The future of e-book readers

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by mikemc2

If someone (Apple?) succeeds at creating mass market demand for a tablet it will be more a triumph of marketing than technology.

Marketing has sold this world on pet rocks, microwave popcorn, diet soda and SUVs. There's no reason a good marketing campaign couldn't put the right tablets in everyone's hands.

[Slite]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Marketing has sold this world on pet rocks, microwave popcorn, diet soda and SUVs. There's no reason a good marketing campaign couldn't put the right tablets in everyone's hands.

If it is shiny, and called iTablet .... People will buy it

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Slite

If it is shiny, and called iTablet .... People will buy it

It's a good point. Maybe we need to start calling "e-books" "ibooks," give them all shiny covers with white-plastic lettering, and they'll sell like hotcakes.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by mikemc2

The problem being that once you get beyond the "wow" factor you find that tablets aren't all that practical. Tablets aren't new but they haven't caught on because they have neither the functionality of something like a netbook nor the pocketability of a smartphone. Tablets have been relegated to a few niche professional markets (medical comes to mind) for a reason. If someone (Apple?) succeeds at creating mass market demand for a tablet it will be more a triumph of marketing than technology.

I can agree with that.

But I'd find one very useful. It wouldn't replace my laptop (which hardly ever leaves my house--just prefer the portability around the house and for business trips vs. a desktop).

But I'd find it fits my needs for reading with stylus annotation (with no e-ink lag), web surfing, reading e-mail, watching videos, playing games, pda calendar and contacts.

A key would be improving handwriting recognition as that could help off set not having a physical keyboard and make things like sending an e-mail much easier.

Pocketability doesn't matter to me so much as I'd just take it back and forth to the office, to conferences, business trips etc. so as long as it's lighter than a netbook it's not biggy as I always have a briefcase/attache case.

But I agree in part with you and don't think an iTablet would sell like an iPhone as more people do want portability. But I don't really care how well it catches on as long as one comes out that fits my needs out of the box.

It's something that would be great for an academic like me who needs something to read large PDFs and academic books on and must be able to easily highlight things and make notes in the margins etc. As well as having full featured internet and e-mail etc. built in and videos, games etc. for traveling.

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

Pocketability doesn't matter to me so much as I'd just take it back and forth to the office, to conferences, business trips etc. so as long as it's lighter than a netbook it's not biggy as I always have a briefcase/attache case.

You keep mentioning your ideal device being lighter than a netbook, but realistically companies are going to use similar hardware in both types of device so the only real weight saving would be from the lack of a keyboard and you aren't going to save much weight there for a significant loss of usability.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Crowl

You keep mentioning your ideal device being lighter than a netbook, but realistically companies are going to use similar hardware in both types of device so the only real weight saving would be from the lack of a keyboard and you aren't going to save much weight there for a significant loss of usability.

Actually much of the netbook weight is in the battery. So an eBook with E-INK wins hands down due to the lighter battery.

Dale

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Actually much of the netbook weight is in the battery. So an eBook with E-INK wins hands down due to the lighter battery.

The kind of device dmaul wants would not work with an e-ink screen and thus you would need similar amounts of battery as a normal netbook.

[ekaser]

Originally Posted by Crowl

The kind of device dmaul wants would not work with an e-ink screen and thus you would need similar amounts of battery as a normal netbook.

You're falling into the old "linear prediction" trap. Things don't "extend in a straight line" into the future. If 25 years ago, you had said, "No one will ever want a laptop computer, because they'd have to haul around a 20-pound CRT and a power cord and could only use it when plugged into a wall socket," you might have sounded realistic AT THE TIME, but technology advances. There WILL be new, lower power displays with fast response times. Do I know what technology they will use? No. But they WILL happen. There WILL be more powerful batteries that weigh no more than a cell phone battery does today. When forecasting the (technological) future, you have to have faith. It hasn't failed yet. It will someday (there are physical limits), but we're still a long way away from them.

[Crowl]

I am not falling into any trap, technology will advance, but at the same time, those advances will also be applicable to a netbook too and again the main difference in weight between a netbook and a tablet will be the keyboard i.e. not much for a clear loss of usability.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I don't see the loss of a physical keyboard as equaling a "loss of usability." Since a tablet can have a virtual keyboard, and users can adapt to using a virtual keyboard as easily as they adapted to the physical keyboard, I see them as equal... if anything, the tablet becomes more versatile because the keyboard can be "removed" when not needed, and even replaced with more specific controls to the task.

