PCs are best for e-reading, Microsoft's Ballmer says

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

It's a good point... Ballmer may lump UMPCs in with PCs, and UMPCs are perfectly good for e-book reading: Light, portable, longer battery life than a PC (though not as long as a cellphone, PDA or dedicated device), and color screens to-boot. And, of course, if they are running Windows, they have the advantage of accepting screen readers for most of the available formats out there. That would be acceptable to many people, me included.

Speaking personally, I was (and am) cynical about UMPCs.

The original crop were based on Microsoft's Origami project, which in turn was a collaboration with Intel. Both companies had problems.

Microsoft wanted to maintain and increase sales of Windows and Office, when the market was already largely saturated, and just about everything that could run Windows and Office, did. Without more success selling into Europe, and opening the Indian and Chinese markets, it would have a hard time maintaining growth and keeping a stock price in the stratosphere.

Intel was losing market share to AMD and in the process of restructuring and looking for new markets.

What to do? The UMPC, a whole new platform that would use Intel chips and run Windows and Office. One thing to note is who was responsible for the early entries: Samsung, Via ... companies known for components, not complete systems. Also noteworthy was who didn't make them: Dell, Toshiba, Fujitsu ... companies with existing laptop lines the UMPC might cannibalize.

And what Microsoft and Intel never provided that I saw was a compelling use case. What would I do with a UMPC if I bought one? Frankly, I had no mission a UMPC would fulfill, so I didn't buy one.

ASUS turned the market topsy turvy with the eee netbook, and created a category others are jumping into, but that's a rather different matter.
______
Dennis

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Battery life on mine is a fair cop, but bulky?



Not really

First, what did that cost you? Second, what is the battery life?

Yes, bulky. It's all relative. Compare that monstrosity with a Sony 300 and you can only agree it is big, heavy and bulky.

BOb

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Okay, the Gigabyte might be bigger than the Sony Reader, but I'd hardly call it a "monstrosity."

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Speaking personally, I was (and am) cynical about UMPCs...

If, as your post suggests, it's only because they are Microsoft-supporting products, I can understand why you might not like them (but is it because you don't like the software, or the company?). But as there are alternatives, such as Nokia, Archos (the Archos 5 runs Android, though I believe the rest run Windows) and Asus, you could do without Windows SW if desired.

As a longtime Win-based PDA user, I've had no issues finding readers for any desired format under Windows. Based on what I've seen and read, you can't say that about every OS. So there are some advantages to using a Win-based device.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

First, what did that cost you? Second, what is the battery life?

Yes, bulky. It's all relative. Compare that monstrosity with a Sony 300 and you can only agree it is big, heavy and bulky.

BOb

Cost me $550 on clearance. gets two hours now because the battery is getting old.

It is bulkier than my pocket pro, but it still fits in my cargo pocket, and I can read comics on it nicely with the keyboard closed.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

If, as your post suggests, it's only because they are Microsoft-supporting products, I can understand why you might not like them (but is it because you don't like the software, or the company?). But as there are alternatives, such as Nokia, Archos (the Archos 5 runs Android, though I believe the rest run Windows) and Asus, you could do without Windows SW if desired.

Nope. I don't care about MS/Intel per se. It's the use case. What were you to do with a UMPC that you wouldn't do with a desktop, laptop, or tablet? (Or a smartphone or PDA, on the other end.)

And the specs on UMPCs appeared engineered to pose no threat to existing laptops.

As a longtime Win-based PDA user, I've had no issues finding readers for any desired format under Windows. Based on what I've seen and read, you can't say that about every OS. So there are some advantages to using a Win-based device.

Sure. But again, it's not really about MS/Intel. They were trying to create a new category of machines. Sure, they had their own mercenary reasons, but the big question was "What need does the UMPC fill? What would you do with a UMPC that you wouldn't do with an existing device?"

Short answer? For the most part, there wasn't one.

Peter F. Drucker said "The job of business is the create a market." And so it is, but there has to be potential there. Business creates a market by recognizing and filling a need. It does not create a market by designing and building a device that does not fill a specific existing need.

