers/subscribers, and some enticement (sample) content available for free online (paid for with online ads for other, related products, and of course, for the full digital magazine).

I wouldn't worry about "hefty" prices, though... the consumer is perfectly willing and able to vote with their wallets, and pass on high-priced content... or pay for it, if they are convinced it is worth it. Any magazines that don't hit the right price point will simply adapt, or perish. That's how the market works, and so far, it's worked just fine.

I wouldn't worry about "hefty" prices, though... the consumer is perfectly willing and able to vote with their wallets, and pass on high-priced content... or pay for it, if they are convinced it is worth it. Any magazines that don't hit the right price point will simply adapt, or perish. That's how the market works, and so far, it's worked just fine.

I agree. I think what is sometimes missed however, is that what an "individual" believes is too expensive has little bearing on what the general public believes is too expensive...to wit, I stopped going to see first run films in the theater because the price of movie tickets did not justify the annoyance I had with other theater goers talking during the films:P Obviously, judging by the recent successes hollywood has had, my private boycott has had little effect. :P

Which I'm a bit sad about, but totally understand, as you said, the market does decide.

And, I didn't run off to the "darknets" in protest..I just wait until Netflix gets them :p

The thing about eBooks is that until very recently the process of acquiring and reading eBooks has never been very simple and straightforward...

...Now that is different. I think the iPad is going to be the device that makes it simple for people to acquire and read ebooks...

...iPad will open up the eBook world and attract shedloads more people into the eBook experience than would ever be accomplished with the fragmented and technically difficult process we currently go through.

I can definitely see my wife with an iPad and an Apple Bookstore account and I can see her using it extensively.

Just my 2c worth.

Nicely put.

VHS vs Beta showed us that the consumer is not always concerned with the technical details when choosing. The iBookstore doesn't offer any more convenience than Amazon's kBookstore, but Apple already has the iTunes model that worked quite well for them and provides a warm and fuzzy illusion that "they know what they are doing".

If I can buy the book for $9.99 by clicking 'Kindle', why would I pay 14.99 by clicking 'iBook'?

1. if Apple allows some degree of sharing, you might buy the Apple version because you can share your books with friends & family who have iphones, touches or Pads, but not Kindles.

2. the iBook version might allow for notes, which the Kindle app doesn't, afaics. Heck, if Apple is smart, it will allow stylus based notes.

3. you might find that the price difference doesn't exist (ask Macmillan) or that the possible differential is too small to warrant chasing it.

4. the iBook version will be optimized for the Pad. It could be faster to get in & out of, or to use, as compared to the apps.

5. the iBook may sync to your iPhone more reliably than the app to the dedicated reader.

6. the iBook might hyperlink in & out of an onboard dictionary, or wikipedia, or a Safari search.

7. you might like the bookcase organization system. (I don't.)

8. the iBook might allow a wider variety of fonts & background adjustments.

9. the iBook search & buying experience might be better.

I love to see the name iBook so often again. :)

I love to see the name iBook so often again. :)

me too! I was kinda hoping that would be the name of the device, not just an app. But maybe that would have been too confusing.

Among other features that iPad doesn't have:

12. No full GPS support

Doesn't it? This page (http://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/specs/) seems to think so

/JB

The 3G version has A-GPS, the Wifi version does not. Apparently, the GPS receiver is located on the same module as the 3G chip.

Steve Jobs is Brer Rabbit:

"So, as you can see, the publishers are fighting for the right to charge more, make less money per book, and guarantee Steve Jobs a 30 percent margin. Amazon, on the other hand, is fighting to charge less per book even though they are losing money with every sale. Now it all makes perfect sense."

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/kindle-ipad-macmillan-and-the-death-of-a-business-model/

1, maybe (but only because people fall for the hype)
2, No way in Hades could the iPad do this. It's simply not possible for the iPad to affect 6" readers because it's not in the same market. It weighs too much, it's too big, and it cost too much. Now, I do think the iPad will kill off most of the large screen readers, just not the smaller ones.

But I agree that Amazon probably cornered the media market.

