CNET predicts dedicated ereaders are doomed technology

[Duiker]

The only thing doomed is that guy's fashion sense and his carreer on camera. Yikes.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by boxcorner

I think discourtesy has increased, as technology has advanced. For example, in the use of transportation and public places, playing of music, use of telephones, watching videos and TV, etc. Perhaps social niceties are no longer considered necessary because people spend less time interacting face-to-face, and spend more time watching TV and videos, Web surfing, using social media, e-mailing, SMS messaging, tweeting, and so on.

I agree. My previous job had a "no email day" weekly for all in-office employees. We were required to call people back (amazing!) or walk down the hall to someone's desk if they were in the office. You'd be surprised at how many things can be handled with personal touch.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by orwell2k

Dedicated eReaders is a more difficult one, not least because of the emotions such a statement raises for most users of this kind of forum. But eReaders were/are always a niche device - let's face it, by definition all you can do is read! Some features may be added - annotations, etc. - but reading is their primary usage. Tablets provide an additional dimension in that you can read, plus do so much more. The analogy to "smart phones" is a little flawed, as there are plenty of non-smart phones around, albeit they often still have "basic" smart features like e-mail, mms, web, etc. I personally hate them!

I have an iPhone - I don't want a larger iPhone without a phone. Ever. I want to read books on my ereader without playing games. I don't need color, games, cameras, calendars, email, etc on my book reader. I want to read my book. Nothing else. Nothing more. Just books.

I feel that the major issue young people have today is CONCENTRATION. Stop trying to multi-task! It doesn't work. All that crap is nothing but distraction. I don’t want the distraction so I guess I’ll stop buying ereaders if they all turn into distraction tools.

[Penforhire]

Are you saying you won't answer your phone if it rings while you're reading? Because otherwise you're carrying two devices when one would do. And even if you do turn off your phone when you read then you could turn off the phone function of an integrated device when you use it to read.

I agree with the form factor concern but the future belongs to other displays such as roll-up/fold-out, heads-up projection, or direct mental projection.

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I have an iPhone - I don't want a larger iPhone without a phone. Ever. I want to read books on my ereader without playing games. I don't need color, games, cameras, calendars, email, etc on my book reader. I want to read my book. Nothing else. Nothing more. Just books.

I feel that the major issue young people have today is CONCENTRATION. Stop trying to multi-task! It doesn't work. All that crap is nothing but distraction. I don’t want the distraction so I guess I’ll stop buying ereaders if they all turn into distraction tools.

Concentration comes from the owner, not the device. Same with rudeness. A jerk with a smart phone is a jerk even without the phone, lol. Tech is what we make of it.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Are you saying you won't answer your phone if it rings while you're reading? Because otherwise you're carrying two devices when one would do. And even if you do turn off your phone when you read then you could turn off the phone function of an integrated device when you use it to read.

I agree with the form factor concern but the future belongs to other displays such as roll-up/fold-out, heads-up projection, or direct mental projection.

Depends on what day it is. On a Saturday when I have nothing planned? No, I won't answer the phone if I'm reading. I'm busy, they can leave a message.

Turning off my phone/email/etc so I can read makes no sense whatsoever. That's a little silly, in fact. That's why I do NOT mix my ereader with my cell phone. My phone is to make and receive phone calls. My ereader is to read books. I also carry a dedicated camera. Why? Because cell phone cameras suck and if I'm bothered enough to take a picture I want to take a good picture.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by Maggie Leung

Concentration comes from the owner, not the device. Same with rudeness. A jerk with a smart phone is a jerk even without the phone, lol. Tech is what we make of it.

I agree, mostly. There have been studies done that show that young people (college age and a little younger) suffer from distraction. They all think they can "multi-task" - so they talk while they study and they web surf while they're in class. They check email while reading - so they have very little retention. Having "all in one" devices only make distraction worse.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=95256794

Have you seen those people who walk into fountains? Well, they are now also walking into the street and being run over. A new form of natural selection, maybe?

[troll05]

But how many dedicated readers are available today? Most of them are already multifunctional, they have WLAN, 3G, a usable (although not comfortable internet access), can play music, watch pictures (ok,only black and white), so I think the time of the dedicated reader, for the single purpose of reading with a black/white E-Ink display has already passed

On the other hand I can't see users walking around pressing a 9" pad to their ears for lack of a telephone, or reading on a whatever high quality LED, screens for hours

So we have to wait for the future and whatever the Engineers develop in screen technology, my personal guess is something like a colour E-Ink display, fast and responsible enough to play HD videos, combined with a shiftable backlighting. AMOLED meets Mirasol meets Pocketbook meets IPad

And this devices will come in all price categories from 29,99 to 500-600 bucks depending on quality and features. I guess they will form an alternate platform to the smartphones, who will dominate the comunication sector and will replace the old Notebook/Netbook/Laptop generation, because they are far more versatile, lighter, less power demanding and far more elegant

The end of this development might be something like this cool plastic screens the have in the "Avatar" movie, where you can load the contents with a swish of your finger direct to your reader and move on, although I don't think something 100% transparent is a very clever idea, except for making a movie

[Maggie Leung]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I agree, mostly. There have been studies done that show that young people (college age and a little younger) suffer from distraction. They all think they can "multi-task" - so they talk while they study and they web surf while they're in class. They check email while reading - so they have very little retention. Having "all in one" devices only make distraction worse.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=95256794

Have you seen those people who walk into fountains? Well, they are now also walking into the street and being run over. A new form of natural selection, maybe?

