The wait is half over for the K3

The wait for the release of the new K3s is about half over! Or so we hope anyway.

Since the K3s were announced , or shortly before, we learned that FoxIt is dropping out of the ebook reader market and that iRex has gone away too, at least as for as ebook readers go. Still no word from what one can only assume is a stunned Sony. My guess is that if Sony was planning on introducing any new readers this year they would have been lackluster design improvements. I suspect that Sony will drop out of the ebook reader market by this time next year, and possibly before. Only time will tell. And since B&N already introduced their new reader, I think the Nook is going to have a tough time competing against the latest K3s. But B&N still might have something up their corporate sleeve, but I wouldn't count it.

I wonder if any reputable market analysis group is keeping track of how many readers various companies are selling. It would be interesting to see some hard numbers rather than mere speculation.

[Solicitous]

Half the wait? Mine I think ships out on the 4th September, so I might pop back in a few days when it is half way for me.

Funny, I got my AC Charger the other day and I must make two comments. (1) I got a shipping notification the same day that I received a shipping notification for something I bought from here in Australia. They both arrived the same day. Still can't work out how an item from the US gets shipped half way around the world and arrives at my doorstep (costing less freight) than an item that shipped approx 2000kms away in the same country. So far I certainly cannot complain with Amazon's delivery service (although as my purchase is split by 3 payments for 3 items, it would be nice for Amazon to say how they are going to split the charges each time).

(2) The box came with a label "Certified Frustration-Free Packaging". I was expecting to open a flap one end and the charger slide out, but NOOO you tear a strip along the side. Must be because I'm Australian....hmmmmm

[carld]

Originally Posted by jswinden

The wait for the release of the new K3s is about half over! Or so we hope anyway.

Since the K3s were announced , or shortly before, we learned that FoxIt is dropping out of the ebook reader market and that iRex has gone away too, at least as for as ebook readers go.

Don't forget Plastic Logic and the QUE, also dead, or reorienting their business toward the corporate sector, or something. Sony needs to at least drop their prices, or they're going to get stomped this holiday season. But, I suspect you're right, they don't have the heart to stay in a market that they created. That's too bad.

[TomF]

At this price, this product has got to be DOA.

[carld]

Originally Posted by TomF

At this price, this product has got to be DOA.

Wow ... umm, pass.

[trekchick]

Originally Posted by jswinden

Still no word from what one can only assume is a stunned Sony. My guess is that if Sony was planning on introducing any new readers this year they would have been lackluster design improvements. I suspect that Sony will drop out of the ebook reader market by this time next year, and possibly before. Only time will tell. And since B&N already introduced their new reader, I think the Nook is going to have a tough time competing against the latest K3s. But B&N still might have something up their corporate sleeve, but I wouldn't count it.

Don't count Sony out. It can borrow library books and isn't tied to any single store for DRM content (thanks to Adobe Digital Editions ePub & PDF support). Although I've owned and loved each Kindle model to date, I must concede that it falls short in some areas when compared to Sony. Kindle's continued lack of library support (without resorting to hackery) is a failing. Additionally, Kindle's PDF features are lackluster. Even though the K3 adds annotations, it still fails to support Table of Contents, hyperlinks within documents, and reflow.

Even with those issues, Kindle is my preferred device. But, those who place a high priority on ePub and full PDF support won't consider Kindle a workable option, so I think Sony will be around for a lot longer.

Nook may or may not be in a precarious situation. With in-fighting, talks of selling, and rumors of going private, B&N's board of directors is in upheaval right now, and Nook's future could depend on which way the dust settles.

[jupstin]

Half the wait is over only if you start counting from the announcement date. If you start counting from the beginning of time, something like 99.999999999999999999999999999999% of the wait is over.