I'm fallin for the possibilities the IPAD offers, not the hype. I've used the iPhone with several E-Book related apps; Stanza, Goodreader (pdf support is great), and from that experience I anticipate even better things. I look forward to many hours of reading enjoyment when I get an IPAD.

"It weighs too much" mmm considering some of the books I lug around that weigh 4 or more pounds, I guess 1.5 pounds should be manageable.

"Its too big" - Its the size of an A4 sheet of paper 1 cm thick, which is how big an open book normally is are they not?

The iPad will work, because it's meant to be as Leo Leporte says "A media consumption device" and as it being only that, and not a full fledged tablet PC, I think it will work.

I sold my Sony reader a while back on ebay (PRS 505) fortunately right before the pocket reader came out! I couldn't just have one device sit there and do just one thing.

Will the iPad be perfect? Doubtful, but it can grow! Who knows what the iPhone OS 4.0 will include? Some say true multitasking. (can you imagine running Nuance's Dragon Dictate and having it, say, input text directly into Pages? (Apple's version of MS Word) I plan to write my book on the iPad, I know it can be done, how easily remains to be seen.

My only hope is that I'll be able to transfer/translate my already owned books to the epub format using calibre, then throw them into itunes (that's how the iPad will sync and back up your books, as it does with music and movies) If it doesn't now it will eventually.

Just my 2 cents

I'm fallin for the possibilities the IPAD offers, not the hype. I've used the iPhone with several E-Book related apps; Stanza, Goodreader (pdf support is great), and from that experience I anticipate even better things. I look forward to many hours of reading enjoyment when I get an IPAD.

"It weighs too much" mmm considering some of the books I lug around that weigh 4 or more pounds, I guess 1.5 pounds should be manageable.

"Its too big" - Its the size of an A4 sheet of paper 1 cm thick, which is how big an open book normally is are they not?

Dedicated 6" readers will drop below US $100 this year and will be selling by the truck loads. Because they have better reading screens, are smaller and lighter. He is right. It is a different market -- the ipad competes against media devices, perhaps netbooks and smartphones.

Okay, going to modify my prediction for iPad versus eBooks.

So authors will contact their publisher(s) and will hand over shortened manuscripts (a book like the 17 chapter Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone will become a 6 chapter book)
I have heard the music publishers hate this trend.

Charles Dickens "Pickwick Papers", a serialized novel released monthly over two years, was a publishing sensation in 1836.

I'll tell you one thing I believe the iPad has done for e-books: It has given MobileRead a sudden rush of new members, many of whom have been inspired by the iPad (or the hype thereof) to check out e-books, and are seeking answers to their questions here.

Welcome, everybody!

I'll tell you one thing I believe the iPad has done for e-books: It has given MobileRead a sudden rush of new members, many of whom have been inspired by the iPad (or the hype thereof) to check out e-books, and are seeking answers to their questions here.

Welcome, everybody!

Very true. It is amazing to me that the Apple Device forum often has more people on it that ether one of the Sony forums, and sometimes even beats Kindle.... and the iPad is still two months away from being released! That one of many reasons I have to laugh at the "iPad will fail because...." type of threads....

I'll tell you one thing I believe the iPad has done for e-books: It has given MobileRead a sudden rush of new members, many of whom have been inspired by the iPad (or the hype thereof) to check out e-books, and are seeking answers to their questions here.

Welcome, everybody!
Exactly my thoughts (except you said it better) :)!

I'll tell you one thing I believe the iPad has done for e-books: It has given MobileRead a sudden rush of new members, many of whom have been inspired by the iPad (or the hype thereof) to check out e-books, and are seeking answers to their questions here.

Welcome, everybody!

And hopefully they'll explore all the other forums too-so much great information on each device!

Edit: Including devices with Flash and multitasking, I'm sure ;)

I'm fallin for the possibilities the IPAD offers, not the hype. I've used the iPhone with several E-Book related apps; Stanza, Goodreader (pdf support is great), and from that experience I anticipate even better things. I look forward to many hours of reading enjoyment when I get an IPAD.

"It weighs too much" mmm considering some of the books I lug around that weigh 4 or more pounds, I guess 1.5 pounds should be manageable.

"Its too big" - Its the size of an A4 sheet of paper 1 cm thick, which is how big an open book normally is are they not?

