Amazon is destroying e-reader innovation

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

I think there is a certain amount of fear among those of us (obviously not everyone) who have tried LCD devices and found them unsuitable, regardless of app or settings, for longer reading sessions, that if too many people start using multi-purpose devices / LCD devices for reading, eInk readers, which for many of us offer the best reading experience imaginable, will simply stop being offered. That fear, subconscious or not, may be what makes some people vocally defensive of eInk to the point of attacking LCD device suitability for everyone.

If we're being 100% honest, isn't that the same sort of fear/response that early ebook adopters had to face (and are still facing) from those who preferred physical books?

I think there is a certain amount of fear among those of us (obviously not everyone) who have tried ebooks and found them unsuitable, regardless of app or device, that if too many people start using ebooks, physical books, which for many of us offer the best reading experience imaginable, will simply stop being offered. That fear, subconscious or not, may be what makes some people vocally defensive of physical books to the point of attacking ebook suitability for everyone.

I mean none of this in a derogatory way, but more of a; "hmmmm... very interesting" way.

[GoSharks]

Recycling is very 'in' these days, don't you know! (I guess 'composting' would be the term if one disagreed with the statement)

[Lemurion]

I have a Kindle and a Nook HD+, as well as a number of other devices, and use them all.

I don't see the need for much innovation, as opposed to incremental improvements, in eInk readers. They're basically designed to present screens of text sequentially, and do that very well. Most of the innovations I see people talking about have to do with secondary features, not primary ones, and people will always have mixed opinions on those.

I think it's like a rowboat; it's a technology that works as it is, you can't really innovate because too much innovation will make it into something else. Decent quality reading tablets were the innovation, not new developments in eInk readers.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

I think it's like a rowboat; it's a technology that works as it is, you can't really innovate because too much innovation will make it into something else. Decent quality reading tablets were the innovation, not new developments in eInk readers.

Turns out the greeks invented rowboats. Not much change since. That might be the Amazons fault for attacking greece shortly afterwards.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5344230_history-rowboats.html

Aaannnyway...

Ebook readers may turn out to be like DVRs, more of a feature/function than a standalone product with broad appeal. Nowadays TiVo is still around but the vast majority of people get their "recorded TV" via cable box, streamed video, or DVD sets. (Unless its Game of Thrones, which most people get via the darknets. )

Ebook reading may likewise migrate to a large extent to smartphones (especially the 5-6in ones) and tablets, leaving eink readers behind as a niche product for those that really care about the hardware, like with TiVo. Digital cameras and media players are another example: there will always be room for dedicated devices but the majority of users these days rely on smartphones.

Markets evolve.
Hopefully ebooks/ereaders won't evolve as PDAs did and vanish as their function got totally subsumed into the smartphone feature set.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by Yapyap

I think there is a certain amount of fear among those of us (obviously not everyone) who have tried LCD devices and found them unsuitable, regardless of app or settings, for longer reading sessions, that if too many people start using multi-purpose devices / LCD devices for reading, eInk readers, which for many of us offer the best reading experience imaginable, will simply stop being offered. That fear, subconscious or not, may be what makes some people vocally defensive of eInk to the point of attacking LCD device suitability for everyone.

The growth trend may favor other devices, but for the time being e-ink is doing rather well, so them outright disappearing isn't really something I'd worry about.

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

If we're being 100% honest, isn't that the same sort of fear/response that early ebook adopters had to face (and are still facing) from those who preferred physical books?


I mean none of this in a derogatory way, but more of a; "hmmmm... very interesting" way.

Printing presses are not going to disappear, but what would happen if E-Ink folded up its tent and went away? They're pretty much the only source for e-ink displays.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

I think it's like a rowboat; it's a technology that works as it is, you can't really innovate because too much innovation will make it into something else.

Have a look at Onyx Boox Midia inkphone - a new affordable 4,7 inch front-lit e-ink phone, or new PocketBook Ultra 650 with camera at the back and built-in OCR or a new PocketBook InkPad 840 - a new high resolution 8" front-lit screen.
PocketBooks are far ahead of Amazon in terms of configurability. Six years old models are much more configurable than the newest Kindle. You can install new fonts, apps, dictionaries, screensavers, you can redefine user interface, you have support for folder structure, you can format the text any way you wish ...

[Lemurion]

Originally Posted by kacir

Have a look at Onyx Boox Midia inkphone - a new affordable 4,7 inch front-lit e-ink phone, or new PocketBook Ultra 650 with camera at the back and built-in OCR or a new PocketBook InkPad 840 - a new high resolution 8" front-lit screen.
PocketBooks are far ahead of Amazon in terms of configurability. Six years old models are much more configurable than the newest Kindle. You can install new fonts, apps, dictionaries, screensavers, you can redefine user interface, you have support for folder structure, you can format the text any way you wish ...

