MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - $99 e-Reader article

mikij · 08-15-2010, 01:09 PM

As EricDP stated, I also became interested in these devices when Kobo hit the market with 149$ price tag.
However, I don't believe in a possibility to see one day sub-99$ e-readers. I would like to, but I don't believe

What I believe is something that happened with PCs: For the same money (let's say 150 bucks), you'll have more bang every time a new reader hits the market.
There will be a kind of standing price, a minimum below no manufacturer will go, but will offer new bells and whistles. Today, you still have PCs at 3000$ or more (gaming), as they existed 15 years ago when I bought a Pentium 1 for the same price. And today you can buy a double core laptop for 500-600$/4G RAM, 500G HD, the same price you paid for P4 laptop /1G RAM, 150 G HD several years ago. If there is something below this price, it is not a laptop, it is kind of sub-laptops based on Atom processor with a tiny screen you can barely use. Clearly, it is another category.
So, IMO, ereader manufacturers will do the same: in a near future, you'll have 3G, color e-ink and I-don't-know-what-else for the same price you pay for wi-fi, greyscale reader today. And I have no idea what will follow (pliable devices, double screen, whatever) for the same price, but years later.

08-15-2010, 01:09 PM	#13
mikij Connoisseur Posts: 98 Karma: 161 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Quebec, Canada Device: PRS-600	As EricDP stated, I also became interested in these devices when Kobo hit the market with 149$ price tag. However, I don't believe in a possibility to see one day sub-99$ e-readers. I would like to, but I don't believe What I believe is something that happened with PCs: For the same money (let's say 150 bucks), you'll have more bang every time a new reader hits the market. There will be a kind of standing price, a minimum below no manufacturer will go, but will offer new bells and whistles. Today, you still have PCs at 3000$ or more (gaming), as they existed 15 years ago when I bought a Pentium 1 for the same price. And today you can buy a double core laptop for 500-600$/4G RAM, 500G HD, the same price you paid for P4 laptop /1G RAM, 150 G HD several years ago. If there is something below this price, it is not a laptop, it is kind of sub-laptops based on Atom processor with a tiny screen you can barely use. Clearly, it is another category. So, IMO, ereader manufacturers will do the same: in a near future, you'll have 3G, color e-ink and I-don't-know-what-else for the same price you pay for wi-fi, greyscale reader today. And I have no idea what will follow (pliable devices, double screen, whatever) for the same price, but years later.