A second issue for thought

jbcohen · 01-17-2011, 11:56 AM

Will tablet PCs act to hold down the cost of electronic readers?

elemenoP · 01-17-2011, 01:47 PM

in the short term, yes. In the longer term, dedicated ereaders will no longer be produced and we will all buy tablets instead.

eP

screwballl · 01-17-2011, 01:51 PM

There will always be markets for both universal devices like laptop based tablets, and for dedicated items like the readers. Since the readers use some of the same hardware only lower powered, if tablet prices drop, so will reader prices. One will not prevent or stop production of the other, sure there will likely be a point where the line is blurred, where it is a reader with some limited app usage, or a basic tablet with limited app usage, but those will be the cross overs. The individual items will retain their markets and not really affect each other much.

DiapDealer · 01-17-2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

In the longer term, dedicated ereaders will no longer be produced and we will all buy tablets instead.

No. I refuse to acknowledge a future where the only way to read an ebook will be on a multi-function, greasy-fingerprinted-up, touch-screen-sporting, no-physical-keyboard-having monstrosity. I prefer my own reality.

elemenoP · 01-17-2011, 02:01 PM

but who is to say that all tablets in the future will be greasy-fingerprinted-up, touch-screen-sporting, no-physical-keyboard-having monstrosities?

fyi - my touchscreen Sony has no greasy fingerprints on it. It just doesn't. But my point is, in the future we could have tablets with a chicklit keyboard at the bottom, or something else we haven't considered yet.

eP

Lemurion · 01-17-2011, 02:03 PM

Dedicated reading devices are always going to be a niche market, but as long as they retain their advantages over multi-function tablets there will be room in the market for them.

Penforhire · 01-17-2011, 02:11 PM

The future just about has to belong to either virtual heads-up displays (glasses or projection direct onto the eye) or else direct brain stimulation (implant, mental waves, or whatever). Sure, I could be wrong but those two make the most sense to me.

Why dedicate hardware surfaces for something that can be miniaturized or discarded?

If we get enough network bandwidth installed across enough geography I also think we'll head back toward the 'dumb terminal' approach of yesteryear. Almost all the processing and storage will be remote (e.g. cloud computing). It gives content providers the most control and does have some advantages in terms of rolling out forced updates. Devices will become tasked with only display, network connection, and short term memory functions.

screwballl · 01-17-2011, 02:19 PM

I still believe that there will be a demand for private personal storage even if things did turn to more of a cloud computing type of system. Too many of us prefer to keep our personal stuff private and that is something that has been more or less maintained throughout the ages.

OtterBooks · 01-17-2011, 02:44 PM

The entire ebook/ereader market as it now exists was defined and created by e-ink and its dedicated devices. IMO tablets are irrelevant to their price other than possibly increasing the production of some shared components and increasing the competition for consumers' disposable income, unless they release book sized tablets with e-ink displays (or equivalent tech) suitable for that level of computing power, which may be a while.

If the demand for ereaders were about portable computing then they wouldn't exist, nor would the Kindle (et al) have sold eleventy-five gazillion units in a market where your average Android phone makes an ereader's computing power look like a pocket calculator.

screwballl · 01-17-2011, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

The entire ebook/ereader market as it now exists was defined and created by e-ink and its dedicated devices. IMO tablets are irrelevant to their price other than possibly increasing the production of some shared components and increasing the competition for consumers' disposable income, unless they release book sized tablets with e-ink displays (or equivalent tech) suitable for that level of computing power, which may be a while.

If the demand for ereaders were about portable computing then they wouldn't exist, nor would the Kindle have sold eleventy-five gazillion units in a market where your average Android phone makes an ereader's computing power look like a pocket calculator.

As I am a computer tech, eink was something I followed since it was first mentioned some years ago. Part of the reason is that there are pretty much only 2 sizes of current eink based readers, is because the smaller size was based on the average size of pages in a paper back book, and the larger reader screens come from the larger average size of hardback book paper. Outside of that, some companies are just trying to crowd the market with their LCD devices...

I believe the next step will actually be an OLED device that is rigid but almost as thin as thin cardboard or even paper... a decade or so down the road.

OtterBooks · 01-17-2011, 03:14 PM

Quote:

I believe the next step will actually be an OLED device that is rigid but almost as thin as thin cardboard or even paper... a decade or so down the road.

I think so too, at least for personal computing. OLED desktop monitors, huzzah.

Andrew H. · 01-17-2011, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penforhire

The future just about has to belong to either virtual heads-up displays (glasses or projection direct onto the eye) or else direct brain stimulation (implant, mental waves, or whatever). Sure, I could be wrong but those two make the most sense to me.

Why dedicate hardware surfaces for something that can be miniaturized or discarded?

If we get enough network bandwidth installed across enough geography I also think we'll head back toward the 'dumb terminal' approach of yesteryear. Almost all the processing and storage will be remote (e.g. cloud computing). It gives content providers the most control and does have some advantages in terms of rolling out forced updates. Devices will become tasked with only display, network connection, and short term memory functions.