I think you're misunderstanding what I said. I was only explaining why the iPad wouldn't kill off 6" readers. I did not complain about the iPad itself, but only in relation to 6" readers. I can understand why you'd get one; it's a pretty neat device.

I think you're misunderstanding what I said. I was only explaining why the iPad wouldn't kill off 6" readers. I did not complain about the iPad itself, but only in relation to 6" readers. I can understand why you'd get one; it's a pretty neat device.

I agree with you about 6" readers, but the market will be pretty small. I also think this is the last year for eInk. Newer technology's are near for the dedicated reader. I know most folks here have a love affair with the eInk display, but after using it a while now.... it's pretty limiting.

I also think this is the last year for eInk. Newer technology's are near for the dedicated reader. I know most folks here have a love affair with the eInk display, but after using it a while now.... it's pretty limiting.

I think you're wrong most folks on here have a love affair with any quality non-backlit display for reading. eInk just happens to own that market right now. Any newer technology that fills and improves on that need will be quickly adapted and loved. :)

I think you're wrong most folks on here have a love affair with any quality non-backlit display for reading. eInk just happens to own that market right now. Any newer technology that fills and improves on that need will be quickly adapted and loved. :)

I agree, and is really another way of saying what I said.... but the dedicated reader market will be small. And, I have to believe, most would like an option to have a device/reader with a backlit screen (could be dimmed of course).

I predict that the dedicated reader market will peak this year, then taper off. There will still be at least semi-dedicated readers in five years, but more of a niche market.

How do you relay the difference in screen technology for someone who has never set their eyes on an e-ink screen?

It's first when you've tried and e-ink screen hands on you start to grasp the differences in screen technology. This might actually work in advantage for the iPad, most users will make their buying decision without ever having set eyes on an e-ink display.

It's true that E Ink was never well served by its clients, who couldn't manage to get too many of their devices in store shelves for people to see in advance of buying. As the iPad will probably be seen by many more people much sooner, it will make it hard for E Ink devices to sell.

OTOH, color E Ink may well be right around the corner, and if prices can stay low (in the $100-300 range), they may still be stiff competition against the much more expensive iPad (especially when you add in 3G and accessories-- $600 and up).

I'll tell you one thing I believe the iPad has done for e-books: It has given MobileRead a sudden rush of new members, many of whom have been inspired by the iPad (or the hype thereof) to check out e-books, and are seeking answers to their questions here.

Welcome, everybody!


This is not the first time that this is happening. We saw this upsurge when 'Kindie' finally appeared (after months of 'rumours' and speculations in press and blogs). We used to be a very small bunch here once.

As far as the iPad Vs eink is concerned, I think with its price tag of $499 and the availability of the Kindle application on Apple Store (if you can take your Amazon-bound 'purchases' to an iPad using your Kindle account), these must be worrying times for Amazon. I think Apple and Amazon will fall out shortly and Kindle application will disappear from iTunes/ Apps Store.

I have given up on eink as Stanza is the most wonderful thing on electronic screen I have ever seen after using a whole bunch of devices and applications. I will sell my iLiad shortly and buy an iPad. If tablets don't kill off ereaders, they will need quite a few years to catch up. As far as the 'glow' or glare or backlight is concerned, you can adjust it with a swipe of your finger. You can read iPhone screen in sunlight without any problem (it adjusts itself automatically) and I am sure iPad would be the same. Night reading mode where the background goes black and writing white is also another blessing. I wonder how eInk will compete with all these features which are available to a backlit screen.

I know it is a heresy on this forum to say anything against the eink but this is how it is: Eink is one thing that failed to make noticeable improvement or innovation in these rapidly changing times. I think 'discretely backlit' screens will finish it off.

Ereaders can rescue eInk through innovation in design and more choice in purchasing department. iLiad-like flexibility, subtle designing features like built in lamp for night-time reading, maybe good old paper can find a slot in covers for note taking, touch screen with a facility to mark and annotate (how my iLiad was years ahead of the competetion!) we need massive innovations in eink readers if they want to compete with the tablets.

