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Originally Posted by NatCh
I don't think this is true of the current crop of e-ink devices, they all three allow non-proprietary file types (RFT/TXT/PDF). Or am I missing what you're trying to say?
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Well, I think I'm trying to say several things at once, and it is getting muddy.
The iLiad supports HTML and PDF, but neither in a what I would call a superb way. As for the Sony device, we won't really know until we have them in people's hands; I'm unwilling to take anything Sony says at face value until I can test it for myself.
Irex clearly is not getting into the content business, but just about every one of Sony's endeavors in the past 10 years has been all about leveraging content to own the operating platform. Nevermind that said strategy has been hurting them pretty badly, I still see no real evidence that that mindset is changing. (The current issue of Wired has an interesting article on this very thing, discussing the poor fortunes of the PS3 as a case in point.)
Most consumers had piles of CDs lying around they could rip onto their mp3 players; but converting printed text is a lot more difficult. So while the ability to repurpose existing content is critical, by itself it will not make the device a mass market product, if by mass market we mean the millions and millions that Sony's CEO says he wants.
I think the real potential for the next five years or so is going to be vertical markets. Rolling this out to end consumers as a recreational reading device will probably be the last application of eInk.
So to sum up: Electronic book devices cannot be closed ecosystems otherwise early adopters won't take to them; there has to be a network of content providers with enough material to entice consumers; the cost of entry has to come down a lot to become mass market; the cost of content will have to be lower than the paper editions, particularly if heavy DRM usage turns purchases into rentals; and manufacturers and publishers will have to show great patience because this is a market that will take a lot of time and effort to develop.
Unfortunately, I am only seeing baby steps on the first two points and very little on the rest.