Rise and Fall of the eReader

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Laridae

I like the idea of having a multi-use machine.
Why pay $100 for a dedicated e-reader when, for another $100-150 you can have e-mail and all the other apps available now and in the future in the app store?
To me it's a no-brainer. (I find reading on the backlit screen is acceptable for my moderate usage, but I can't argue whether it's as good as a reflective screen 'cause I've never had one)

And that's the reasoning that's brought me to buy three 7 inch tablets in the last 12 months!

Incidentally, when is MobileRead going to accept the rise of the tablet for reading and give them their due on this forum? It seems to me there's a conscious or unconscious bias here against backlit tablets as legitimate e-readers and I wonder if and when MR is ever going to come around?

Originally Posted by JD Gumby

Because it's an extra $100-$150, which means around 10 fewer books you can afford to buy. And just because you can afford $100 doesn't mean you can afford twice that or more.

...in addition to that, what if one does not desire the other functions? What if one reads more than 3 or 4 hours during a single day (battery issues and potential eye-strain)?

Originally Posted by Laridae

Why pay $100 for a dedicated e-reader when, for another $100-150 you can have e-mail and all the other apps available now and in the future in the app store?

People buy dedicated readers for various reasons. Some people don't like interruptions while reading, while others are easily distractible. Dedicated eink readers add other reasons. Even heavy readers only need to recharge their device once a week and it is easy to read outdoors. Other people will add other reasons to that list.

At the end of the day, the decision is not a no brainer because it depends upon a person's needs and wants. Some people will want a dedicated reader, others will want a tablet. In some cases, it will even mean that people will buy both and use the ereader and tablet in different circumstances.

[robko]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

At the end of the day, the decision is not a no brainer because it depends upon a person's needs and wants. Some people will want a dedicated reader, others will want a tablet. In some cases, it will even mean that people will buy both and use the ereader and tablet in different circumstances.

This exactly. I would be loath to give up either my tablet or my Kobo since I use each of them as tool for the purposes they are most suited for.

[ucfgrad93]

There are several reasons I got an Kindle eink reader over a tablet.

1. Battery life. I have gone a month between charges on my Kindle.

2. Cost. At least when I got my first Kindle, it was half as expensive as a tablet. Tablets have really come down in price lately so the difference isn't as dramatic.

3. Readability. For me at least, I find an eink screen easier on my eyes. Not to mention it is easier to read when outdoors.

But in the end, every one needs to decide what is best for them.

[soulfuldog]

I doubt they'll completely disappear, but maybe it'll be like mobile phones (basic mobile v smartphone).... there will still be basic ereaders available at a low price, but there will be a limited choice, and there will be a huge choice of tablets at sometimes not too much more cost.

Originally Posted by l_macd

I doubt they'll completely disappear, but maybe it'll be like mobile phones (basic mobile v smartphone).... there will still be basic ereaders available at a low price, but there will be a limited choice, and there will be a huge choice of tablets at sometimes not too much more cost.

I don't know about less choice. If the prices go up, there may be more options on the market. After all, as the story at present goes, readers are being sold with small (or negative) margins. That only works for vendors of ebooks since they have other revenue streams.

[JD Gumby]

Another reason to use a dedicated ereader - that extra 140-200g that a 7" tablet weighs over most 6" eink ereaders makes a huge difference. My 195g Kobo Touch feels light as air when I pick it up after reading a comic or something on my 340g Kobo Arc tablet...

[Kirtai]

A lot of the arguments I'm seeing here seem to be overlooking the fact that both tablets and ereaders are new, undeveloped and really quite primitive devices.

Personally, I expect both tablets and ereaders in their current forms to be replaced by something significantly better in the none-to-distant future.

[Kralik]

Originally Posted by JD Gumby

Another reason to use a dedicated ereader - that extra 140-200g that a 7" tablet weighs over most 6" eink ereaders makes a huge difference. My 195g Kobo Touch feels light as air when I pick it up after reading a comic or something on my 340g Kobo Arc tablet...

That amount of incremental weight gain doesn't seem too significant to me... the case I use for my Nook STR doubles its weight yet it's still convenient to hold. With the case, it weighs about the same (12oz) as my Nexus 7. The first eBook reader I had was the eBookwise 1150, which weighed 18oz/510g and it was fine. All of the eReaders I've used have beat the weight of large/hardcover dead tree books by plenty.

[cromag]

Originally Posted by l_macd

I doubt they'll completely disappear, but maybe it'll be like mobile phones (basic mobile v smartphone).... there will still be basic ereaders available at a low price, but there will be a limited choice, and there will be a huge choice of tablets at sometimes not too much more cost.

I'm inclined to agree. I think ereaders are on a trajectory similar to that of MP3 players. Ten years ago there were many brand names offering a variety of MP3 players -- I, myself, was a Creative fan. As other devices expanded to include music and video playback the number of manufacturers (and models they produced) dwindled. There are still a couple "brand name" players, and there will probably always be a (niche) market for them, but it's a lot smaller.

[sneakyspider]

I don't know if dedicated ereaders will disappear to be replaced completely by tablets. Like others here have pointed out, e-ink ereaders seem to be a niche market. For me, though, I prefer e-ink ereaders and as long as they continue to make (and improve) them, then I will continue to buy them. As others have already said, if they ever start to disappear then I will make sure to load up on them while they're still available.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by cromag

I'm inclined to agree. I think ereaders are on a trajectory similar to that of MP3 players. Ten years ago there were many brand names offering a variety of MP3 players -- I, myself, was a Creative fan. As other devices expanded to include music and video playback the number of manufacturers (and models they produced) dwindled. There are still a couple "brand name" players, and there will probably always be a (niche) market for them, but it's a lot smaller.

I have used my phone as an MP3 player since 2003. The point is that an MP3 player has absolutely no advantage over a phone (with the exception of saving battery life --- not really a concern these days). So once tablets really become no-compromise devices (a battery that easily lasts for days, a screen with all the advantages of e-ink and LCD) I will put away that e-ink reader. And I would be willing to pay a lot for one of these.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

There are several reasons I got an Kindle eink reader over a tablet.

1. Battery life. I have gone a month between charges on my Kindle.

2. Cost. At least when I got my first Kindle, it was half as expensive as a tablet. Tablets have really come down in price lately so the difference isn't as dramatic.

3. Readability. For me at least, I find an eink screen easier on my eyes. Not to mention it is easier to read when outdoors.

But in the end, every one needs to decide what is best for them.

You left out the weight of the devices. I don't know what a tablet weighs but a Kindle only weighs around 8 ounces and can fit in a pocket as well. Most computers aren't that portable. Even a couple lbs can start to weigh a lot if you have to carry it around long enough. A Kindle doesn't have that issue.

[Latinandgreek]

I use a tablet for reading PDFs and comics, and an eink reader for everything else. I really do hope that tablets don't squeeze eink readers out of the market. I enjoy reading outside, and I like the portability of my eink readers. I don't own a tablet with a retina or a high-res screen. I suspect that I would find reading on a tablet screen with a higher resolution to be much more pleasant than reading on my iPad 2, but I don't see myself ever giving up on eink ebook readers. One of my Sony readers is always with me, but my tablets (generally) stay at home.

[BeccaPrice]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I have used my phone as an MP3 player since 2003. The point is that an MP3 player has absolutely no advantage over a phone (with the exception of saving battery life --- not really a concern these days).

no, sometimes battery life *is* a concern. I sleep with my iPod, and listen to my books during the night when I can't sleep. During the night, my smart phone has to be charging from its use during the day. For 24-hour people, a device that has to be charged after 8 or 12 hours of use is no good.