The Ereader big four

[jbcohen]

Interesting results I_Macd, I would not have thought that Android would be that popular as an ereader. I guess if I really want to be able to read ebooks on my phone I really need an android. Out of curiosity what is the population size? In experimental psychology we would call that the value of N. Since users self register with mobile read there is no problem with randomizing the population. Looks like the big four would be Kindle, Kobo, android and Sony.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Interesting results I_Macd, I would not have thought that Android would be that popular as an ereader.

For the ebook hobbyist/enthusiast android is pretty much the top mobile platform; you have uncrippled access to all but one of the major ebookstores, you have a choice of a dozen good or better reading apps. There are several calibre assistant apps and there is easy access to the file system.

The OS may not be as robust as others but the app ecosystem is as good as any. The only better option is Win8 because it can run Calibre natively.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Interesting results I_Macd, I would not have thought that Android would be that popular as an ereader. I guess if I really want to be able to read ebooks on my phone I really need an android. Out of curiosity what is the population size? In experimental psychology we would call that the value of N. Since users self register with mobile read there is no problem with randomizing the population. Looks like the big four would be Kindle, Kobo, android and Sony.

I don't know how true that is, the MobileRead user base is biased towards knowledgeable users, aren't we?

[bbpo8]

For the ebook hobbyist/enthusiast android is pretty much the top mobile platform

For me, Android (a Kobo tablet) is for browsing the web and skimming articles.

For immersive reading, I go to e-ink devices (Kobo or Kindle).

Two very different uses.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by bbpo8

For me, Android (a Kobo tablet) is for browsing the web and skimming articles.

For immersive reading, I go to e-ink devices (Kobo or Kindle).

Two very different uses.

Maybe for you, however, more and more sworn eink only readers are now going over to tablets like the Nexus 7.2. As the tablets continue to improve, they become better at being readers.

And there are plenty of us that don't allow ourselves to get distracted by whatever else a tablet can do.

If you want to read, all you have to do is turn off wifi, and put the machine in airplane mode and now what you have is a dedicated ereader. This is how I use my tablet and 99% of the time my Note 2 as well.

I use my tv to watch shows & movies, and if I read magazines, I would use my pc for that. The only thing I will multi-task with my tablet/phone is with music. It comes in very handy when I'm stuck on the train with a screaming baby! I just put on my headphones crank up the volume & read my book in peace.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Since users self register with mobile read there is no problem with randomizing the population. Looks like the big four would be Kindle, Kobo, android and Sony.

That's not how randomizing works. You need a random sample *that accurately reflects the relevant population* in terms of age, race, sex, education, income, etc.

MR readers aren't selected at random - they choose to join the site. And there's no reason to assume that they/we accurately reflect the e-book reader demographic.

[FacebookVirus]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

That's not how randomizing works. You need a random sample *that accurately reflects the relevant population* in terms of age, race, sex, education, income, etc.

MR readers aren't selected at random - they choose to join the site. And there's no reason to assume that they/we accurately reflect the e-book reader demographic.

Exactly. Self-selection isn't randomization. That's why online polls are basically noise and nothing more.

[bbpo8]

more and more sworn eink only readers are now going over to tablets like the Nexus 7.2. As the tablets continue to improve, they become better at being readers.

Reading the surveys, I had the impression that most tablets are bought by a different demographic than people who use e-ink readers. Watching movies, listening to music, and browsing the web are the more common activity on tablets, rather than multi-hour reading sessions.

I love my tablet. It is fast, flexible and displays color. Reading PDFs is a pleasure, not the headache it is on most e-readers.

However, e-ink readers have characteristics which tablets are hard pressed to match. Battery recharging is barely an issue with e-ink readers whereas it is always on my mind with the tablet.

I and many others are bothered by the bright tablet displays. I read for many hours a day and I welcome every opportunity to get away from the computer screen.

Reading paper or e-ink relaxes me and lets me slip into the world of the book.

So for me it's not a question of which is better. The challenge is to understand the different characteristics of each and take advantage of them.

I suspect e-ink may be a niche market for hardcore readers, while Android will go merrily on its way to world domination.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by bbpo8

I suspect e-ink may be a niche market for hardcore readers, while Android will go merrily on its way to world domination.

This. E-ink for reading, Android for general stuff.

Another problem with tablets (for me anyway) is that I don't like the 16:9 aspect ratio for reading; it's too narrow. I tried my new phone (a 5" Huawei Ascend G700) for a short while, but went back to my Aura HD in a hurry.

[fjtorres]

A lot of hobbyist/enthusiasts are multiplatform buyers, demand more reading app controls than the vendor apps typically provide, and/or read more than just straight text ebooks (comics, magazines, etc). Those users are more likely to find solutions in the tablet world.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

Another problem with tablets (for me anyway) is that I don't like the 16:9 aspect ratio for reading; it's too narrow.

That's why I like reading on the iPad Mini; I find its 4:3 aspect ratio better for reading than the 16:10 aspect ratio of most Android tablets.

[Tarana]

I did not see anyone company as "leading the way" in terms of innovations.

B&N actually was the first with the light.

What possible innovations, other than more lightweight, would we even want in an ereader? Anything you add, in terms of hardware, would add weight which none of us want. All I can think of is software related - I'd like to be able to have more control of the online cloud library. It's a nightmare when you have more than one person with access, wanting different genres of books. I can only do it using Calibre, but it is maddening since even the search doesn't always work (and it doesn't matter which - Amazon, B&N, Kobo).

[Heim]

Actually, it surprises me that the Sony PRS-T3 doesn't have a frontlight. Are they gearing themselves towards those customers who do not desire a frontlit ereader? What is the reason behind this decision?

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by Tarana

B&N actually was the first with the light.

As AnemicOak posted: "The Sony PRS-700 was the first IIRC. The Nook Glow was the first using an earlier version of the light guide tech used now."

Sony's PRS-700 was from 2008 or something wasn't it?

@ Aer - The fact that the PRS-700 was such a disaster (the tech for lighting ereaders wasn't good enough at that time) is possibly why Sony didn't try a frontlight with the T3. You know the saying, 'Once bitten, twice shy'?

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

You are exploring things I did not think of, which is why I wrote this to begin with. Let's take this in two pieces, one in US and the other global. I have no idea who the major players are on a global scale.

In the Netherlands, the big players are, in this order:

- Kobo
- Sony
- Apple iPad Mini and Google Nexus 7 (the split between the two is unknown to me), running an EPUB reader app.

The Kindle is almost non-existent except for the people who import it on purpose, for varying reasons. Most people don't dare to buy one of the smaller brands such as Icarus, Bookeen, Boox, and so on; there will be people who do, but I've only once seen a reader that was not a Kobo, Sony or Kindle in the wild. (Not counting my own Bokeen in 2007.) You can basically only get them online. I've never seen any reader besides Kobo's and Sony's in retail stores; not where I live at least.

The Nook doesn't exist here for all intents and purposes. I only know of one store that imports it, but very rarely sells them. It's always out of stock, so I think they import them on order.