The ASUS eee created a new market by filling a need. They demonstrated a lot of folks wanted a small, light, portable, and inexpensive device that had internet connectivity. The netbooks are probably overlapping into UMPC turf now, because they've created a market which has room for higher end devices. Earlier UMPCs simply cost too much for what they offered.
______
Dennis

[alecE]

I've got three devices I could read my ebooks on - a laptop, a netbook or my beloved Sony 505. Only the 505 is small and light enough to comfortably carry around in my hand or coat pocket. It's also the only device of the three that allows me to have read c. 500 pages since the last full charge and still have 50% battery life. Being able to just turn off the sony without having to worry about a graceful shutdown is also a boon. (And being able to snuggle down in bed with it). I don't deny the attractions of the PC reading experience for other people, it's just not for me.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Dennis, it's a fair point. In the larger sense, the world doesn't need UMPCs. (No one needed the iPhone, either.) But it is a new form factor... and I'm sure there are those out there who don't need a desk-bound computer, think cellphones are too small and laptops are too big for their needs... yet a UMPC would fit their needs perfectly. That alone makes the device worthwhile, for somebody.

It's just another choice for the consumer, and I'm always for more choices, more ways to personalize the things you do. If a PC works for your e-book reading, by all means, go for it. If you like to read on a Blackberry, use that instead. And if you really want to read on your Gameboy... more power to you.

I don't begrudge any company in trying to sell a product. I do rail against selling products under false pretenses, about as much as I hate to see consumers respond to condescending and psychologically-loaded ads. (As you might guess, advertising, and consumer response to ads, have made me livid on occasion...)

I also rail against being forced to buy a product, or being denied available choices. Fortunately, when it comes to e-book reading hardware, we have lots of choices, many configurations offered by multiple brands, and that's good. If people's choices are larger, they are more likely to find the most comfortable way of doing whatever they want to do... like reading e-books... and therefore, will probably do it more. If the UMPC does that for someone, it is to be lauded.

And after all, it's not like anyone is forcing you to buy one...

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Aside from the potential eyestrain and heat issues if it's sitting directly on your lap, I don't see how reading on a laptop can be any less comfy than reading on an e-ink device.

True, aside from those two minor itty bitty things.

If I was 20 years younger I might agree with you. But my eyes ain't what they used to be.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by dwanthny

True, aside from those two minor itty bitty things.

If I was 20 years younger I might agree with you. But my eyes ain't what they used to be.

And the heat on your lap causes sterility.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by kennyc

And the heat on your lap causes sterility.

There are almost seven billion people on this planet. A few less here and there won't even be noticed...

[CapnKirk]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

But that capacity has a price in complexity. For eBooks, I need to maintain half a dozen viewers and recall which book is in which format read by which viewer.

Have you considered the program Calibre? Although its primary function is to manage ebooks on readers, it can display just about any ebook format. My only complaint about Calibre is that, written in python and using qt for the UI, it can be slow. On the other hand, it will convert just about any format to any other format. And there is a commandline executable that you can use and avoid the UI altogether. That way, you'll need far fewer viewers.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

There are almost seven billion people on this planet. A few less here and there won't even be noticed...

I can't disagree with that. I seriously believe that over-population is our greatest threat/challenge.

[Musicman]

Think about it...

Your cell phone has become just another application on a mobile PC device...

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by jankovicgood

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv...5974OZ20091008

I've found that it's difficult to hold my desktop's monitor in one hand.

I tried reading in my car, but didn't have enough extension cords to go very far.

[macminer]

Originally Posted by jankovicgood

...popular...

Well, he is certainly right when he says "popular", but this doesn't mean it is:

1. comfortable to use
2. useable in all conditions
3. practical
4. etc.

So, while it may be statistically true, it doesn't say much about the quality of reading from a PC screen. Two hundred years ago the most popular writing device was a quill simply because there was nothing better. If Ballmer and MS rest on their laurels, satisfied with their statistical truth, they (together with their products) might share the fate of the quill.