Quote:
Originally Posted by harryE123
But the fact that after so long we still can't get a meagre 9.7 screen one that isn't tied to amazon to read an epub on that is a failure of the technology evolving to "focusing on the activity of reading and the people themselves.", not some wet fantasy a techie like myself might have of what they'd want a device to do.
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On the one hand you say Amazon is stifling the competition; on the other you note only Amazon sells a 9.7" reader, your desired format. The reality is that these will come to market when the public is ready -- you may be, but the public isn't. If 9.7" readers were highly desired, Irex would still be prospering and Amazon would be promoting the DX heavily.
And as fjtorres notes, Kindle is an environment -- and that's the business model which will win (as Apple has aptly proven with iPod/iTunes). Why? because it meets the needs of consumers who vote with their wallets. If you don't like Kindle, watch out for Kobo: its strategy is the same -- build a great bookstore and make the content readable on many different devices.
The whole DRM thing remains a huge red herring: it has no significant impact on the vast majority of e-book buyers. Yes, Kindle e-books don't work on a Sony/Kobo; but they work on all Kindles and a variety of other devices. (Kindle ebooks can also be simultaneously shared within a family on the same account.) Books purchased for Sony/Kobo and most ePub players work just fine on that class of devices. The great majority of content is available on both platforms; and in the past three months, e-readers have dropped low enough so you can afford both a Kindle 3 wifi and a Kobo for the price of a mainstream reader in June -- giving you best of both worlds.
E-readers are gaining in popularity because they do their job well, and they are easy to operate: which includes the purchase cycle. They are a lot like HDTVs: no one wants to fiddle to alter the picture, or adjust the reception. Sure, there are Home Theatre fans -- but everyone just wants plug-n-play. The latest Kindle 3 is a marked improvement on the Kindle 2 with improved screen, more user controls, better connectivity and at half the price. All this in a year. I think things are moving along just fine.