Just saw this linked from CNN website lead story

[kennyc]

Kindle Killer?

http://www.time.com/time/business/ar...929387,00.html

[Superlucky]

I hope their predictions don't come true (not the part about Kindle death - that I can deal with). I like a bare-bones device and I hate thinking that I will eventually have to sacrifice screen quality and portability for features that I don't want like browsers, video and mp3 players. Without electronic ink and a small size it's just a stupid laptop.

[Elsi]

Indeed. I don't want a smart phone. I have a general-purpose Internet appliance -- it's called a laptop. I will admit that I'm all for improvements in the screen technology, battery life, and reduction in weight -- but not too much. I recently reviewed a 5-inch reader and although it's VERY portable, I don't think a 5-incher is the right size for a reader. It's too small and too light. I found it difficult to hold for a long period.

[igorsk]

A bit more descriptive thread title or at least first post could be useful...

[Sporadic]

Anytime, anything is dubbed a ______ Killer, you can bet the bank that not only will it not kill anything but that it will bomb hard compared to the thing it is suppose to kill.

[fugazied]

Originally Posted by Elsi

Indeed. I don't want a smart phone. I have a general-purpose Internet appliance -- it's called a laptop.

I think that the laptop will simply evolve into tablet level computing. Phones are too small to work and read on for long periods imo, the screen needs to be 10" at a minimum but laptops are too big for a pocket or purse. 10" is a decent size for a reader, now it may also be a phone, but it's primary function won't be that of a phone.

I think we can look forward to powerful tiny devices that do basically everything. Rumors point at Apple releasing on early 2010 (yes bloody rumors), but if they do it will start an explosion of development in the area I think.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Superlucky

I hope their predictions don't come true (not the part about Kindle death - that I can deal with). I like a bare-bones device and I hate thinking that I will eventually have to sacrifice screen quality and portability for features that I don't want like browsers, video and mp3 players. Without electronic ink and a small size it's just a stupid laptop.

What comes true is a matter of what people buy.

My preferred reading device is a PDA. It's small enough that I can carry it and use it pretty much anywhere. Battery life is adequate to go a day without charging, and it tops off over ight. It supports color, and uses SD cards for storage so I can carry my entire ebook library (currently about 3,500 books). Software is available to let me read just about any document format. And it does a lot of other things besides display ebooks, which is the critical factor for me.

The downsides are a screen that's a bit smaller than I'd really like, and a backlit LCD screen, but the latter is a downside only in terms of battery life. I'm quite comfortable reading on it. If I could get something that did everything my PDA did in a form factor similar to a Sony Reader, I'd jump. As it is, I'm content.

But that simply reflects my usage and preferences. We've seen the market grow big enough to support the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, with other vendors tossing their hats in the ring. I think there will be enough users who just want a no frills device to read books that they will continue to exist.
______
Dennis

[vivaldirules]

I'd love a small (perhaps 9" diagonal) touch screen tablet PC if it was light, had at least 4 or 5 hrs. battery life, and was "instant on" (or nearly so). It would be a nice adjunct to my Sony reader and would let me read in color in all the native formats without conversion and also let me surf and listen to music, too. Why wouldn't I want that? The currently available tablets that would let me do that are all just too big, too heavy, too hot, too expensive, and are certainly not "instant on" (which means that Apple or Microsoft have to do something, too, not just some hardware vendor). I'm still holding my breath with fingers crossed for something useful to finally appear.

[JoeD]

"E-readers are a transitional technology," says Rotman Epps of Forrester Research. Which means that just when the e-reader is taking off, it may be becoming obsolete.

Does he not understand the attraction of most eReaders is that they're based on eInk which makes them much easier to read for prolongued amounts of time?

Plenty of people who only want to read for 10 minutes or 1/2 hour would be perfectly happy reading on their smartphones, laptop or tablet but for those who enjoy spending hours at a time reading it's really hard to beat eInk (even though you can use a PDA for a long time, I used to too, but the eInk display is just so much easier on my eyes).

If the devices are transitional what is it that is going to replace them? We already have smartphones, netbooks, laptops and tablets. Unless laptop/tablet displays improved to work the same way as eInk for readability but had the refresh speeds and colour depth of a standard monitor and battery life is increased further, I don't see eReaders going anywhere.

[narbeauchamp]

I don't necessarily see them becoming obsolete.As prices come down (and more affordable entry level price point readers are released),I actually see them becoming more popular.Not only amongst hardcore readers,but a more casual reader as well.Not everyone has a need or desire to be constantly connected-especially while reading,not everyone wants an all in one device. Most of my devices now,including my newly purchased touch,have some connectivity to the internet as a possibility-I cherish being able to pick up a book or my non connected reader and just read,without interruption-yes of course,you can choose to ignore but that's not the point.When the readers start getting to the point where they are more computer than reader-will they really have that much traction ? Will people choose getting a reader over a netbook or a tablet ? I met a woman in a local Barnes & Noble yesterday,we had a very pleasant conversation about readers and devices,she told me she thought all the devices were like the Kindle,constantly connected-and she didn't want to be tethered to the world while reading,I explained to her how that could be shut off,or she could get other devices where its not even an issue.

