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Originally Posted by ultim8fury
Most people don't jot notes in novels. I don't want or need the ability to write in an e-book. I don't need or want another calendar application that I have to sync up with my main one. I certainly don't need mp3 playback as when I read a book, I read a book. There are no surrounding distractions to ruin my immersion in what I'm reading.
Selling to schools and businesses I can see a need for some input method, but whilst these markets are generally willing to pay more than avg joe consumer, there are more people out there who read for pleasure.
The divide in professional/consumer requirements is being addressed by iliad-pro and sony/hanlin - consumer.
If these devices live up to expectations the e-book market could get very active very quickly.
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As far as more than just ebook features, this makes sense considering the number of different devices already on the market. Who wants to carry around a cell phone, pda, digital camera, ebook reader, laptop, mp3 player, etc at the same time? An ebook reader is already going to be large enough to handle pda-type functions and still have a good battery life (especially with eink tech), so that isn't an issue.
Looking at a device in this broader context, mp3 playback isn't necessarily for when you are reading a book, but quite possibly for when you are not. A scheduler wouldn't be something to sync with your pda, but something to replace your pda. Rather than lugging around 5+ device, it would be better to just lug around one. Cheap ebook readers have their place, but anyone halfway interested in getting a pda would probably appreciate an ebook reader than can handle pda functions more than two devices for both jobs.