I know it is a heresy on this forum to say anything against the eink but this is how it is: Eink is one thing that failed to make noticeable improvement or innovation in these rapidly changing times. I think 'discretely backlit' screens will finish it off.

There are a few more of us who are perfectly comfortable reading on other than E Ink screens. I wouldn't say E Ink hasn't had a huge impact on e-book reading... it has... but it is only one display technology, and sold in combination with other hardware, and it's that combination that makes the difference.

My impression is that a lot of people simply don't know how to set their displays to a level that is comfortable to them. This is a fault with most display technologies: They hide their controls, making it tough for novice and experienced users alike to find and adjust them to their liking.

But I've said before, it's a preference thing, and as long as there are people who prefer the reading experience of E Ink devices, there will be E Ink devices for them.

Amazon is not going to give up without a fight. Hopefully we will see a Kindle 3 release right about the time when the iPad is released. Releasing anything after the iPad will surely be set up for disaster since a lot of buyers are just going to go for the iPad and be done with it.

As for features for a Kindle 3 device I'm hoping for a screen as large as the iPad but with Pixel QI technology and the Android OS.

Failing to come out with something before the release in march I will just go and buy myself an iPad for viewing PDF:s and technical manuals but I will still keep my Kindle for leisure reading since in my personal opinion no LCD or OLED screen can compete with reading books on an e-ink screen.

It looks like the biggest impact of the iPad is that publishers have a choice of outlets and are raising their prices. Interesting how competition did the opposite of what I would have guessed.

It looks like the biggest impact of the iPad is that publishers have a choice of outlets and are raising their prices. Interesting how competition did the opposite of what I would have guessed.

That trend hasn't had a chance to be tested by consumers yet. We may yet see a return to lower prices, if the higher priced books simply do not sell.

That trend hasn't had a chance to be tested by consumers yet. We may yet see a return to lower prices, if the higher priced books simply do not sell.

That is why the next few years will see the winners and losers in the wild west that is the young ebook/reader market. In 5 years will Sony still make an eReader? Will Kindle be around? Will some company we never even heard of be the number one reader? Will the number one book store be Apple? Who knows, but it will be fun to see it all play out. Remember, 18 years ago a company called Amazon did not even exist.

And the blind will sue.

Because textbooks in paper format are so much more readable by the blind than their eBook counterparts.

Amazon is not going to give up without a fight.

They don't have to "give up"; they only have to adapt. Making their store readable on the iPad will do that. If Apple resists (which I really doubt), Amazon could even cut a licensing deal essentially making the iPad the next Kindle (or the first color Kindle, if you will).

I never believed Amazon planned to stay in hardware manufacturing/selling long-term... I always expected they introduced the Kindle to satisfy their desired hardware requirements (which did not exist in an available HW package at the time), and once other makers built competing devices, they would stop producing Kindles and license another device, or make apps that would perform the Kindle experience on those devices. The iPad, as well as other devices, could easily be part of that.

So Amazon may be closer to phasing out its own hardware manufacturing, in favor of licensing other devices and creating apps for others.

They don't have to "give up"; they only have to adapt. Making their store readable on the iPad will do that. If Apple resists (which I really doubt), Amazon could even cut a licensing deal essentially making the iPad the next Kindle (or the first color Kindle, if you will).

If Apple will allow the Kindle app to be installed on the iPad I will be very glad. However since this more or less will cannibalize on Apples own iBooks I'm doubtful if this will ever be allowed.


So Amazon may be closer to phasing out its own hardware manufacturing, in favor of licensing other devices and creating apps for others.
Hmm I wonder if they're really thinking of phasing out. Amazon's policy has been to lock the user to there own store, hence no ePub support. They've so far been able to do this by having there own e-readers.

In my own opinion Amazon should focus on being the best e-book store and thereby draw customers, instead of locking the user down taking away the users own choice.

So Amazon may be closer to phasing out its own hardware manufacturing, in favor of licensing other devices and creating apps for others.

I'm not sure this is the case when Amazon just purchased a touchscreen tech startup to merge with the Kindle division. They're obviously planning the next revision as we speak, with the intent of getting touch tech similar to Sony's (will work with finger and stylus) without the clarity drawbacks. This company in particular claims they had a 'completely transparent' touch layer in the works, which would have solved the clarity issues Sony is facing.

