MobileRead Forums - View Single Post

Kitabi · 01-07-2011, 08:48 AM

I was reading this:

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/p...-inch-version/

The biggest complaint us e-readers have with LCD screens is the eye strain and the glare. So, if this Pixel Qi screen can be combined with an appropriate anti-glare coating, we would end up with an acceptable-to-the-eyes LCD screen tablet.

The second on the list of complaints tends to be the weight. With regular advances in SoCs (System on Chip), the amount of circuitry is constantly shrinking on to the same piece of silicon. A few years down the line, if someone can come up with a tablet 12 oz or lighter, this problem would be solved. This is not a far out scenario either considering the Nook Color is 16 oz and the Nook Classic is 12 oz. Those weight limits seem to be an acceptable trade off to some users if the price and features are right. An even lighter weight, of course, is just icing on the cake.

The third thing on the list is battery life. While LCD screens do not provide a great battery life, the like or dislike of charging frequently is a subjective matter. Many people are already in the habit of charging their portables daily and so it is not a big deal for them. Those who are headed to the Himalayan wilderness with their eReaders - well no gizmo ever is for everyone.

There are a number of other mostly subjective objections to tablets as readers like the distraction factor of other apps - I am leaving them out in this post in favor of physical limitations.

Now for the advantages.

The big one for me would be the death of format wars. Since each seller can develop their own app for tablets, one can have the best of both AZW and EPUB worlds - an argument that has caused so much heartburn here on MR. There are, of course, problems with this approach - us readers would much prefer a unified library of our books. But hey, I would take this as a first step.

The other thing I like about tablets is that they are multi-function devices. Many people who would like to carry tablets would not care to carry another device just for reading. This solves the problem. Also, right now, a large number of people are on their first eReaders. IMHO a lot of these people would eventually feel the pinch of buying a reader every so often a drain on their book budget. Buying a multi-function device is a great way of offloading the reader purchase into the gadget budget.

Third, as demonstrated by Nook Color facebook integration, tablets allow for better integration with other apps. For those enthusiastic about it, there is the video and text integration creating a new kind of "book". While I am not into this personally, I can see great uses of it in textbooks and in integrating animation into children's books.

Notice I do not mention color as an advantage since color e-ink has already been announced and any faded or weird color issues should eventually get resolved.

In summary, I would say that IMHO eReaders are going to become a niche market if tablet makers use technology and marketing to their advantage. Tablets are the future of eReading.

01-07-2011, 08:48 AM	#1
Kitabi Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 66 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook	Tablets are the future of eReading I was reading this: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/p...-inch-version/ The biggest complaint us e-readers have with LCD screens is the eye strain and the glare. So, if this Pixel Qi screen can be combined with an appropriate anti-glare coating, we would end up with an acceptable-to-the-eyes LCD screen tablet. The second on the list of complaints tends to be the weight. With regular advances in SoCs (System on Chip), the amount of circuitry is constantly shrinking on to the same piece of silicon. A few years down the line, if someone can come up with a tablet 12 oz or lighter, this problem would be solved. This is not a far out scenario either considering the Nook Color is 16 oz and the Nook Classic is 12 oz. Those weight limits seem to be an acceptable trade off to some users if the price and features are right. An even lighter weight, of course, is just icing on the cake. The third thing on the list is battery life. While LCD screens do not provide a great battery life, the like or dislike of charging frequently is a subjective matter. Many people are already in the habit of charging their portables daily and so it is not a big deal for them. Those who are headed to the Himalayan wilderness with their eReaders - well no gizmo ever is for everyone. There are a number of other mostly subjective objections to tablets as readers like the distraction factor of other apps - I am leaving them out in this post in favor of physical limitations. Now for the advantages. The big one for me would be the death of format wars. Since each seller can develop their own app for tablets, one can have the best of both AZW and EPUB worlds - an argument that has caused so much heartburn here on MR. There are, of course, problems with this approach - us readers would much prefer a unified library of our books. But hey, I would take this as a first step. The other thing I like about tablets is that they are multi-function devices. Many people who would like to carry tablets would not care to carry another device just for reading. This solves the problem. Also, right now, a large number of people are on their first eReaders. IMHO a lot of these people would eventually feel the pinch of buying a reader every so often a drain on their book budget. Buying a multi-function device is a great way of offloading the reader purchase into the gadget budget. Third, as demonstrated by Nook Color facebook integration, tablets allow for better integration with other apps. For those enthusiastic about it, there is the video and text integration creating a new kind of "book". While I am not into this personally, I can see great uses of it in textbooks and in integrating animation into children's books. Notice I do not mention color as an advantage since color e-ink has already been announced and any faded or weird color issues should eventually get resolved. In summary, I would say that IMHO eReaders are going to become a niche market if tablet makers use technology and marketing to their advantage. Tablets are the future of eReading.