Quote:
Originally Posted by Moejoe
... My thinking at the moment, and after spending some time using the iTouch as a standalone reader, is that the ebook reader might never be anything more than a niche product....
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Trust me, when I say that the 3.5" screen of the iPhone/iPod is unusable, for most people, for anything but a (very) short read.
The e-ink technology is a totally different animal, and a totally different experience, IMO.
Multi-function is good, but not for everything: I carry a MacBook everywhere when I travel, but I'd never read a book on it on the plane or the hotel. A skinny e-reader is a much more book-like experience and that's why I have one.
I am not saying they'll become as common as cell phones, but I don't think everyone who has a cell phone in the world reads, or is even literate.
But for the foreseeable future, enough people will continue to read. And the new medium will be something like e-ink. Cheaper, better quality, thinner, in color, internet-enabled, flexible, etc., maybe. But not made of paper.