Yup, the problem originates with people, though. If a device is making me a scatterbrain, it'd be stupid to use it (or not change how I use it).

I take graduate classes for fun sometimes. One of my classmates was texting, with us hearing every click of her keys. I couldn't believe that the professor put up with it. I figure society has to decide what it will tolerate. For me, it's as simple as turning off a device when I'm with people, for instance. I don't bring phones into meetings, because what could be so important that I can't wait till I get out of a meeting?

[troll05]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Have you seen those people who walk into fountains? Well, they are now also walking into the street and being run over. A new form of natural selection, maybe?

Let's invent the "Darwin Awards For Most Stupid Use Of An EBook-Reader"

[waffleman]

CNET is 100% correct. DEDICATED e-readers are indeed doomed. Who wants to have an e-reader, a cell phone, a lap top, a tablet when you can have a single device that does it all. Of course there is no such device yet, but we are getting close. Heck, look at the Nook Color, Galaxi Tab, and iPad - there are already pretty popular and I suspect taking a significant market share away from the dedicated e-readers.

[elcreative]

Once more, with music, lots of people (including me) want dedicated devices that do their job very well rather than multi-function units that do lots of things OK (many being things I couldn't give a *** about). I want an eReader that works as a book handling device, I want a camera with superb optics (try fitting that in a tablet!) and that's a DSLR, I want a phone that deals with phone and other communications needs, a music player that plays music well (and doesn't flatten the battery of my phone), I have a notebook that weighs less than most tablets and lets me do everything I can do on my home/work machine whilst out and about... I wouldn't mind a tablet device once there's one around that does what I want (rather than everything everybody else thinks I should want) at a reasonable price...

Hey waffleman... do you plan on answering your phone for a private conversation with a 10" tablet held to your ear??? and if it's smaller than 10" then it won't do replacing many laptop functions... Multi-function = greatest con trick of 21st century... sell inferior tech for premium prices... "You can do it all in one... or very soon" You can't, not at the best quality but if you want to settle for less is more then fine but don't assume that everyone wants to lower their standards in a similar fashion...

Originally Posted by waffleman

CNET is 100% correct. DEDICATED e-readers are indeed doomed. Who wants to have an e-reader, a cell phone, a lap top, a tablet when you can have a single device that does it all. Of course there is no such device yet, but we are getting close. Heck, look at the Nook Color, Galaxi Tab, and iPad - there are already pretty popular and I suspect taking a significant market share away from the dedicated e-readers.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by waffleman

CNET is 100% correct. DEDICATED e-readers are indeed doomed. Who wants to have an e-reader, a cell phone, a lap top, a tablet when you can have a single device that does it all. Of course there is no such device yet, but we are getting close. Heck, look at the Nook Color, Galaxi Tab, and iPad - there are already pretty popular and I suspect taking a significant market share away from the dedicated e-readers.

You know what I did the day after Apple announced the iPad? Bought a netbook. There is no way I could care less about tablets - they do not do what I need. I would not want to read on a tablet or any other color device that has an LCD screen. I've tried that before and it is hard on my eyes. I prefer e-ink and I prefer a dedicated ereader.

I understand that some dedicated ereaders can do *very basic* web browsing, show photos, and has a very basic mp3 player. This does not mean the item is not a dedicated ereader. You cannot visit 90% of the internet with them. Any photos on ereaders look horrible. There is no way I would listen to my favorite album on an ereader... so why call ereaders multi-function devices? It does nothing well but books. Which is all I want it to do.

[OtterBooks]

E-ink readers are not portable computing devices. They exist to satisfy consumers who otherwise have a preference for a paper/ink for their leisure reading, which is why an entirely new technology was created that uses actual ink particles. There are two technologies competing for consumers with this preference: E-ink readers, and paper books. They may be doomed, but if so, it isn't for the reasons CNET stated.

Any technology that does not give a visual experience similar to paper is irrelevant to the discussion of consumer desire for devices that provide that experience.

Any device that does not cook food is not worth mentioning in a discussion about the future of cooking technology.

A device can not be made relevant to either conversation by virtue of its ability to play Angry Birds.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

A device can not be made relevant to either conversation by virtue of its ability to play Angry Birds.

Are you sure? If a device that plays Angry Birds, and millions of people buy the device to play Angry birds -- and because they HAVE bought said device, AND it happens to also be an ereader -- THEN it will indeed have an effect on the eInk device market.

The moment I read my first book on my iPhone is the moment I stopped desiring a kindle. I wanted a kindle, but at the time they cost near $300. The iPhone may not have been the perfect ereader -- but I already had one, tried reading on it, and like it very much. At such a point a potential kindle customer was taken off the market.

Since that time the Kindle has dropped to $139 and improved it's screen. However, I'm now using an iPad and enjoy it for many things, including reading. At some point a Kindle might become cheap enough that I'll get it as an EXTRA reading device.

Mind you -- this is not to convince people who prefer eInk that they shouldn't. It's just to demonstrate that multi-function devices will never have to be as good as eInk readers to have an impact on eInk sales.

Now, as it happens, for MY reading use cases, I think my iPad/iPhone are BETTER ereaders than a kindle. I can buy books from any book store, read in the dark (which I do FAR more often than sit in full sunlight to read), read in color, no blinking when switching between pages. It's so easy to get non-kindle books onto my iPad -- and just as easy to get kindle books.

Nope. Now I don't want a kindle because I have something that for MY use cases is better. It just didn't HAVE to be better to impact my desire for a kindle.

Lee