The question is how many of those features really add to the reading experience? I don't need the phone functionality to read a book, and while a camera/OCR system can help create ebooks, I'd rather run it on a more powerful platform. It also doesn't seem necessary for reading.

As for the larger screen/higher resolution, that's more of an incremental improvement than innovation.

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by kacir

PocketBooks are far ahead of Amazon in terms of configurability.

True but they are behind in terms of screen quality and the frontlight. To a lesser extent I think the same is true of Kobo (with the Aura HD the obvious exception). The simple fact is, for pure ease of use, Amazon make it a very easy option for a lot of people, which means even if Pocketbook equalled (or indeed surpassed) the Kindle in these respects too, they'd still face an uphill battle.

[ingmar]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

In Germany, probably due to the book price binding (you can't give discounts as you please, the prices are fixed), those stores still do fine.

Give it time. Have you been to one of the chain bookstores recently? At least half of the shelf space is given to non-books now: Everything from gifts, stationery, art supplies, toys, assorted crap, you name it. Actual Books? On the decline, and that trend will only continue. Yes, there are a few mass market books, probably the current Spiegel bestseller list, perhaps a couple of travel guides, but that's it. Brick-and-mortar bookstores are going the way of the dodo, even though it might take a few more years.

[ingmar]

Originally Posted by soulfuldog

True but [Pocketbook] are behind in terms of screen quality and the frontlight.

Have you handled a last generation device (like the Touch Lux 2) recently? Definitely in the same league as Amazon.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

I don't see the need for much innovation, as opposed to incremental improvements, in eInk readers. They're basically designed to present screens of text sequentially, and do that very well. Most of the innovations I see people talking about have to do with secondary features, not primary ones, and people will always have mixed opinions on those.

Agreed. I think once the e-Ink readers went to the Pearl screen (which was a big jump forward in contrast), the basic features and quality (of the devices themselves, not necessarily the infrastructure) seemed pretty much the same. I realize some people expect eReaders to have certain, non-reading features -- but mostly I just read on my eReaders (Kindles, Nook and Sony).

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by kacir

PocketBooks are far ahead of Amazon in terms of configurability. Six years old models are much more configurable than the newest Kindle. You can install new fonts, apps, dictionaries, screensavers, you can redefine user interface, you have support for folder structure, you can format the text any way you wish ...

Honestly, I don't think most people care. I think the "infrastructure" ("environment," "experience") is much important to most than the configurability (sp?) of the e-Ink device. I think that's what Amazon "gets." There's something to be said for making it simple.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by ingmar

Have you handled a last generation device (like the Touch Lux 2) recently? Definitely in the same league as Amazon.

But probably not in the same league for price and availability (at least not the United States). I don't know what the Touch Lux 2 costs, but I'm guessing at least two to two and half times the cost of the Paperwhite.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Lemurion

The question is how many of those features really add to the reading experience?

You do not need most of those features, but some people do want some of them.
I personally, for example, can't stand the way Kindle presents the text. I want to set my preferred justification, text height, margins, font, ... none of that is possible with Kindle.
The Kindles can't even do hyphenation and yet they insist on fully justified text and ridiculously wide margins! The result is a typographical atrocity.
I also want to have hierarchical folder structure and other things.
By the time I saw the first Kindle I was spoiled by the way other devices present text and provide configuration options. Perhaps if the Kindle was my first device and I got used the their defaults I would be content with the device like many thousands happy Kindle owners.

The difference with the 4.3 inch phone is that I will not have to lug around a 6" device just in case I have to wait somewhere for 10 minutes and might want to read a few pages. For long reading I will keep at least 5" device. I had PocketBook 360 and I got spoiled by its features and pocketability.

The feature I like about PB Ultra is really thin bezel, physical pageturn buttons on the back of the device and magnets the reader is supposed to have built-in, so you can make your own cover (or have it made for you) without the need to attach it with rubber straps.
All those features will make this device much better pocketable.
Kindle will not give you magnets or threads [for screws] or anything for attaching your custom or luxury or cheapo generic cover, because they want you to pay high price for *their* cover that snaps to the device without rubber bands.

Originally Posted by soulfuldog

True but they are behind in terms of screen quality and the frontlight.

I had the first paperwhite and I sold it with a loss the moment I was able to purchase a front-lit PocketBook. Paperwhite did have better screen, but you had to have them side-to-side to see the difference.
I consider the quality of my front-lit PB 623 screen to be excellent.
We shall see what the new 8 inch device with 1600×1200 pixel is like. Their color device (which I believe used the same screen, but with a color filter) got *very* bad reviews.


I understand that for many people Kindle is good enough, but there should be choice for users that are willing to pay for different features.

I also understand that Amazon did not set out to destroy any e-reader innovation. They simply do their fiduciary duty: they maximize profits for their shareholders. Chasing competition like PocketBook from USA market is just a side effect. On the other hand, you get much cheaper devices if you want something "good enough"