Why Ereader Companies Shouldn't be Worried

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

This is only my opinion, and it could be wrong, but I think this is a threat to dedicated e-reading devices (not specifically e-ink).

I think it's a threat to them ever becoming a mainstream success. But that was a slim chance anway. Dedicated readers were never going to sell in numbers comparable to MP3 players, DVD players etc.

I think there will always be companies making dedicated e-readers to sell to the niche of avid readers who just want a simple device to read on. Prices will come down and they'll eventually sell them very cheap, and make money selling e-books to people who own the devices.

Multifunction devices have a better chance at reaching a bigger market, but I don't think that means the death of dedicated devices, or e-ink or future paper-like screens to serve the avid reader niche.

[jholanda]

I do love my kindle I have just bought and I certainly don't regret it. I still think it's the best option for reading books. But I still need something else to read complex pdf files. I may sound like the "man in the street" or a misinformed guy but I am not going to pay $600 for an e-reader when I can buy this ipad or - more likely - one of these new tablets that are due to come this year :-)

http://mashable.com/2010/01/27/9-upc...he-apple-ipad/

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by jholanda

I do love my kindle I have just bought and I certainly don't regret it. I still think it's the best option for reading books. But I still need something else to read complex pdf files. I may sound like the "man in the street" or a misinformed guy but I am not going to pay $600 for an e-reader when I can buy this ipad or - more likely - one of these new tablets that are due to come this year :-)

http://mashable.com/2010/01/27/9-upc...he-apple-ipad/

Same here.

My Kindle will stay around for reading novels. I'll buy a tablet for reading and annotating complex PDFs, academic books, web surfing, video etc.

No way I shell out for something like the Que when I can get tablet like this for $500. Just a matter of waiting for one with good stylus annotation support to come out.

[rmclachlan]

The iPad is all about the software not the hardware. There may be a slew of me too products about to appear but I really doubt that their software will amount to much. In any event tablets are not exactly a new phenomenon. A lot of people are complaining that it is merely a big iPod Touch - well I suppose it is and that is it's appeal since that device's form factor is too small to easily read pdfs, websites, newspapers, and books. Whereas the iPad will do all that and more. It is really a multimedia device.

[amjbrown]

The benefits of eInk in terms of eye strain are clearly apparent to MR followers. However, we are by definition an avid reading, early adopting niche. Amazon has software in the field already - the Kindle app is available on the iPhone and therefore the iPad. Will they continue to develop and invest in the Kindle if the software could achieve the same end? Sony is a mass market consumer electronics company, and will want a piece of the film and music action. I think the chances of them not responding in kind to the iPad are zero.

Apple have mitigated the battery concerns. It is not a 505 (then neither is a 600 in terms of power drain), but 10 hours for a film and a month in standby will translate into a decent life for reading books.

As to the screen - we need to see one. But I have sold a 600 to return to the 505 - I am 100% confident the iPad will be easier on my eyes than the 600 was. It won't be 505 clarity, but I suspect it will be close enough.

I think the game changed today, and I think eInk is niche product, and love it as I do, it is dead.

I for one will be buying an iPad!

amjb

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by amjbrown

The benefits of eInk in terms of eye strain are clearly apparent to MR followers. However, we are by definition an avid reading, early adopting niche. Amazon has software in the field already - the Kindle app is available on the iPhone and therefore the iPad. Will they continue to develop and invest in the Kindle if the software could achieve the same end? Sony is a mass market consumer electronics company, and will want a piece of the film and music action. I think the chances of them not responding in kind to the iPad are zero.

Apple have mitigated the battery concerns. It is not a 505 (then neither is a 600 in terms of power drain), but 10 hours for a film and a month in standby will translate into a decent life for reading books.

As to the screen - we need to see one. But I have sold a 600 to return to the 505 - I am 100% confident the iPad will be easier on my eyes than the 600 was. It won't be 505 clarity, but I suspect it will be close enough.

I think the game changed today, and I think eInk is niche product, and love it as I do, it is dead.

I for one will be buying an iPad!

amjb

Yeahbut! My 21" monitor uses a different backlighting than that from an LED backlight - which is what the iPad screen uses. (I'm assuming that's how they can get 10 hour ON times.) Do we have long-term studies done on what kind of eye-strain the LED backlighting causes? I've not heard of any.

Derek

[LDBoblo]

I might get one, depending on the cover that comes with it. I don't want to be seen in public with an Apple product, but this unfortunately for me seems better for my purposes than E-Ink devices. Quality of text should be quite a bit higher, despite the lower linear resolution. Too bad about the outdoor readability, but tradeoffs are tradeoffs.

No worries at all about eye strain, nor really significantly about battery life. I'm a little disappointed that the OS is just the iPhone's, but it's still more usable than E-Ink devices for that.

