Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcCunney
The prediction that the iPad would kill the dedicated reader has been made before, and proved untrue. The iPad has been out for a while, and is doing nicely thank you, but the Kindle, Sony Reader, BN nook and other things still sell.
I'm not in the market for a dedicated reader. I need color support, and a device that does other things besides display books. I'm also not concerned by battery life, as I already have things I charge by reflex on a daily basis, and don't see adding another to be an imposition.
But other folks differ. They find eInk to be easier to read for extended periods, like the increased battery life, find the form factor easier to deal with, and appreciate the simplicity of a device intended to do one particular thing.
There are enough of them that reader manufacturers are still in business and are likely to remain so.
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Dennis
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I agree about multi-purpose and color. I have read several ebooks now on LCD devices: Linux netbook, Pandigital Color Novel (white-frame model), and now Archos 5 IT (still getting back into reading instead of all this random 'Net cruising
). Tablets and netbooks are great for me.
I have found though, that it must be light enough (or easily propped as with a netbook), to not make my carpal tunnel numbness kick in, so that is why I am enjoying the Archos now. I just returned a Huawei S7 when I realized that despite being about the most powerful and featureful Android tablet going (for the price), it was too heavy for prolonged holding (built-in kickstand is only for landscape mode, which I do not like for prolonged reading). The iPad was never a consideration for me - as soon as I held it in a store, I realized it was too big, heavy, and sharp-edged for me to want to have much contact with it, and the pricing and Apple walled-garden approach "sealed its doom".
I also found that even a Sony Touch was a bit awkward to hold due to its awkward-to-hold hard, thin angularity (too much tight gripping for my carpal nerve), and eInk is not all that appealing since I had to fiddle with holding it just right to get external lighting where I needed it - the Sony cover/booklight I got for it was really annoying that way with the light glaring directly in my eyes or reflecting off the screen.
On the 5-inch Archos I put whichever reader software I am using (Kindle/Nook/Kobo/Aldiko/etc) in white-on-black mode (sepia background for Nook Android version, unlike the B&N reader software included on the PDN, which could do black background), and I can read it about anywhere anytime, except outside (no biggie - not a sun-worshipper), since it is so slim/light/pocketable. I find myself taking it along almost all the time when I go out and about so I can read, surf, or check email, take notes, etc when I have spare moments - a usage mode the bigger tablets do not accommodate nearly so well.
YMMV