Quote:
Originally Posted by djgreedo
All this talk of e-readers vs tablets is almost certainly going to be moot within a few years. As you've pointed out, the technology will advance to a point where a tablet can have the features that they currently lack (paperlike screen, colour, video, etc.) that will make them better readers than the current e-ink devices.
All a tablet needs (for me at least) to replace my Kindle is a screen I can read comfortably (and that uses very little battery power). I'd love the reading functionality of the iPad in a reader with an e-ink screen.
For me it's not a matter of having a dedicated device vs an all-in-one device. I just want to do what I do in the best way possible, and for reading that is currently e-ink on my Kindle. I find that dedicated devices generally avoid compromise (until you get to the netbook/laptop size where the more the merrier applies in terms of functionality), but if a tablet arrives that can replicate the Kindle experience as well as tablet features I'd buy it.
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This is right on.
Right now there is a serious danger of the eReader dying out. iPad is the reason. It's not even a perfect eReader replacement yet, but already many people either have already or are considering abandoning their dedicated devices. All this, with an imperfect eReader, something that can be addressed very easily.
If Apple or another company can make the reading experience of tablets match that of an eReader, there will be very little reason left NOT to get one. Theres a very good chance this could happen now that they realize how much additional market they can capture by paying some attention to readers.
This is exactly what happened to dedicated word processors. For a while there was a need for them. But then came affordable PCs. And given that a computer provides so much more value than a word processor AND handles word processing perfectly, wordprocessors became useless.
People will always look for the device that provides the most value, that they can use all the time. Tablets are trying to give you that experience by loading up on very USEFUL apps, and one of them happen to be ebook readers. As of now, it nearly replaces the eReader. Nearly.