What's kinda nifty is that despite being a "multifunction" tablet, it's not multi-tasking. You'd think that the simpler folk around here would appreciate that aspect.

[RobbK]

With Astak's new MID coming out at the 300.00 dollar range I can not imagine paying the 600.00 that apple wants for the IPad.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by amjbrown

Apple have mitigated the battery concerns. It is not a 505 (then neither is a 600 in terms of power drain), but 10 hours for a film and a month in standby will translate into a decent life for reading books.

This, of course, assumes that we'll actually get 10 hours of use from the battery. My experience with cell phones suggests that connectivity significantly impacts battery life. As does age-so even if we get 10 hours use when new, how much will we get after a year? (Hopefully the battery is user-replaceable. Don't recall whether or not they said.) Wear, of course, will depend on use. I have a laptop that I've carefully 'husbanded' battery life, e.g. removing the battery when running on AC, etc. The battery lasts, as best I can tell (should have made notes, damn it!) as good as it did when new after 3 years. My wife's however, which is always in the laptop whether on AC or not, is only a year old but has lost at least 40% of its 'staying power'.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by RobbK

With Astak's new MID coming out at the 300.00 dollar range I can not imagine paying the 600.00 that apple wants for the IPad.

For the added features, size and overall functionality? Yeah, *I" would pay the $499 for the basic iPad. Why? because I'd probably be less likely to need to 'upgrade' to a better device in a year - which I find highly probable when considering the Astak MID. Now, if the Asus tablet can be formatted to run Mac OS X Snow Leopard, maybe I wouldn't be so likely to cough up iMoney to iApple to support iJobs' iLiver iTransplants.

Derek

[Estuche]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

My next prediction is that when a big company releases a multi-function portable device that has a Pixel-Qi screen it will definately dethrone this iPad and even e-ink readers.

Kudos to this prediction!

[Kit Coda]

Thought I’d make this my first post. I appreciate the well informed community here.

I had been waiting for the IPad introduction to make up my mind on which Ereader to purchase. Since I have no legacy device in which I’ve invested money and time I felt I could wait for a little more maturity in the market. Today’s Apple announcement has pretty much cemented my decision to go with the new IPad. The clincher obviously being price. It makes little sense to go with something like the Kindle DX for the same cost versus the quality and benifits of the IPad I’m sure we’ll be seeing a price cut from Amazon soon though.

The only question is do I get the basic unit ($499) with WIFI and upgrade to another unit later as the price drops and features and apps build, or spring for the 3G service unit now? As I understand it there is no commitment to the service plan.

[amjbrown]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

This, of course, assumes that we'll actually get 10 hours of use from the battery. My experience with cell phones suggests that connectivity significantly impacts battery life. As does age-so even if we get 10 hours use when new, how much will we get after a year? (Hopefully the battery is user-replaceable. Don't recall whether or not they said.) Wear, of course, will depend on use. I have a laptop that I've carefully 'husbanded' battery life, e.g. removing the battery when running on AC, etc. The battery lasts, as best I can tell (should have made notes, damn it!) as good as it did when new after 3 years. My wife's however, which is always in the laptop whether on AC or not, is only a year old but has lost at least 40% of its 'staying power'.

Apple have a decent track record on battery claims - their iPods usually last longer than advertised. The ten ours was a claim for moving video - reading a book must be less.

Good point about the life of the battery - as in the number of charge cycles it can tolerate. The battery looks built in (common even in some of Apple's laptops now) - but then again so are the Sony PRS 505 and 600.

[Teddman]

Originally Posted by amjbrown

I think the game changed today, and I think eInk is niche product, and love it as I do, it is dead.

I seriously doubt it. There will always be a market for paperback-sized e-paper devices that are at $199 or cheaper. The iPad is another class of device, priced at a different tier.

Most tech and gaming sites are considerably underwhelmed at the iPad's debut.

This forum is probably the most positive towards the iPad I've seen, probably because e-reading enthusiasts were used to paying about the same for large-format e-ink readers, and they're looking at it as an e-reader--where it exceeds the competition (in terms of offering color and a snazzy interface).

The rest of the world is looking at it as a tablet, with e-reading being a small part of it. Compared to netbooks and other PC tablets, it's overpriced and/or under-capable.

[Penforhire]

I agree with the OP but more because this is an expanding market. When Oprah mentioned the Kindle that made it the Xerox of e-readers, what Joe Public recognizes. When Apple brings this iPad to market it will bring a new flood of people into the e-book circle regardless of how suitable it is. "A rising tide lifts all boats" so I figure it'll stimulate sales of other e-readers.

Now if Apple made this same iPad with a screen on each side, E-ink or similar on the backside, THEN the other guys would be in serious trouble...