MobileRead Forums - View Single Post

fjtorres · 12-25-2010, 01:04 PM

Looking around, it is clear the ereader market is forking into two segments:
- extreme battery-life, low weight eink readers
- extreme low-cost LCD readers

The eReader market will itself be constrained at the upper end by the emerging market for webpads and tablets. Low-end android-based webpads will overlap (price-wise) with the eReader market and the higher-feature, higher cost pads and tablets will limit the market for higher-price eReaders. Large format eink readers and color eink readers will have a hard time growing beyond niche markets because of this.

Attempts to develop and market a true academic-grade reader will continue and might succeed (on technical merit) but I wouldn't hold my breath for commercial success; the academic market seems to insist on full-TabletPC capability simultaneously with rock-bottom eink pricing. Without a subsidized-hardware model and a universal standard for academic ebook content this vast market will continue to tease and underperform. Companies will go bankrupt trying to reach it. (We can all name at least two.)

Beyond those new(ish) developments:
People will continue to pile on hate on Amazon and they'll continue to blissfully rake the money in and grow their business.
People will continue to swear iPads will exterminate eink readers. Someday. Real. Soon.
People will continue to argue over eink vs LCD.
People will continue to swoon over tech demos and CES prototypes that will never hit consumers' hands.

Don't need to be Nostrodamus to see which way the wind is blowing, do we?

12-25-2010, 01:04 PM	#4
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Looking around, it is clear the ereader market is forking into two segments: - extreme battery-life, low weight eink readers - extreme low-cost LCD readers The eReader market will itself be constrained at the upper end by the emerging market for webpads and tablets. Low-end android-based webpads will overlap (price-wise) with the eReader market and the higher-feature, higher cost pads and tablets will limit the market for higher-price eReaders. Large format eink readers and color eink readers will have a hard time growing beyond niche markets because of this. Attempts to develop and market a true academic-grade reader will continue and might succeed (on technical merit) but I wouldn't hold my breath for commercial success; the academic market seems to insist on full-TabletPC capability simultaneously with rock-bottom eink pricing. Without a subsidized-hardware model and a universal standard for academic ebook content this vast market will continue to tease and underperform. Companies will go bankrupt trying to reach it. (We can all name at least two.) Beyond those new(ish) developments: People will continue to pile on hate on Amazon and they'll continue to blissfully rake the money in and grow their business. People will continue to swear iPads will exterminate eink readers. Someday. Real. Soon. People will continue to argue over eink vs LCD. People will continue to swoon over tech demos and CES prototypes that will never hit consumers' hands. Don't need to be Nostrodamus to see which way the wind is blowing, do we?