Quote:
Originally Posted by dmaul1114
Yeah, that's the problem. And it's really going to hurt them in the casual reader market. The avid readers will stick with e-ink or similar screens and dedicated readers.
But as much as I like my Kindle, I can't see myself buying another e-ink device once the iPad and other tablets of various sizes etc. are rolling out unless e-ink devices are way cheaper. And it just doesn't seem likely to happen soon as the screen tech is just too pricey for big cuts.
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Well the price difference between the e-ink and the LCD isn't enough to bring it into line with what a casual reader would pay. If the screen were as cheap as the iPhone's 3.5" LCD, you'd still be at $160 and that's just the hardware price. You've still got $125 in non-screen components. Most of them are mass produced and already pretty darned cheap. I'm betting at $259 Amazon is barely breaking even on the Kindle if they are at all. Most casual readers wouldn't even consider it until it got below $100. Heck, I can't tell you how many people I've heard say they would only want one if it came free to encourage you to buy books. That model will just never work.
This is why I wholeheartedly agree with you that tablets will be the way of the future for most people. They offer enough additional functionality that people will pay the higher price. The cheapest iPad may be twice the cost of the Kindle but it does so much more. Most people don't read enough to be bothered by the lit screen. Besides, some day there will be a color screen that is both fast and eye-friendly. At that point, a single-function reader will have no point. There may be a few people who would still want them but not enough to be more than a tiny niche.