Quote:
Originally Posted by EowynCarter
They'll still be there. Cellphone can do photo, vidéo, music. But we still have dedicated PMP and camera. Because they do their one job better.
Tomorrow's dedicated readers won't be the same as today's, buy you'll still find device to do that one job, at cheaper than the "do-it-all" stuff.
I can't see myself using a 5" cellphone, and that's a bare minimum to read with some comfort.
Though maybe, instead of cellphone + cybook, it will be cell phone and 6" video + music + book reader.
PMP is where i think "reeding" will blend in, mainly because video and reading have in common needing a larger screen.
Then, you will find people to think : I just want to read, i don't want to spend $$ on functions I don't care about.
Just like there are some people to think "i want to play music, i don't care about video anyway"
That the case now, prices means only people reeding lot will consider an e-reader. But if e-readers gets really cheaper, that might change.
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A lot of it depends on the state of the e-paper industry. There may be a division within the tablet industry between reflective displays and transmissive displays, but reflective-display tablets, unless EPD technology stagnates and none of its usurpers actually gain ground, will be capable of web functions and general media consumption. Software being developed for current tablet platforms will pave the way towards usability that reflective-screen devices have thus far never enjoyed.
There will also be a high end and a low end, with the low end being promoted for more primitive functions like reading and web browsing. However, unless a significant price disparity remains, even the bottom of the range will involve diverse media.
Of course, this involves a LOT of assumption about where the e-paper market is going. Qualcomm and Liquavista seem to lean towards convergence, with power savings being an equalizer. E-Ink and other EPD companies are thus far aiming at a divergent market, but that is largely due to their inability to produce screens with rapid refresh. I suspect the tablet market today would be quite different if a huge OEM went with something like Pixel Qi and Tegra 2 and all the copycablets followed suit instead of LCD/Atom combos. Readers and tablets would not wholly converge, but they'd be a hell of a lot closer.