01-17-2011, 10:56 AM | #1 |
Wizard
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A second issue for thought
Will tablet PCs act to hold down the cost of electronic readers?
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01-17-2011, 12:47 PM | #2 |
Wizard
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in the short term, yes. In the longer term, dedicated ereaders will no longer be produced and we will all buy tablets instead.
eP |
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01-17-2011, 12:51 PM | #3 |
NewKindler
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There will always be markets for both universal devices like laptop based tablets, and for dedicated items like the readers. Since the readers use some of the same hardware only lower powered, if tablet prices drop, so will reader prices. One will not prevent or stop production of the other, sure there will likely be a point where the line is blurred, where it is a reader with some limited app usage, or a basic tablet with limited app usage, but those will be the cross overs. The individual items will retain their markets and not really affect each other much.
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01-17-2011, 12:57 PM | #4 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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01-17-2011, 01:01 PM | #5 |
Wizard
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but who is to say that all tablets in the future will be greasy-fingerprinted-up, touch-screen-sporting, no-physical-keyboard-having monstrosities?
fyi - my touchscreen Sony has no greasy fingerprints on it. It just doesn't. But my point is, in the future we could have tablets with a chicklit keyboard at the bottom, or something else we haven't considered yet. eP |
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01-17-2011, 01:03 PM | #6 |
eReader
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Dedicated reading devices are always going to be a niche market, but as long as they retain their advantages over multi-function tablets there will be room in the market for them.
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01-17-2011, 01:11 PM | #7 |
Wizard
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The future just about has to belong to either virtual heads-up displays (glasses or projection direct onto the eye) or else direct brain stimulation (implant, mental waves, or whatever). Sure, I could be wrong but those two make the most sense to me.
Why dedicate hardware surfaces for something that can be miniaturized or discarded? If we get enough network bandwidth installed across enough geography I also think we'll head back toward the 'dumb terminal' approach of yesteryear. Almost all the processing and storage will be remote (e.g. cloud computing). It gives content providers the most control and does have some advantages in terms of rolling out forced updates. Devices will become tasked with only display, network connection, and short term memory functions. |
01-17-2011, 01:19 PM | #8 |
NewKindler
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I still believe that there will be a demand for private personal storage even if things did turn to more of a cloud computing type of system. Too many of us prefer to keep our personal stuff private and that is something that has been more or less maintained throughout the ages.
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01-17-2011, 01:44 PM | #9 |
Wizard
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The entire ebook/ereader market as it now exists was defined and created by e-ink and its dedicated devices. IMO tablets are irrelevant to their price other than possibly increasing the production of some shared components and increasing the competition for consumers' disposable income, unless they release book sized tablets with e-ink displays (or equivalent tech) suitable for that level of computing power, which may be a while.
If the demand for ereaders were about portable computing then they wouldn't exist, nor would the Kindle (et al) have sold eleventy-five gazillion units in a market where your average Android phone makes an ereader's computing power look like a pocket calculator. Last edited by OtterBooks; 01-17-2011 at 01:50 PM. |
01-17-2011, 01:51 PM | #10 | |
NewKindler
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I believe the next step will actually be an OLED device that is rigid but almost as thin as thin cardboard or even paper... a decade or so down the road. |
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01-17-2011, 02:14 PM | #11 | |
Wizard
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01-17-2011, 03:01 PM | #12 | |
Grand Master of Flowers
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01-17-2011, 03:15 PM | #13 |
Seriously?
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No, we ALL won't. Not everyone wants or needs a low cost, multifunction device. There will always be a market for well made, high quality products dedicated to a single purpose.
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01-18-2011, 06:06 AM | #14 |
The Introvert
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01-18-2011, 11:27 AM | #15 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
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I do see dedicated ebook readers going the way of PDAs. Almost no-one has a PDA now, anyone wanting the functionality of a PDA has a smart phone.
When a low power, fast response, high contrast (greyscale or colour) reflective screen comes out, it will cost so much little extra to make it a general tablet that making a dedicated ereader just won't make sense. |
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