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face it, dedicated readers are by definition one-dimensional. Years back people on this site screamed, kicked and cried that by the gauds nobody was going to make their devices multipurpose. Well places like Amazon, Sony and others did not.
Slate or tablet devices are by definition multipurpose. Multipurpose is what a student or business user needs. Business users drive the market in all areas. A business does not want a dozen one-dimensional devices where a single multipurpose device will serve and serve in a far better fashion.
One company, well two in a way as the share a common heritage, that is Pocketbook and Onyx are actively developing multipurpose using eink screens. None of the other brands are even sniffing around in this area. I know Pocketbooks is actively and aggressively pursuing the education market in Ukraine and I can only assume Onyx is close on their heals. None of the other US or international brands are even in the game so far. This leaves the market wide open to brands with experience in multipurpose devices targeted at the business market. And what wins in the business market dictates the consumer marker via a trickle-down effect.
I don't think it is more complicated that this. Eventually all devices will be multipurpose and the one-dimensional reading only devices will be relegated to a niche market. Granted it is not an insignificant niche but that niche is currently in the process of the actual consumers getting older and dying off. As those users croak they are replaced by users who understand the value of multipurpose devices as they have used them their entire life, most in fact preferring them as they do not feel the multipurpose nature of the design is at all distracting.
Now sit back and watch as the curmudgeonly old guard swoop in and poo-poo this idea. It's usually funny to follow. Me? I say we need both but the reality is it is cheaper and more cost effective for a device maker to produce one multipurpose device to service the marketplace than try and juggle half a dozen devices each trying to serve a single function. So we must just accept this is where the market is going.
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