If there are $100 9.7'' basic e-reader, will you buy it ?

[baicalin]

Literally, I think currently e-readers have insane price. especially in over 9.7 inch. I'm sure useless functions make device expansive. So I am preparing to make basic e reader (only can support PDF viewing ) as $100. How do you think about this ?

[Shades]

There are plenty of cheap Chinese tablets that would probably be fine for reading pdfs under $100.

If you mean eink ereaders, then I am not sure why you would choose pdf... That's my most despised format for reading on an ereader. Not to mention that $100 is too much for a simple device that can only display pdf files.

[baicalin]

I'm currently funding for it. I means currently i need some kind of feedback. I thought PDF format is enough both paper(a treatise) and e book. PDF format isn't attractive for e book readers ?

Originally Posted by Shades

There are plenty of cheap Chinese tablets that would probably be fine for reading pdfs under $100.

If you mean eink ereaders, then I am not sure why you would choose pdf... That's my most despised format for reading on an ereader. Not to mention that $100 is too much for a simple device that can only display pdf files.

[Shades]

Free flowing text is much more versatile than any PDF I have seen. Most ebook sellers, other than Amazon, use epub for their ebook downloads.

Support for at least one free-flowing format is a must, though I do like having the option to view pdfs as well. Most of my ebooks are epubs, some are mobi, and only maybe one or two are pdf.

I would recommend having epub support. Converting any other free flowing text files (i.e. mobi) to epub is pretty easy and frustration free with Calibre. Converting from PDF can be much more difficult, so it is good for a reader to have support for pdf.

[baicalin]

May I ask to advice to complement my campaign ? I am feeling keenly the necessity of personal e-reader user. It's paperS in indiegogo.

Originally Posted by Shades

Free flowing text is much more versatile than any PDF I have seen. Most ebook sellers, other than Amazon, use epub for their ebook downloads.

Support for at least one free-flowing format is a must, though I do like having the option to view pdfs as well. Most of my ebooks are epubs, some are mobi, and only maybe one or two are pdf.

I would recommend having epub support. Converting any other free flowing text files (i.e. mobi) to epub is pretty easy and frustration free with Calibre. Converting from PDF can be much more difficult, so it is good for a reader to have support for pdf.

[meeera]

I had a look at your indiegogo. I consider it vanishingly unlikely to succeed in its current format, and very very very unlikely to succeed at all with its current structure.

Your first step, if you are planning to continue doing this in English, is to work with a translator who is a native English speaker to completely rewrite your campaign.

[baicalin]

Is that weird easily noticeable ?

[meeera]

Your English is better than my Korean, but it's not grammatical at all, there are incorrect words, and it's nowhere near professional standard. I worked hard to understand your pitch, and still don't fully get what you're trying to do.

In addition, you're asking people to sink really quite large amounts of money for a return that will be questionable at best. I have no idea what experience you have with electronic engineering, with business and marketing, why you're choosing this particular way of building a device, what arrangements you have made with manufacturers of eink screens, what market research you have done, what experience you have with quality control, etc etc. I have no idea when you actually plan to deliver the product, as two months is patently ridiculous. The market is likely to have changed pretty dramatically a couple of years down the track. I have no idea whether you have actually ever delivered a product to a market before. I don't know why you're choosing bluetooth as the ebook delivery method (it's a massive battery suck). I don't know what your plans are to support the device, should it ever exist.

Above in this thread, you've shown that you're not at all familiar with the industry as it stands, as you seem to be assuming that PDF is a preferred ebook format.

[baicalin]

thanks to advice

Originally Posted by meeera

Your English is better than my Korean, but it's not grammatical at all, there are incorrect words, and it's nowhere near professional standard. I worked hard to understand your pitch, and still don't fully get what you're trying to do.

In addition, you're asking people to sink really quite large amounts of money for a return that will be questionable at best. I have no idea what experience you have with electronic engineering, with business and marketing, why you're choosing this particular way of building a device, what arrangements you have made with manufacturers of eink screens, what market research you have done, what experience you have with quality control, etc etc. I have no idea when you actually plan to deliver the product, as two months is patently ridiculous. The market is likely to have changed pretty dramatically a couple of years down the track. I have no idea whether you have actually ever delivered a product to a market before.

Above in this thread, you've shown that you're not at all familiar with the industry as it stands, as you seem to be assuming that PDF is a preferred ebook format.

[baicalin]

Although I appreciate your advice, most of your critics added later are totally nonsense, firstly, you treat this device as e-book reader. But Precisely It's not e-book reader, It's e-reader and it's replace paper and printer not book like kindle. 9.7''e ink display is more appropriate to reading papers, articles than book. Second about battery, I certainly plan this device as indoor device and no one want to carrying printer and especially in business circumstance they will be charged regularly. And I planed to use e ink doesn't has back light I also searched display panel price regarding scale. and I didnt say I will deliver in two month. I said I will open hompage in 2 weeks and the development will be spent two month. Do you think e book market is bigger than printer ? there is the reason why I chose PDF.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by baicalin

Although I appreciate your advice, most of your critics added later are totally nonsense, firstly, you treat this device as e-book reader. But Precisely It's not e-book reader, It's e-reader and it's replace paper and printer not book like kindle. 9.7''e ink display is more appropriate to reading papers, articles than book. Second about battery, I certainly plan this device as indoor device and no one want to carrying printer and especially in business circumstance they will be charged regularly. And I planed to use e ink doesn't has back light I also searched display panel price regarding scale. and I didnt say I will deliver in two month. I said I will open hompage in 2 weeks and the development will be spent two month. Do you think e book market is bigger than printer ? there is the reason why I chose PDF.