I'm not sure this is the case when Amazon just purchased a touchscreen tech startup to merge with the Kindle division. They're obviously planning the next revision as we speak, with the intent of getting touch tech similar to Sony's (will work with finger and stylus) without the clarity drawbacks. This company in particular claims they had a 'completely transparent' touch layer in the works, which would have solved the clarity issues Sony is facing.

Yup... I did see that this morning, after I made my post. :shrug:

So, maybe not so close to phasing out Kindles after all.

I think a few companies are banking on the fact that Apple's half-hearted entry into e-books aren't gonna topple everyone else overnight (especially at the price points Apple currently has). That alone will probably keep the likes of Amazon fighting for awhile.

And I still say .. Nothing..

Hardware defines what the software can do. The iPhone OS may very well be cut to the bone, but unless computers have changed a great deal, you still need to have a given amount of power to do a given amount of work in a given amount of time. So the single application that this device can run will be limited to what power is available. Plenty of oomph for an e-book reader(My Cybook only has a 400Mhz processor), but not so much for a word processor or for opening a graphics heavy PDF or whatever.



And end world hunger and fix global warming.. and make all right with the world. Sorry.. I don't swallow it. How will it add huge buying force when every book will more than likely come from the Apple iTunes store? A subset of already available books that are easily bought elsewhere.



Would these be the e-book users that balk at paying $200 for an e-book reader? In which case they will certainly be forming lines around the block for one two and a half times the price. And paying for PD books in app form.. Hell.. I bet they will all buy three. And the case and the keyboard,and half a dozen docking stations, and the USB dongle and the SD card dongle, and the lunch box.



No doubt. But millions are not really that big any more. And of those millions, how many will use it mostly as a video watching device or a web surfing device? It might get the text book mob to finally shut up about e-ink being rubbish, but if the video I saw today is anything to go by, the page turn animation takes about as much time as the screen blanking update on my Cybook.



I thought that was supposed to be PixelQi.. The great e-ink killer from the last few months? And all the other new and yet to be released technologies that were the death of the e-ink reader.

Slight flaw with your prediction.. Despite the iPod being available for ten years or so, lots of other players are freely available on the market. Some have little LCD non backlit displays, some are memory stick shaped, some have video, some even surf the web. iProducts have not, despite the assurances of Apple fans, taken over.

You may very well be wetting your self in anticipation of a colour device, but to be perfectly honest, I'm not planning to buy one for at least another three years. At which time, I'll go for another non backlit device if at all possible. And I think there are enough like minded people to keep e-book readers selling well enough to make a profit.



Oh I'm not going to guess. Because I already know. There are quite a few ARM based sub-netbooks on the horizon. I'll be watching very closely. I'm hoping someone brings out at least one with a 7 inch wide screen clamshell design. Just right for replacing my PDA. With a custom Linux OS and a nice little community around it. And I very much doubt any will have e-ink. Colour or not.

If they are smart, many will be tablets. this is where the Linux netbooks went wrong. No imagination in the form factor design,so people expected little laptops, and expected the little laptops to run Windows. But these sub-netbooks, no matter the form factor, will be much cheaper and possibly faster than Apple's over priced sales device. With any luck, it might even give Adobe the nudge to port it's e-book software to Linux.

What they will be very likely to be is a quarter the price of the iPad. And will sell just about everywhere as cheap portable computers that can do useful stuff as well as play Youtube and other flash video streaming sites, and have removable storage. Some with wifi, some with 3G. It's all good.



No.. You are absolutely right. It's about marketing and shiny things and stupid people who buy a brand instead of a device. Nike have been sucking money from them for years. :D

But it's also about being fit for purpose. And I don't want to read my novels on a backlit screen, and I certainly don't want to spend nearly £500 for one.

Sorry, would like to answer many of your counter-points but my system does not allow me to debate with an idiot.

Sorry, would like to answer many of your counter-points but my system does not allow me to debate with an idiot.

Name-calling is definitely and absolutely against our guidelines. Please tone down or there will be consequences!

MTH
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