Have e-Readers been superseded by Tablets and Phones

[Catlady]

Personally, I doubt very much that I would buy another e-reader; I'd go for the multipurpose device.

I don't think anyone's mentioned one major advantage of the tablet--with the appropriate apps, you can get books from any bookstore; you don't need to worry about stripping DRM and converting files.

[Ripplinger]

For when and where I read (outdoors and in bright sun quite often), there's no way a tablet or phone could replace an ereader for me. There's also no way I'd want to carry around a larger heavier tablet to read on, reading on a tiny 4" phone screen isn't for me either, and not to mention I'd probably not make it through a day of reading on either a tablet or phone as fast as the batteries drain.

So ereaders are definitely going to be a must have in my case until I can no longer see to read . There's zero chance of a tablet or phone replacing it for me.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Luffy

By the time the e-ink technology evolves enough to show movies, the energy saving aspect of said technology will have prevented e-ink from being obsolete.

That will never happen. Eink is a energy hog everytime a (partial) screen update occurs. The energy saving only applies to static pages that do not change often as it costs no energy at all to keep the picture in place. If you constantly update the eink as fast or slow as that may be, you will drain the battery much faster than e.g. with lcd screens.

And even though a lcd panel constantly uses energy to keep the picture on the screen, the most energy lost is through the backlight.

It is more likely that both backlit lcd and eink go extinct sometime in the future to be replaced by a different screen technology that:

• has very low energy consumption for static pages
• does not depend on an internal lightsource (e.g. can be seen in full sunlight)
• has sufficient contrast / resolution for text / epubs
• has ability for vivid color / fast refresh for video
• can have optional light for low light / darkness
• can be mass produced for cheap entry devices (e.g. dedicated reader with reduced tablet functionality)

Until that happens, maybe eink (or similar epaper) devices will have room to coexist with tablets - after both tablet and reader will merge.

[DiapDealer]

I think I like reading on my tablet better, but I don't think anybody has to worry about single-function eink (or similar/better technology) devices disappearing altogether.

Originally Posted by Catlady

I don't think anyone's mentioned one major advantage of the tablet--with the appropriate apps, you can get books from any bookstore; you don't need to worry about stripping DRM and converting files.

Even this hardcore DRM-removal advocate has started taking advantage of that convenience (although there are still several of the apps that I just prefer NOT to read with if it can be at all avoided). Options that don't involve "going to the PC" are more tempting to me all the time.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Personally, I doubt very much that I would buy another e-reader; I'd go for the multipurpose device.

I don't think anyone's mentioned one major advantage of the tablet--with the appropriate apps, you can get books from any bookstore; you don't need to worry about stripping DRM and converting files.

By owning two eReaders you get the same result. And then you've got device(s) that have much longer battery lives, can be read in sunlight and are lighter. I own a tablet I never use, I use my eInk Readers all the time. Zero interest in using a tablet as an eBook reader for me.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

That will never happen. Eink is a energy hog everytime a (partial) screen update occurs. The energy saving only applies to static pages that do not change often as it costs no energy at all to keep the picture in place. If you constantly update the eink as fast or slow as that may be, you will drain the battery much faster than e.g. with lcd screens.

And even though a lcd panel constantly uses energy to keep the picture on the screen, the most energy lost is through the backlight.

It is more likely that both backlit lcd and eink go extinct sometime in the future to be replaced by a different screen technology that:

• has very low energy consumption for static pages
• does not depend on an internal lightsource (e.g. can be seen in full sunlight)
• has sufficient contrast / resolution for text / epubs
• has ability for vivid color / fast refresh for video
• can have optional light for low light / darkness
• can be mass produced for cheap entry devices (e.g. dedicated reader with reduced tablet functionality)

Until that happens, maybe eink (or similar epaper) devices will have room to coexist with tablets - after both tablet and reader will merge.

Bummer. I'm now lightly savvier from your post. I didn't come prepared. I wonder now how the eink's role will end. Not to graciously at least.

[Luffy]

Originally Posted by rcentros

By owning two eReaders you get the same result. And then you've got device(s) that have much longer battery lives, can be read in sunlight and are lighter. I own a tablet I never use, I use my eInk Readers all the time. Zero interest in using a tablet as an eBook reader for me.

Yay for eInk Readers. When I first knew about the Kindle, I viewed its youtube reviews all the time while waiting to get my hands on the damn thing.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Luffy

Bummer. I'm now lightly savvier from your post. I didn't come prepared. I wonder now how the eink's role will end. Not to graciously at least.

