iPad Can the iPad replace ebook readers?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

With all due respect, if you have no interest in the iPad, why are you posting about it so much here.

W....

Because of the SUBJECT LINE.....

This particular topic is not "LET'S DISCUSS THE IPAD"

it's "CAN THE IPAD REPLACE EBOOK READERS"


I certainly have an interest in the iPad and in a whole variety of new technologies -- tablet computers in particular as they seem to be the next wave. The iPad is not the first tablet, but it is the first to make a really big splash, now let's see if it sinks or swims.

[lilman]

Originally Posted by kennyc

No, it does not affect all eink screens. I currently own 3 eink readers and have owned two others. None of them had the fading in sunlight problem.

Agreed. My Kindle DX doesn't have that problem (I had heard about that problem before receiving it and tested my DX as soon as it arrived). So it is not a problem that affects all epaper devices.

To weigh in on the current discussion, I'm not sure if the iPad would replace my Kindle DX. I use my DX mainly for manga (which is mostly black and white) and it works really well for that purpose. I would have to try manga out on the iPad and see how it compares. I could see myself owning both devices as my Kindle DX is solely a reading device and the iPad has lots of other functionality.

[dmaul1114]

Can't speak to Manga, but the comic apps on the iPad are VERY impressive.

Look great, both Marvel and the other one I tried (Comixology or something like that) had very nice interfaces both for reading and downloading/browsing.

Can view the whole page--looks great for most, but text a bit small in some comics. Or do a pane by pane view.

I'd assume Manga would be even better since it's smaller format most of the time so text size shouldn't be an issue.

[stustaff]

Well screw that looks like you guys were right! my apologies.

Ive had a defective 505 since it launched and i bought it in the US and a defective Sony 600 since i picked it up in Vegas last year.

Its both a good job that I live in England (its rarely sunny) and a bad thing as any warranty claims will be virtually impossible!

[richman]

Probably once amazon starts selling the IPAD and maybe 2,000 or 3,000 user reviews start showing up with about 90 percent giving it 5 stars, THAT will be the time I'll be ready to buy one. Hey , we all know there will always be some people that hate anything they buy, but if a couple of thousand buy it and give it 5 stars and 4 stars and only a handful of 1 or 2 stars, it's good enough for me!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by stustaff

Well screw that looks like you guys were right! my apologies.

Ive had a defective 505 since it launched and i bought it in the US and a defective Sony 600 since i picked it up in Vegas last year.

Its both a good job that I live in England (its rarely sunny) and a bad thing as any warranty claims will be virtually impossible!

Good luck if you try to get them replaced. I hope they take care of it for you. Sony and Amazon have both been pretty good about replacing them at no cost or minimal cost from the reports I've seen.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by richman

Probably once amazon starts selling the IPAD and maybe 2,000 or 3,000 user reviews start showing up with about 90 percent giving it 5 stars, THAT will be the time I'll be ready to buy one. Hey , we all know there will always be some people that hate anything they buy, but if a couple of thousand buy it and give it 5 stars and 4 stars and only a handful of 1 or 2 stars, it's good enough for me!

Yep, and there should be a small discount.

i.e. the Nano's pretty much never go for less than $149.99 for the 8GB from Apple, but were (and maybe still are) $133.99 on Amazon (and Best Buy last month, where I picked one up). EDIT Just checked, the 8gb nano's are down to $124.54 on Amazon at the moment. So yeah, maybe we can see some $50 or so off sales on iPads in a few months.

Hopefully once they're in more stores we'll at least see some small sales like that, which can at least partially offset the cost of a case.

[Heather Lackey]

I was outside for half an hour a short while ago, enjoying both the weather and Peter Straub's latest book. I sat in direct sunlight, just to see. The iPad's screen looked washed out, and I doubt I wouldn't have enjoyed a movie on it, or even some games and websites, but reading in the Kindle app wasn't much of a problem. Yes, I could see myself and the blue sky above me in the glass, if I focused my eyes on that, but when I focused on the words below the glass, the reflection receded from notice. (I think this would still distract some people, though.) The contrast wasn't much worse, in my experience, than using a Kindle while daylight is starting to fade.

So, for about a half hour, I enjoyed the book, the sun, and a very slight breeze...until the iPad popped up a message saying it needed to cool off. Ah, well.

I put it sleep, came back inside, waited approximately a whole minute, turned it back on, and resumed reading.

(Disclaimer: I have good vision and never have trouble reading off LCD screens for hours and hours. I used to read novels off an old Handspring Visor without discomfort (and rhought it was the bee's knees at the time). Your mileage as far as reading books on the iPad in bright lighting conditions will undoubtedly vary.)

