01-28-2010, 04:41 AM | #61 |
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A lot of people have already said a lot of the things that I've been thinking about this - primarily that it will probably help to drive ebooks into the mainstream in the same way that the iPod drove acceptance of digital music. In the same way that there were MP3 players before the iPod, we obviously already have ebook readers, but Apple's marketing muscle could be the thing to shove ebooks in front of people who would never otherwise think about them, let alone buy them.
In terms of the device itself, for me it seems enormous - too big to carry around and hold up infront of me to read - but in reality it probably isn't any bigger than a large paperback opened up. I don't have a reader, and although I'm all for ebooks I won't be buying one until prices come down...hopefully the advent of this iPad will start to drive this. |
01-28-2010, 04:58 AM | #62 |
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This pundit
http://gizmodo.com/5458531/why-the-i...-ebook-readers is saying a lot of you are wrong - that the iPad WILL have an effect. Ignore the article's title - it is a bit inflammatory and somewhat off the mark. The article appears to be claiming that where Apple will succeed is selling the iPad to "new" customers which are not enticed by current offerings (essentially customers who are not on Mobile Read at all). So not really crushing existing devices so much as stealing future customers away from them, which they could have had, in large numbers. I do not know whether to believe the author - I thought everyone had a desktop, laptop, netbook or smart phone by now. So not sure about who/where/what these new customers are which will buy an iPad. I agree with those posting here that the iPad has a good chance to have more of an impact on the Periodical market going wireless, electronic and essentially being saved. Everything I read implies it is a grim affair to attempt to start a new magazine now. Gourmet died this year http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmet_%28magazine%29 It would be interesting if it were to resurface on the iPad. *** Edit *** I see Simon John Cox's post above mine and the article I referenced says much the same as what he states in his first paragraph. Last edited by BWhite; 01-28-2010 at 05:05 AM. |
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01-28-2010, 04:58 AM | #63 |
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I'd prefer an iPad nano - same functionality but the size of my Sony PRS 500
it'll come. |
01-28-2010, 05:11 AM | #64 | |
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so for some the sacrifices to get a similiar sized eink screen might be worth while. Interestingly if you compare it to a netbook or laptop of a similiar price it doesnt come across as well. But in comparison to a Kindle DX or archos media player type device it seems very competitive to me. |
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01-28-2010, 05:14 AM | #65 | |
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I'd say in comparison to a lemon meringue pie the iPad is extremely competitive. Last edited by Moejoe; 01-28-2010 at 06:42 AM. Reason: spelling |
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01-28-2010, 05:22 AM | #66 | |
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Web, Comics, Movies, music, VNC, email, sharing photos. I was close to ordering a Kindle DX but whats the point, LCD screens dont bother my eyes and the iPad is $20 more. The keyboard dock will be nice at home and is competitively priced, look at the nexus 1 desk dock $49 just for a dock with no keyboard. It wont replace my home computer of my work laptop, but will replace my dell mini 9 and fit in better with my other Mac products(bluetooth keyboard for one) I think people are comparing it to laptops which it cant and doesnt comete with or with the samller eink readers which it doesnt compete with. However for the general consumption of a wide range of media on the go, with a nice UI and the app market to expand what it is capable of at $499 it seems a great buy...For ME! |
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01-28-2010, 05:44 AM | #67 |
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With the best will in the world to Apple and those who need or want the iPad, my dream when I first started with ebooks twelve years ago was a simple, single-function, ebook-dedicated reading device no bigger than a paperback.