I realize many people have a hard time getting used to virtual keyboards. But that doesn't make physical keyboards inherently "better," just more widely accepted at this time. Remember, just a few decades ago, no one could imagine using the physical keyboards we have now, as everyone was typing on upright Royals and such, and saying "you need the tactile feedback of good typewriter keys to be able to type properly." And even a decade ago, most people would have locked you up if you had told them a significant portion of the population would be sending e-mails on a Blackberry today.

You get used to what you want to get used to.

[fugazied]

Originally Posted by Slite

If it is shiny, and called iTablet .... People will buy it

The thing is, Apple is great at marketing but their devices are in fact pretty awesome to use. The iPhone/iPods just blew the competition away. They are easy to use, powerful etc.

The real advantage Apple has is it's marketing skills of course but also where they are now placed in the media marketplace. The iTunes store is huge and I can't remember the exact figures but they are now one of the largest retailers of music in the US (including real world stores).

They have the relationships with TV, Music, Movie companies already. With their marketing power, their distribution network (iTunes + appstore), they would have a great deal of persuasion with publishers. They could sell an ebook + movie + soundtrack package on iTunes for example. Who else can offer that level of integration for online purchases of virtual media. It's their booming market share and mindshare that would make them incredibly attractive to publishers.

All it takes is Steve Jobs admitting there is enough ebook demand to spend time on it. With their work in the mobile sector and music/tv/movies they already have their hands full and the ebook market is tiny compared to that.

[ahi]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I don't see the loss of a physical keyboard as equaling a "loss of usability." Since a tablet can have a virtual keyboard, and users can adapt to using a virtual keyboard as easily as they adapted to the physical keyboard, I see them as equal...

This makes me wonder how many fingers you type with, and how many words per minute.

Users can certainly adapt to a virtual keyboard, but it's silly to suggest that it is not a loss of usability. That's exactly what it is, even if a perfectly acceptable or insignificant one.

A competent typist works probably half by tactile feedback, and a virtual keyboard provides none.

- Ahi

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Crowl

You keep mentioning your ideal device being lighter than a netbook, but realistically companies are going to use similar hardware in both types of device so the only real weight saving would be from the lack of a keyboard and you aren't going to save much weight there for a significant loss of usability.

Keep in mind a laptop/netbook has two halves--one with keyboard ets. and the other just the screen, so that would cut weight.

And as others said, battery technology is making some big strides finally with nano-technology etc. that should make longer lasting batteries that way less.

But weight was just a side point--honestly I'd be fine if the tablet weighed the 2.5-3 pounds of a netbooks.

The main benefits I want are being more functional as a reader, note taking device, PDA etc. A laptop/netbook just sucks for those, vs. a table that you could hold and read like a book/e-reader while sitting up, laying down etc. Take notes on just like a legal pad, mark up books or PDFs like the real thing.

The fold open design of netbooks just isn't as conducive to that stuff--plus lacking a stylus touch screen.

As for a keyboard--I don't want atablet for any type of word processing or other tasks that require typing or a lot of text entry. That's what my PC and laptop require--and I'll always have those as my work provides them.

I just want a tablet for reading with full stylus mark up capabilities, PDA, videos, games, music (though I'd still mainly use my mp3 player) etc. It's not to replace my laptop or computer. It would be to replace my Kindle with something actually usable for my academic work readings with the bigger screen and stylus mark up ability and my PDA. With the ability to surf the net, check e-mail, watch videos, etc. being just added benefits that I'd use while traveling or in waiting rooms (since I seldom take my laptop anywhere and have no interest whatsoever in a netbook).

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by fugazied

My prediction is that ultra thin generic tablet devices will eventually rule the ebook world. 10-11 inch devices with color and touch screens. They will do everything from applications to internet to ebooks to TV to shopping lists to homework.

If they fold down, and can also be used at half size when space is an issue, weigh no more than current readers...

The e-reader for novels, 5"-6", is a different product from the web tablet, which is what you're describing. I agree it'll obliterate the larger readers, but not the smaller ones. (Or maybe we'll end up with multiple web tablet sizes...the kids market alone won't let the smaller format go away)

[dmaul1114]

Yeah, I'd think there would be various sizes of tablets. No reason not to as some would want 5 or 6 inches for reading and net surfing, PDA etc. as that's all they need.

Others need a larger screen for magazines, newspapers, more are to write notes on, A4 PDFs etc. As well as just preferring a larger screen for everything So there's a market for multiple sizes, just like there's all kinds of different sizes of netbooks and laptops.