Now that makes even less sense. There is no real good reason to employ eink for a device mainly used indoors. To replace paper and not for ereading the 9.7" are not nearly enough. It would need to be a full size page so that PDFs can be displayed at 100%. Asking $100 for that would be awesome, but I don't see that happen at a 13 or 14 inch sized screen.

[Shades]

Originally Posted by baicalin

Although I appreciate your advice, most of your critics added later are totally nonsense, firstly, you treat this device as e-book reader. But Precisely It's not e-book reader, It's e-reader and it's replace paper and printer not book like kindle. 9.7''e ink display is more appropriate to reading papers, articles than book. Second about battery, I certainly plan this device as indoor device and no one want to carrying printer and especially in business circumstance they will be charged regularly. And I planed to use e ink doesn't has back light I also searched display panel price regarding scale. and I didnt say I will deliver in two month. I said I will open hompage in 2 weeks and the development will be spent two month. Do you think e book market is bigger than printer ? there is the reason why I chose PDF.

An ereader is an ebook reader. That is the definition of an ereader. What you are talking about is an eink tablet. That is as close a definition as I can understand.

I do not mean to be harsh, but there seem to be a lot of holes in your plan:

1. I do not know of anyone that wants to replace their printer with an eink device like that. This device does not make sense. If you need papers printed, then chances are you need to file them or submit them somewhere, not read them yourself.

2. It sounds like you want to make a cheaper version of the Sony Digital Paper. That thing costs $1000. It is overpriced, but it has many more features bundled in. There is no way you could make a device with similar functions for 10 times less.

3. And yes, the market for ebook readers is much, much higher than this paper replacement device.

4. After all of that, I do not see how you plan to sell this thing for $100 - $150. Adobe will want a licensing fee for using their technology (PDF, using their logos, etc.). Also, two months for development? That is really unrealistic. There is no way you could make this thing in that amount of time. Not to mention testing if it works correctly. What about the operating system? You would have either use Linux (modify it for your purposes), Android (also would need modifying) or develop your own. All three of those choices require a lot of hard work and testing. Hardware parts are not the only thing that goes into making something like this.

I am sorry, but this needs a lot more thought and research. Does the market even need such a device? I mean the Sony device is aimed at a particular audience: students and professionals, and I doubt they are selling very well because a tablet, either Android or iOS can already do what Sony is trying to push.

[baicalin]

No It's not cheaper version of sony device. Even I Want, I can't, 13.3 inch e -ink display is too expansive ($250) my device. Because I wan't to replace printer (mostly monochrome printer) I can't copy sony's device And I don't want it. The developing time was esteemed by embedded developing company.They said they need 2 month and $50000 (Even I have thought it's expansive and too slow) I want embedded linux (even i can, i want no operating system just viewing PDF and bluetooth connectivity) PDF viewer the hardware spec will be minimized. converting will be proceed in PC the device role is just displaying it (I don't want other function like stylus) I calculated product price by double of display price and I have been advised It's quite appropriate calculation. of course even do that, $100 is too cheap but I obviously said It's the goal and i apply the price on perk. You said You don't want replace paper & printer as e-ink device but I don't think so, do you know how much expansive ink jet printer and laser printer for business ? Even they provide poor user experience, the most expansive monochrome laser printer is $4000. provide 9.7 inch e-ink device instead of such solution is cheaper It means my camping is achievable because budget control everything in business. and can I paste this QnA conversation on indiegogo page ?

[baicalin]

Although I chose 9.7'' instead of 13.3 inch because it's too expansive($250), concerning blank, 9.7" is not seriously lacking size. It's replacement of printer It's obviously cheaper solution for monochrome printing. Well I think the reason why could be used e ink device indoor is It's more comfortable than LCD displays. It could be beneficial jobs to reading many document.

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Now that makes even less sense. There is no real good reason to employ eink for a device mainly used indoors. To replace paper and not for ereading the 9.7" are not nearly enough. It would need to be a full size page so that PDFs can be displayed at 100%. Asking $100 for that would be awesome, but I don't see that happen at a 13 or 14 inch sized screen.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by baicalin

9.7" is not seriously lacking size.

We have to agree to disagree on that. Apparently you haven't seen some of the small print that is just barely big enough to read when printed out at full size? If you believe that a company is wasting paper by printing things out needlessly then you are badly mistaken. Static pages need to be a lot less often accessed than you might think as well. Usually what does end up being printed out needs to be written on and kept as hard copy as part of record keeping. Did you ever see a paperless shipping office? I haven't. It is the 21st century, and yet the only printing technology that makes instant identical copies is still a dot matrix needle printer loaded with carbon paper. We got one of those in the shipping office where I work. It is sitting right next to the also needed big b/w laser copy / printer combo. Keeping everything digital only on a computer is an ambitious goal, but it is not happening anytime soon. My company supplies the automotive industry - and we NEED to keep years of hard copies of everything we produce and ship - every single order. Why? Not because we want to, but because all of our customers REQUIRE us to do it.