01-28-2010, 05:11 AM | #1 |
"eBook Addict!"
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What does the iPad mean to the eReader market?
In my opinion, the iPad will kill most eBook readers with a price tag of more than $500, especially that it supports a 10" screen and has all the functionality a normal person can ask for.
But I think that eReaders are gonna also grow from the iPad in two ways: 1. their prices will need to be pushed down to justify the difference. 2. They are gonna need to improve very quickly, meaning that soon we will have highly developed devices for reading that can wrestle with the iPad and justify the difference for book lovers. So share your opinion: what does the iPad mean for eReaders? |
01-28-2010, 05:14 AM | #2 |
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Did you notice those threads before making a new one?
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71470 https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71485 |
01-28-2010, 09:41 PM | #3 |
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Don't know what happens next . All I know is that Steve Jobs really does know how to play the game in the market.
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01-29-2010, 06:38 AM | #4 | ||
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01-29-2010, 08:45 AM | #5 |
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I disagree. I think it's going to be huge to the ebook reader market.
The Kindle used to be the measuring stick that any new reader was compared to, but even before the iPad was announced the news sites were comparing it to what they thought Apple would announce. The iPad is going to be the new measuring stick. The gadget sites will never understand dedicated ebook readers. They don't understand why we would pay $500 for something that just reads books. They understand features (screen resolution, camera pixels, processing power, memory capacity, wireless speeds and feeds). They are all about the 5 minute demo of flashy features. They don't care about which is more comfortable to read for 2 hours and neither do most consumers. The potential market for dedicated ebook readers just got a lot smaller and I agree the eink prices will need to drop. |
01-29-2010, 09:12 AM | #6 |
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I believe this is the natural progression of the PC and we will see more and more tablets hit the market. MANY will resist the temptation to buy an Ipad just because of Apples closed standards and the fact that this isn't a true PC, just a giant iTouch with 3g & GPS (if you buy that option).
As far as the eReader market it can do nothing but HELP the market. The more people that buy ebooks the more that become available and the more the publishing industry will realize that this is going to be THE market for books. pBooks will always have their place but for a majority of distribution eBooks will eventually become the standard - and if Apple can help make that happen then I'm happy with that. Apple produces first rate products with outstanding interfaces. It's been, what, 2 years now and there still isn't a real contender to beat the iPhone? Plenty of "almost theres" but nothing an "iPhone killer". Apple has really revitalized and opened the cellular phone industries to new heights and made a nominal device a piece of leading technology. I say more power to Apple, go for it! BUT, I won't probably buy one. I don't like the closed architecture and application platform, the lack of multitasking, the lack of a camera and the fact that a GPS isn't available without a data plan investment. Apple should make the GPS available in ALL phones and either offer an application to make maps available or rely on WiFi to download the maps you need for a particular trip (not very handy either). Maybe in the iPad II. |
01-29-2010, 09:36 AM | #7 |
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Until I see the iPad screen for myself I can only make assumptions but with my Kindle I can read outside and if I use my Touch I have to turn the brightness all the way up and remove my sunglasses in order to read. This is sitting in the shade. Do I read a lot outside? Yes, I like to read outside in warm weather. Last summer I liked to sit out on my deck in the evenings with a Mojito and my Kindle. I wonder how well the iPad screen will read outside.
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01-29-2010, 10:23 AM | #8 | ||
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Any potential book reader who would be interested in iPad would not be interested in eInk in the first place So, how could iPad affect eInk based eBook reader world? |
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01-29-2010, 10:49 AM | #9 |
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I really don't understand why so many people think the iPad is going to kill dedicated ereaders. It seems like a great idea for someone who wants a multifunction device that, oh by the way, they can read books on, but I'm having a hard time seeing this as a device for serious readers, what with the eyestrain issues, reading difficulty in sunlight, extra weight (my DX is already pushing it) and poor battery life.
And there are a couple of things I haven't even seen mentioned. Since this is a real computer with a hard drive and a backlit display, I have to believe it's going to throw some amount of heat. When I'm not reading on my DX, I usually have my notebook in my lap surfing the web, and the heat from that really gets bothersome. I wonder how the iPad will do in that regard. The other thing is the touchscreen/no keyboard. I can't imagine sitting down to read a book with fingerprint grease all over the screen. Maybe it's just me, but I'm holding out for a color DX with WiFi. That's all I need. |
01-29-2010, 11:13 AM | #10 |
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Well the iPad means even less when you realise the central 'paper' demonstration of the NYTimes is not that exclusive, and you can get a NYTimes application that is cross platform and runs on Adobe Air
http://timesreader.nytimes.com/times...mpaignId=366RU |
01-29-2010, 11:36 AM | #11 |
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It won't kill dedicated e-readers.
I do think it will shrink the market for the expensive, large screen e-ink devices though--and that's what the OP mentioned with the $500+ price. The main reason for those large screen readers is for A4 PFDs, text books etc. And I just can't see many paying the high price for those if they can get a tablet to read those on for $500 and do a ton of other stuff. For most people, they're not going to read that kind of stuff for hours on end like they do novels. Now some will still buy the large readers for sure, including those here who prefer reading even novels on say a Kindle DX vs. a smaller screen. But I'd say tablets killed the chance of large screen e-ink devices really taking off. Smaller 5" and 6" readers I think will stay around as there's a sizable niche of avid readers who want e-ink or some other reflective screen. |
01-29-2010, 11:51 AM | #12 |
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It means it's a tablet. It also means Ebooks are read on the PC/Mac....
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01-29-2010, 11:57 AM | #13 |
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Although I can see fingerprints on my iphone when the display is off, I can't when the display is on. That's one advantage the backlit display has over a reflective touch screen. It usually does a good job of hiding the fingerprints when lit up.
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01-29-2010, 12:24 PM | #14 |
Wizard
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Yep, it's only an issue for the OCD crowd that can't stand seeing the fingerprints when the screen is off in standby etc.
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01-29-2010, 12:26 PM | #15 | |
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Quote:
Do you really believe that someone that is about to spend $300 on a device that can only read ebooks is not going to look at the additional capabilities of the iPad and consider if they would get better value for their needs? I'm not saying that the e-ink market is going to disappear. I just think the potential market got a whole lot smaller. |
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