Ebook readers need to get cheaper

[Goshzilla]

One thing that has bothered me greatly is that the high cost of ebook readers, would make illiteracy a big issue amongst the poor.

The One Laptop Per Child inventor has plans to create a very low cost ebook reader

http://www.xconomy.com/2008/05/20/ne...its-an-e-book/

[Ervserver]

Its pretty, and inexpensive but also not e-ink

[Alisa]

I don't think ebooks are ubiquitous enough to make the lack of an affordable reader an impediment to literacy. Paper still reigns. When we get to the point that ebooks are winning, the readers will likely be a lot cheaper.

[Dylrob]

They will get cheaper. Remember how much a DVD player cost ten or so years ago? Or a computer about twenty years ago? Those are just a couple big examples of how technology became cheaper, and in the process more widely adopted, over time.

[gwynevans]

Interesting, but I wonder how realistic, as this seems a huge swing from what they're currently doing - another story on it here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7411904.stm

[Greg Anos]

It'll be interesting to see how its powered. Still, it'll give the e-book reader industry a major kick-in-the-pants. The cheap, micro-laptop class (i.e. EEE-PC, Cloudbook, ect.) was created as a result of the OLPC original initiative. I particularly like the folding concept. Fold it up and put it on the shelf, like a p-book.

[DDHarriman]

Yes they do have to get cheaper.

Bu, as everything else, they will be cheaper, if and when, they break the ghetto they are into now, and begin to sell a lot, then people will use/buy more content (the actual eBooks) and thus competition between companies selling them will bring the prices down.

This moment, when everything they produce, at least Bokeen and Amazon, is immediately sold, do not expect low prices… at least if not, an out of the present group company does not begin the “race” by entering the market with a lower price model.

In a year, and if the hardware eBook market will not die of natural causes - it did happen with the first crop of dedicated eBook readers in the end of the last century/begin of this one - maybe we will see the begin of the lowering of the prices, or better, more powerful, and with bigger screen readers for the same price.

For the time being, one just as the opportunity of enjoying his/her eBook reader is one does have the money to be one of the early adopters.

[HarryT]

Let's face it - reading for pleasure is a niche hobby. Very few of my friends or work colleagues are regular readers. I don't think eBook Readers are ever going to be "mass market".

[JSWolf]

If readers get to be cheap enough and the issues with eBooks and formats and whatnot get sorted, it's possible they may be mass market. But I think for that to happen, you might find they'll need to be more multi-function like a cell phones are these days.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Let's face it - reading for pleasure is a niche hobby.

I agree, which is why the ebook market might in the end be driven by the education market. I don't know if OLPC can pull this off, but a dual page ebook reader that is also a clamshell laptop might be a breakthrough product.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Let's face it - reading for pleasure is a niche hobby. Very few of my friends or work colleagues are regular readers. I don't think eBook Readers are ever going to be "mass market".

They will if they are picked up by schools. The education market is the vast untapped market for eBook Readers. This is why the XO-2 will be marketed as an eBook Reader.

Dale

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Ervserver

Its pretty, and inexpensive but also not e-ink

Doesn't matter... e-ink isn't the only thing people can read on. And if you get kids used to something early, including color LCDs, they won't give a hoot about e-ink when they grow up.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Doesn't matter... e-ink isn't the only thing people can read on. And if you get kids used to something early, including color LCDs, they won't give a hoot about e-ink when they grow up.

Very true.

The biggest problem I see is that the XO-2 is going to need to be as versatile as an EEE PC while being smaller, lighter, less power-consuming and yet also have a much *BETTER* display system. The EEE PCs are going for between $260 (2G models) and $560 (the ones with the bigger displays). I don't see the prices of the motherboards and the Pixel-Qi displays falling far enough to make it possible to sell them at that price in just two years.

Heck, even if they use a single display, between the display and the guts, the *COST* is going to be over $125-$150 per unit from the OEM manufacturer. Plus, Pixel-Qi is clearly in the "let's see what we can create" stage of display development. Cost per unit is much higher at that stage and that means anyone planning on receiving sample units can expect to pay a significantly higher price.

Do I see a two-screen ebook-reader/mini-pc coming out of this by 2010? Sure. But I don't expect we'll see something which can be given out almost as the "Cracker Jack toy" to children around the world.

Derek

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Doesn't matter... e-ink isn't the only thing people can read on. And if you get kids used to something early, including color LCDs, they won't give a hoot about e-ink when they grow up.

I agree. But this gizmo (should it ever be produced) would fit the bill for the mythical all-in-one gizmo. Consider -

E-book reader (fancy with both sides of the book) - check
full blown computer (with lousy touchscreen - admittedly) - check
which implies -
music player
video player
clock (with alarm in software)
emulated game players

The only thing missing is cellphone/wireless internet connector, and GPS. (I assume there's be a USB port or two on it, and/or a removable flash reader of some sort.)

[HarryT]

That's the great thing about "vapourware" of course - you can give it any capabilities that you wish .

IF - and I do say IF rather than WHEN - the XO2 materialises, THAT will be the time to pass judgement on it - IMHO.