MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - PCs are best for e-reading, Microsoft's Ballmer says

BillSmithBooks · 10-09-2009, 07:20 PM

It makes me cringe to have to admit that I kind of, sort of, almost...gack...agree with Ballmer on this (being a proud Linux user and all).

I really believe the dominant ebook reading platform will ultimately be tablets (including slightly larger IPhone-ish/media player devices) and netbooks that handle a huge number of ordinary computing tasks and HAPPEN to read ebooks, too.

I really believe the dedicated ebook reader is a short-term fad just because the devices are rather large but limited in their capabilities.

The combination of multi-functionality and the ever decreasing costs which will lead to $100 netbooks only a year or so down the road suggest to me that netbooks and media players will rule the marketplace not too far in the future.

10-09-2009, 07:20 PM	#29
BillSmithBooks Padawan Learner Posts: 243 Karma: 1085815 Join Date: May 2009 Location: www.OutlawGalaxy.com, Foothills of NY's Adirondack mountains Device: My PC...using Puppy Linux (FBReader, Calibre, Kindle Cloud Reader,	Cringing even as I type this... It makes me cringe to have to admit that I kind of, sort of, almost...gack...agree with Ballmer on this (being a proud Linux user and all). I really believe the dominant ebook reading platform will ultimately be tablets (including slightly larger IPhone-ish/media player devices) and netbooks that handle a huge number of ordinary computing tasks and HAPPEN to read ebooks, too. I really believe the dedicated ebook reader is a short-term fad just because the devices are rather large but limited in their capabilities. The combination of multi-functionality and the ever decreasing costs which will lead to $100 netbooks only a year or so down the road suggest to me that netbooks and media players will rule the marketplace not too far in the future.