There is still good uses for eink even in the state it is now. The screen itself been pretty flexible since 1st gen eink - the problem always was and still is to some degree the substrate it has been built on. Think of it as foundation, usually made out of glass. There is already alternatives, e.g. plastic or thin metal film - as far as I understand manufacturing is more expensive still for those. Resolution is amazing - the limits in current production screens is the control layer, not the size of the tiny micro subdots in the screen. There is virtually no limit on screen size or shape - round, triangular, star shaped works - even holes in the screen are possible (e.g. doghnuts).

Maybe not all of that is interesting for eink ereaders, but eink is not limited to just ereaders.

[Jessica Lares]

The Kindle Fire made a better reader than the Kindle Keyboard in my classroom usage. But saying this now, I would think the Paperwhite would have worked excellent if it had been out then.

The biggest problem of using the KK in the classroom was that you either have teachers who wouldn't turn on the lights, would put them midway, or put them all the way. In those instances, the screen goes from not being visible, to semi-visible, to a bunch of glare.

When you keep those factors in mind, the size of the DX wouldn't have been any better.

I also believe that if we had news apps that refreshed every morning/afternoon/night, instead of just paid subscriptions to magazines and very poorly formatted Kindle blogs, that people would be more enthusiastic about them today.

Most have given into the smartphone because it does things the Kindles don't, they have a better browsing experience, and they can check emails, and all the other PDA stuff that I can't believe no one bothered making applications to do such things.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Personally, I doubt very much that I would buy another e-reader; I'd go for the multipurpose device.

I don't think anyone's mentioned one major advantage of the tablet--with the appropriate apps, you can get books from any bookstore; you don't need to worry about stripping DRM and converting files.

Yes but then you would be opening up different apps depending on which book you were reading. That would be a pain. If I could download the books from the respective stores and then select which program I wanted to open them with (like you can with most Android downloads) then that would be much more convenient. I don't actually do that much reading in the dark so having the front light wouldn't be a must. If the next Nexus turns out to be great then I could see myself buying one of those as my next reader. Especially if I could pop my Sim card into it.

[Canuck_in_Japan]

Also, when the new Aura retails for $180 it's almost a no brained for most people to spend the extra few bucks for a tablet like the Nexus.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Yes but then you would be opening up different apps depending on which book you were reading. That would be a pain. If I could download the books from the respective stores and then select which program I wanted to open them with (like you can with most Android downloads) then that would be much more convenient. I don't actually do that much reading in the dark so having the front light wouldn't be a must. If the next Nexus turns out to be great then I could see myself buying one of those as my next reader. Especially if I could pop my Sim card into it.

You don't seriously think having to open different apps is somehow more difficult for the average person than stripping DRM and converting, or than having a supply of different e-reader devices, as rcentros suggested, do you?

[ucfgrad93]

Originally Posted by Canuck_in_Japan

Also, when the new Aura retails for $180 it's almost a no brained for most people to spend the extra few bucks for a tablet like the Nexus.

I think the lowering price differential has a lot to do with the demise of ereaders. When tablets first came out they were way more expensive than a Kindle or Nook. But now, the price of tablets and ereaders is much closer, and I think people are choosing devices that can do more things.

[Ripplinger]

I prefer to do all my purchases through my main computer only and then strip the DRM and keep all books together in my Calibre Library. That way I can also shop where the best prices are. So having any store able to download directly to my reader or by having a dozen apps on a tablet or my phone isn't a convenience to me at all, in fact just the opposite, I hate the intrusion of ads, their suggested reading lists, tracking what and how much I read, etc.

Yeah, not an advantage or convenience to someone like me at all.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Catlady

You don't seriously think having to open different apps is somehow more difficult for the average person than stripping DRM and converting, or than having a supply of different e-reader devices, as rcentros suggested, do you?

It's a completely different experience. When I tried reading on my tablet, I found myself constantly fiddling with the apps settings to get the background, brightness, or font right. It was like having a pair of shoes that didn't quite fit right. And, quite bluntly, I like the built-in software in my Kindles, Nook Simple Touches and Sonys better than the Android reading programs I've tried. That's why I've got zero interest in rooting my eInk readers and turning them into tablets. If I read more PDFs or textbooks, I would probably use a tablet for that, but for fiction I don't see any advantage to using a tablet. The eInk interface, to me, is just "cleaner" and simpler. And, since I obviously have no need to do all the other things people do on tablets, it does what I need. And battery life and weight of the device (not the mention the eInk interface itself) are just more good reasons for me to choose an eInk Reader. Obviously not everyone is the same.