Quote:
Originally Posted by markm
Once again, why haven't e-books progressed at a rate similar to notebooks?
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Because the technology needed to make an appealing e-book reader wasn't commercially viable in 1998 -- that's one way of looking at it.
Example: computers today are so powerful, and so capable, that the basic model of computer is dirt cheap, and many people only need basic models to check their email and do basic web surfing. On the other hand, gamers are still spending $2000 on their hardware.
I believe it was entirely necessary for a better display technology. Unfortunately, the general population's view of available display technologies does not include eInk, generally speaking. When I show my eBook device to someone who has never seen or read about eInk, the first thing they ALWAYS say is "Wow, that screen is much better than I thought!" Even Bezos points this out in his K-DX message up on Amazon's home page at the moment.
But since eInk hasn't hit critical mass to make the panels cheaply, it still costs money. As does the EVDO modem, the Sprint wireless service, etc...
Once the technology for modern eBook devices hits commodity status, then you'll see the price drop that you're looking for.
Am I making sense?