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[E-readers provide the] ability to focus on a single task. Nearly every tablet available today is capable of reading digital content thanks to software options. Indeed, it’s the software that makes tablets so desirable: With just a small download, the device can do some new task. But e-readers are generally single-purpose devices allowing people to simply read and not worry about e-mails, social networks, app notifications, or other activities that take away from the experience of curling up with a good book.
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This is an interesting point. E-readers are a product of a different evolution path than that of tablets. E-readers are a means of perceiving traditional, non-interactive stories; they are the descendant of clay tablets, scrolls, and the products of Gutenberg's printing press. Tablets, on the other hand, are a new version of computers. The e-reader is a presentational device, the tablet is an interactive device. I think that while there are people who seek to perceive information without necessarily simultaneously sharing information, e-readers will persevere. It is interesting what will happen, however, when the children who are growing up with smart phones and Twitter become adults and start determining the market.