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The kindle will do fine for several years to come. Who knows after that. The kindle has dropped by almost 2/3rd's in price. eInk has it's own virtues independent of price as well.
However, just as silly as the "kindle will die" articles, are the "eInk is for real dedicated readers" rubbish that's spouted by so many on this forum. Sure, if you like eInk, great. But that's an area of _preference_ not objective fact. Sure, for reading in direct sunlight it certainly rules but that's such a SMALL percentage of most people's reading.
The results are in on the iPad already. Those who have one overwhelmingly find it a nice reading experience. Some prefer it to eInk, some still like their eInk readers better. Only a very tiny portion of folks actually dislike the iPad reading experience. And there are those tiny amount of folks that don't like eInk screens.
Sure, sizable majority of customers buying the iPad do not have reading as their primary use case. Everyone who buys a kindle intends to use it for reading. But that's nothing surprising since it ONLY is useful for reading.
The iPad does indeed have it's own set of use cases where it clearly is superior. You can buy from all the major stores via the iPad. Not so with the kindle, nook, or Sony. It has a color screen. There is no delay or blinking going from page to page. There is a variety of reading apps to choose from that all have more functionality than any of the readers. Comics, magazines -- there is a clear superiority for the iPad. If you want to include the web for it's reading aspects, the iPad rules there as well.
While the iPad can't hold a candle to any eInk reader in the full sun, it does just fine in the shade. And for more of us like reading in the shade to baking in the sun. Indoors, the backlit screen is often far superior -- no book light needed.
You know the iPad apps will get better and better -- but the kindle pretty much needs to be upgraded to the new model to get any better.
I'm not saying the iPad _IS_ better, but that that there are points in favor of each. Depending on one's own needs and preferences, one device or the other will be the optimal choice.
However, beyond reading, the iPad is a highly desirable device for lots of other reasons, in ADDITION to being an excellent reading device. That's why it's going to sell over 10 million this year, and over 15 million the next. Then thrown in the 10's of millions of Android tablets that are going to sell next year as well.
The multi-function tablets are indeed going to eclipse the dedicated readers as "the main market" for ebooks. But there is nothing on the horizon that's going to do away with dedicated eInk readers for at least the next few years.
Lee
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