[sfernald]

I actually have a bad feeling the birth of the ipad is the beginning of the end of the dedicated ereader. I had the same feeling about 3dfx when nvidiA released the TNT so long ago.

To survive I think eink readers need to drop down to $99 and be the size of the Sony pocket reader. That is the only niche I think that can endure.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by sfernald

I actually have a bad feeling the birth of the ipad is the beginning of the end of the dedicated ereader. I had the same feeling about 3dfx when nvidiA released the TNT so long ago.

To survive I think eink readers need to drop down to $99 and be the size of the Sony pocket reader. That is the only niche I think that can endure.

And that's what will happen. E-reader prices will drop rapidly with or without the iPad and other tablets.

They have to in order expand the market. There's only so many people willing to pay $200-300 plus for a gadget to read novels on. The vast majority of people don't read enough to justify that expense (or just prefer paper).

As prices drop you expand beyond just the hardcore avid reader market more. And there's a sizable niche of hardcore readers who are into e-books who want dedicated readers with reflective screens. And in a capitalist world, companies aren't going to ignore a chance to make money off that niche.

Prices will continue to drop and dedicated readers will stay around. Again, it's not some zero sum end game where only tablets or dedicated readers can survive. They can both co-exist indefinitely. Along with PDAs, netbooks, smartphones, pcs, laptops and anything else that can display e-books.

[sfernald]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

And that's what will happen. E-reader prices will drop rapidly with or without the iPad and other tablets.

They have to in order expand the market. There's only so many people willing to pay $200-300 plus for a gadget to read novels on. The vast majority of people don't read enough to justify that expense (or just prefer paper).

As prices drop you expand beyond just the hardcore avid reader market more. And there's a sizable niche of hardcore readers who are into e-books who want dedicated readers with reflective screens. And in a capitalist world, companies aren't going to ignore a chance to make money off that niche.

Prices will continue to drop and dedicated readers will stay around. Again, it's not some zero sum end game where only tablets or dedicated readers can survive. They can both co-exist indefinitely. Along with PDAs, netbooks, smartphones, pcs, laptops and anything else that can display e-books.

I think it's somewhere between a zero sum game and what you said.

For instance you mentioned PDAs, but they got wiped out by the smartphones. I don't know anyone that uses one any more. I also don't know any company that sells them. Does palm still sell them?

The ipad won't do that to the ereader market but like you said, I think they have to be much much cheaper and more portable than the ipad to survive.

[sfernald]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

And that's what will happen. E-reader prices will drop rapidly with or without the iPad and other tablets.

They have to in order expand the market. There's only so many people willing to pay $200-300 plus for a gadget to read novels on. The vast majority of people don't read enough to justify that expense (or just prefer paper).

As prices drop you expand beyond just the hardcore avid reader market more. And there's a sizable niche of hardcore readers who are into e-books who want dedicated readers with reflective screens. And in a capitalist world, companies aren't going to ignore a chance to make money off that niche.

Prices will continue to drop and dedicated readers will stay around. Again, it's not some zero sum end game where only tablets or dedicated readers can survive. They can both co-exist indefinitely. Along with PDAs, netbooks, smartphones, pcs, laptops and anything else that can display e-books.

Delete

[lilman]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Can't speak to Manga, but the comic apps on the iPad are VERY impressive.

Look great, both Marvel and the other one I tried (Comixology or something like that) had very nice interfaces both for reading and downloading/browsing.

Can view the whole page--looks great for most, but text a bit small in some comics. Or do a pane by pane view.

I'd assume Manga would be even better since it's smaller format most of the time so text size shouldn't be an issue.

I've seen some pics of the Marvel app and it looks gorgeous. As western comics are full color, non color epaper devices like current Kindles would not be good for them.

Manga (or Japanese comics for those unfamiliar with it), on the other hand, are almost entirely black and white (except for the cover art and the occasional color page). So I would be interested to see how the iPad stacks up against the Kindle DX in manga viewing. Maybe I'll find out if I end up getting the 3g when it launches

[kennyc]

I would love to have a full-color reading device for magazines. The iPad is probably the most capable in that department at the moment, but as I said earlier I expect a whole raft of new ebook readers and tablet pc's by the end of the year.

[sfernald]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I would love to have a full-color reading device for magazines. The iPad is probably the most capable in that department at the moment, but as I said earlier I expect a whole raft of new ebook readers and tablet pc's by the end of the year.

Look at the JooJoo reviews (formerly the crunchpad), which was just released too. It completely sucks. I expect that the other tablets will more resemble the JooJoo than the iPad for at least a year or so. Look at how long it took for the market to come up with a comparable phone (years).