I look forward to this holiday season,I think it will be interesting to see how sales go.I for one,would rather see people buy kids a PRS300 instead of a video game system...but alas that's just the kind of kid I was (there are many photos of me at very young age with my nose buried in a book-in fact that's apparently what most people remember about me at any age ! ). This last week,Best Buy had I believe the PRS300 and also a bundle featured...should be an interesting season (In fact,I am planning to buy some readers this year as gifts,now that the entry price point is lower....)

E-ink is SO much easier on my eyes.Given the choice now between printing something,reading it on my computer or reading it on the reader-I choose the reader.So I am reading on my computers less,printing out fewer documents,and reading more on my reader...and I haven't gotten a new pair of trifocals in a year ..that's a big thing for me LOL

And as someone else said..anything that is called a _______ killer usually isn't-but if it brings more awareness and more customers for ebooks-I think that's an awesome thing.....

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by JoeD

Does he not understand the attraction of most eReaders is that they're based on eInk which makes them much easier to read for prolongued amounts of time?

I suspect he may, but I'm not sure it's relevant.

Plenty of people who only want to read for 10 minutes or 1/2 hour would be perfectly happy reading on their smartphones, laptop or tablet but for those who enjoy spending hours at a time reading it's really hard to beat eInk (even though you can use a PDA for a long time, I used to too, but the eInk display is just so much easier on my eyes).

I think the big question is just what the main appeal of dedicated eReaders is.

eInk screens get pointed to as an "easier on the eyes" major plus, but they also provide much better battery life, which is another major plus. And there are attractions to a device well designed to do one thing, with a minimal learning curve in figuring out how to use it.

Is the ease on the eyes of eInk screens the only reason dedicated readers are popular? I doubt it.

If the devices are transitional what is it that is going to replace them? We already have smartphones, netbooks, laptops and tablets. Unless laptop/tablet displays improved to work the same way as eInk for readability but had the refresh speeds and colour depth of a standard monitor and battery life is increased further, I don't see eReaders going anywhere.

I think the chap from Forrester expects multi-function devices in similar form factors, that can do more than just display ebooks to move into and cannibalize that space. eInk is both blessing and curse there, as it has the advantages of better battery life and easier on the eyes reading, but does not currently support color, and would be hopeless for things like video.

If new technologies that retain eInk's advantages but provide better support for stuff like that are adopted, the landscape might change.
_______
Dennis

[Superlucky]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Is the ease on the eyes of eInk screens the only reason dedicated readers are popular?

It's the only reason they're popular with me. Without it, it's just a PDA.

[emellaich]

The thing is that Bezos reports that 50% of books sold are Kindle books for those books that have both Kindle and paper versions. This is illuminating to me, because I can't believe that anywhere near 50% of Amazon customers are Kindle owners. It implies that Kindle owners are heavy readers -- those who buy a lot of books. It makes sense, why would you pay several hundred dollars to use a device to read one or two books a year.

So, if your goal is to get reading devices in the hands of lots of people, you will probably need a cheaper version or more general purpose (pda/smartphone/tablet) version. For those who read one or two books a year, this will probably be sufficient.

For bibliophiles, something closer to the current dedicated devices will still be necessary. We spend a lot of time with our devices and will be less accommodating in terms of compromises. Of course, if PixelQi or someone else comes through, I would be quite happy if my reader can also be a PDA and an internet tablet. However, not at the cost of compromising the 1) readability, 2) battery life, and 3) portability of my current device.

[edembowski]

One thing about the way the article is presented bothers me. It shows the Sony e-reader prominently, and says soon into the article "Success breeds imitators". I know it may be pedantic of me, but the Sony reader came first, and is certainly not a copy of the Kindle.

I agree with the comments made here that whenever something is the "X killer" it almost always never is. The good news though is that more and more people are not only aware of this technology but are adopting it as well. It's not about the device they use, but that they're using the devices. As long as we have vendor-agnostic formats such as ePub, let people get whatever device they like.

Here's hoping Amazon starts supporting ePub.

- Ed

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Is the ease on the eyes of eInk screens the only reason dedicated readers are popular? I doubt it.

Is why I got mine. I was perfectly happy reading on my N800 with FBReader, with the exception of how my eyes reacted to the backlit display. I wouldn't have spent $250 for something I could already do perfectly fine on another type display, if it wasn't an issue.