Yeah, but I'm more interested in what will happen in the next 50 years.

david_e · 01-17-2011, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

in the short term, yes. In the longer term, dedicated ereaders will no longer be produced and we will all buy tablets instead.

eP

No, we ALL won't. Not everyone wants or needs a low cost, multifunction device. There will always be a market for well made, high quality products dedicated to a single purpose.

astra · 01-18-2011, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

In the longer term, dedicated ereaders will no longer be produced and we will all buy tablets instead.

Only if the tablets acquire eInk displays.

pdurrant · 01-18-2011, 12:27 PM

I do see dedicated ebook readers going the way of PDAs. Almost no-one has a PDA now, anyone wanting the functionality of a PDA has a smart phone.

When a low power, fast response, high contrast (greyscale or colour) reflective screen comes out, it will cost so much little extra to make it a general tablet that making a dedicated ereader just won't make sense.

01-17-2011, 11:56 AM	#1
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,033 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	A second issue for thought Will tablet PCs act to hold down the cost of electronic readers?

01-17-2011, 02:44 PM	#9
OtterBooks Wizard Posts: 1,262 Karma: 2979086 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 4, iPad Mini/Retina	The entire ebook/ereader market as it now exists was defined and created by e-ink and its dedicated devices. IMO tablets are irrelevant to their price other than possibly increasing the production of some shared components and increasing the competition for consumers' disposable income, unless they release book sized tablets with e-ink displays (or equivalent tech) suitable for that level of computing power, which may be a while. If the demand for ereaders were about portable computing then they wouldn't exist, nor would the Kindle (et al) have sold eleventy-five gazillion units in a market where your average Android phone makes an ereader's computing power look like a pocket calculator. Last edited by OtterBooks; 01-17-2011 at 02:50 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
A thought	cypherslock	Calibre	1	12-29-2009 07:43 PM
A thought... or two	daffy4u	Amazon Kindle	2	10-05-2009 10:52 AM
Just a thought..	AprilHare	Calibre	5	11-14-2008 11:36 PM
I Saw This and Thought of You	Mindy	Lounge	25	09-09-2008 11:33 AM
Just a thought...	pshrynk	Lounge	7	06-24-2008 07:29 AM

01-17-2011, 01:47 PM	#2
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	in the short term, yes. In the longer term, dedicated ereaders will no longer be produced and we will all buy tablets instead. eP

01-17-2011, 01:51 PM	#3
screwballl NewKindler Posts: 504 Karma: 1865773 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: NWFL Device: Kindle3 Wifi	There will always be markets for both universal devices like laptop based tablets, and for dedicated items like the readers. Since the readers use some of the same hardware only lower powered, if tablet prices drop, so will reader prices. One will not prevent or stop production of the other, sure there will likely be a point where the line is blurred, where it is a reader with some limited app usage, or a basic tablet with limited app usage, but those will be the cross overs. The individual items will retain their markets and not really affect each other much.

01-17-2011, 02:01 PM	#5
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	but who is to say that all tablets in the future will be greasy-fingerprinted-up, touch-screen-sporting, no-physical-keyboard-having monstrosities? fyi - my touchscreen Sony has no greasy fingerprints on it. It just doesn't. But my point is, in the future we could have tablets with a chicklit keyboard at the bottom, or something else we haven't considered yet. eP

01-17-2011, 02:03 PM	#6
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	Dedicated reading devices are always going to be a niche market, but as long as they retain their advantages over multi-function tablets there will be room in the market for them.

01-17-2011, 02:11 PM	#7
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	The future just about has to belong to either virtual heads-up displays (glasses or projection direct onto the eye) or else direct brain stimulation (implant, mental waves, or whatever). Sure, I could be wrong but those two make the most sense to me. Why dedicate hardware surfaces for something that can be miniaturized or discarded? If we get enough network bandwidth installed across enough geography I also think we'll head back toward the 'dumb terminal' approach of yesteryear. Almost all the processing and storage will be remote (e.g. cloud computing). It gives content providers the most control and does have some advantages in terms of rolling out forced updates. Devices will become tasked with only display, network connection, and short term memory functions.

01-17-2011, 02:19 PM	#8
screwballl NewKindler Posts: 504 Karma: 1865773 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: NWFL Device: Kindle3 Wifi	I still believe that there will be a demand for private personal storage even if things did turn to more of a cloud computing type of system. Too many of us prefer to keep our personal stuff private and that is something that has been more or less maintained throughout the ages.

01-18-2011, 12:27 PM	#15
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 74,447 Karma: 318076944 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Oasis	I do see dedicated ebook readers going the way of PDAs. Almost no-one has a PDA now, anyone wanting the functionality of a PDA has a smart phone. When a low power, fast response, high contrast (greyscale or colour) reflective screen comes out, it will cost so much little extra to make it a general tablet that making a dedicated ereader just won't make sense.