Ebook readers - a challenge to average users

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by A J Edwards

BUT as a pensioner on a fixed income it is more important that I pay my council tax and other assorted and increasing costs to live.

I understand completely. Obviously the essentials of life have to come before luxuries.

I will just have to wait until the price comes down to make it viable for me. This is also why I want to buy in a shop with a proper warranty. If it goes wrong I can take it back and have it replaced.

A J Edwards

It's perhaps worth noting that, even though you do have buy it on-line, you do get a 2 year warranty with the CyBook Gen3.

[MsAnthrope]

E-readers have progressed enough to make them useful for mainstream needs. No e-reader is perfect and each person has to weigh the pros and cons and make the choice for themselves. When leaving for work I like not having to worry whether I have enough book left to make it through lunch or dinner. One-stop shopping (that stop being the web) is great. For day-to-day use, or road trips, I have multiple books to choose from, a handy dictionary feature and with Kindle I can access the web for books, weather, news, etc.

In 2006, I lost most of my books (and all of my good books- i.e. anything larger than a non-trade paperback) in a flood. I can't replace most of them and don't have the heart to try. With e-readers, a card-reader and a computer I can back up my books and have them forever. I still buy p-books but nothing like before.

One way to move closer to 'perfection' in e-readers is to buy what's available now. Show the business world that there is a market for such products. Regarding formats, if trends show that e-reader owners are not buying DRM'd formats then that may drive change as well.

As far as average users go, I would buy my folks an e-reader if I could get them to switch from dial-up to dsl/cable. They would have no trouble using one and I think that most anyone that has used GUI-based software could use current conversion programs if the book you want isn't available in a format compatible with your device.

Ok- that's my 2, er, 4 cents on this subject.

[safjazz]

Originally Posted by rixte

Or people who saw me reading on my pda or my smartphone and whose main reaction was 'that's cool, but I could never read on such a small screen'.

On the other hand, with my Cybook, I've had half a dozen people ask me to send them the information on how to get it or ask me question after question about ebooks, formats, how they work. I know of at least 1 person that's planning on buying one and several others that are still trying to justify the price but absolutely wants one - or the Sony or Kindle.

I've been reading e-books on my PDA since 2002. I've always gotten reactions such as "that's cool but the screen is too small, the device is too clunky, etc."

People who see me reading my Sony Reader are driving me crazy (in a good way). When I'm reading in public, strangers have asked to look at my Reader. I think part of the fascination is it is approximately the same size as a paperback. People are always impressed that I can enlarge the font. Of course, one of my friends asked me how to turn on the back light!

I was reading at my vet's office the other day. When she came into the examination room, she wanted to know all about the Reader. She had NEVER heard of such a thing, but immediately picked up on the benefit of her daughter not having to lug so many books around.

Same thing happened at my eye doctor's office. He only knew a little about e-books, but he was so impressed about E-ink that we spent much of our time talking about the different readers. I asked him his professional opinion about reading on an E-ink screen. (I always wondered what an eye doctor thought about them.) He said it was quite good, and liked that it didn't have a back light. He picked up on the fact that older eyes (and eyes like mine that need a strong prescription) could benefit from such a device.

According to Pew Internet, 71% of 50 to 64 year-olds and 32% of those 65 and older use the Internet (in 2006). The report also says these users tend to be well-educated, which may mean they read for pleasure. Therefore, I hope that e-reader manufacturers AND publishers reach out more to the over 50s. Obviously, this means easier to use hardware and a standardized format for books. Also, libraries need better selections of e-books. But, I still think it's a great market. So few books are published in large print format. E-readers are a great idea for seniors.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by safjazz

According to Pew Internet, 71% of 50 to 64 year-olds and 32% of those 65 and older use the Internet (in 2006). The report also says these users tend to be well-educated, which may mean they read for pleasure. Therefore, I hope that e-reader manufacturers AND publishers reach out more to the over 50s.

I think this is going to become more and more important, with the greying of the Boomers, and really help to promote e-book readers with the general population. Anyone producing, or preparing to produce, an e-book reader, should specifically be examining the needs of older populations and taking them into account in designing their features, accessibility, and ease of display adjustment.

If such an e-book reader was endorsed by, say, the AARP for its members, I think you'd see a serious demand building for readers. (Of course, most of those features would also make it attractive to other groups and all ages, but older users could be particularly targeted by promotions.)