My dream came true. I already have a powerful PC with a huge monitor, a 17" laptop and a netbook. And -- for recreational reading -- I have my wee, easy-on-the-eye Sony PRS 505 with a whole library in there. For me (sorry, Harry -- but surely a forum is about personal views -- the iPad is actually a step backwards for ebook reading, taking the onus off ebooks and offering a dozen distrations ... at a price. Give the world something like the 505 -- even the Kindle -- bubble-wrapped at the supermarket checkout for sixty bucks, price ebooks fairly, and there will be an explosion in reading. Cheers. Neil |
01-28-2010, 05:46 AM | #68 |
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01-28-2010, 05:47 AM | #69 | |
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Ereading isnt just novels. so for ereading the iPad is better and more flexible. for reading my next novel i will be using my PRS300 |
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01-28-2010, 05:56 AM | #70 | |
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Whether it will compete directly with e-ink readers, however, will depend upon whether the kind of people who buy e-ink readers are only interested in ebooks, or whether they'd like to watch TV, video, browse the internet etc. whilst they're out and about as well. The multi-application nature of it could kill off its single application competitors. *No doubt new uses and applications will evolve over time and take it in directions that no-one could have predicted |
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01-28-2010, 06:12 AM | #71 | ||
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I think today that convenience is so highly prized that having one device that can do multiple things is what sells. Even to the point where people are willing to accept inferior functionalities (in comparison to a single-purpose dedicated device, say) - the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Quote:
Apple's branding is great - they have positioned themselves as "cool" and "alternative" and "innovative", and as such their new products are bought by people who consider themselves to be "cool" and "alternative" and "innovative" (and whose friends probably see them this way), and these people act as word-of-mouth advertisers for the products, adding to the image. Amazon or Sony selling ebook readers: "oh". Apple selling ebook readers: exciting. Besides, if Apple dominates the market then at least one of its competitors will adopt a price-leading position...meaning that your dream of a $60 reader will come true. |
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01-28-2010, 06:41 AM | #72 | |
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Which is unique among smartphones: usually, those who buy smartphones use them to replace their regular mobile AND have dozens of other functions (think blackberry, windows mobile, android...). If whay I wrote is not limited to Italy (it may well be), it means that people do not buy the iPhone to use it for its two main purposes (it's i-PHONE: it makes calls, and it's the son of the iPod, so it's also a great mp3 player), but for... what? for everything else. It's a pretty toy. It does a little of everything, and not as good as a dedicated device, BUT is pocket-sized and for the normal people that's enough. Oddly enough, the "normal people" end up buying also dedicated devices (at least for phone calls and mp3). What I expect from the iPad is that: people who need powerful computers (like me - I'm a programmer) will stick with PCs and Notebooks: I found the idea of a Netbook a great idea, for example, but I never bought one and will never buy one because it lacks the power and capability to run either Eclipse or Visual Studio, and I need them for work, and the iPad is the same; People who REALLY need a multi-capable device, though, will not buy it and instead buy a Laptop or MacBook. I mean, I know the iPad has a pretty and shiny photogallery application but... ehrm... how do I put my camera's pictures in that? It doesn't have neither a USB port nor a card reader! On the other hand, people who really need multi-capable transportable device are already sticking to laptops (including MacBooks), because those are still the only devices which can do everything, and have everything embedded (I'm speaking of webcams, CD readers, Card readers, wifi et al). People who need a device that does only a few things while sitting on their armchair, will probably buy it. I see it as a good device to kill some time: it will play nice games (not graphics-intensive ones but nice games nonetheless), it will play music, it will play movies, it will let you read books, it will browse the web and it will show you your holiday's pictures. Essentially, what people buy netbooks for, without the extra-parts of netbooks. People who just want an ebook-reader probably won't buy it, otherwise they would have bought already a non-dedicated device. And then there are fanboys who will buy anything from their favourite brand But every brand has at least a few fanboys (even Microsoft, you know) so I do not analize them. In the end, I believe that the iPad will cause netbook sales to drop; it won't cause ebook readers sales to drop, but it will make ebook sales grow. It won't "steal" customers from Amazon and Sony, instead it will create its own new customers base. The same way the iPhone did NOT steal customers to Blackberry, but made its own new, larger customer base. |
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01-28-2010, 06:48 AM | #73 |
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Since legibility is the basic requirement for type which must supersede all other issues, I find this statement bizarre in the extreme. A 200dpi device is automatically better than a 132dpi one for displaying type.
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01-28-2010, 07:02 AM | #74 |
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Why?
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01-28-2010, 07:04 AM | #75 |
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Agreed, the iFap will probably turn out to be a good enough reading device for 95% of the population. Since that 95% don't read or buy books, one has to question just how much impact it will actually have on e-book publishing (periodicals, 'nother story. Also potentially reference/scholarly work, depending on the app support).
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