E-book readers. Are they the next technology sending our publishers into a recession? Either way it is an interesting technology and a way to join conversations in a new way.
Wiki describes them; ”An e-book reader, sometimes also called an e-book device, is a device used to display e-books. It may be a device specifically designed for that purpose, or one intended for other purposes as well. The main advantages of these devices are portability, readability of screen in bright sunight, and long battery life. It should be noted that any Personal Data Assistant (PDA) capable of displaying text on a screen is capable of being an e-book reader, but without the advantages of e-ink displays
Below are a list of e-book readers and software platforms for your device below (including your iphone) but it seems that the Amazon Kindle, Sony E-book are the top two
- Samsung Papyrus by Samsung (June 2009)
- Kindle DX by Amazon (June 2009)
- Kindle 2 by Amazon (February 2009)
- eSlick by Foxit Software (2009)
- PRS-700BC Reader Digital Book by Sony (October 2008)
- Digital Reader 1000 by iRex Technologies (2008)
- Kindle by Amazon (2007)
- Cybook Gen3 by Bookeen (2007)
- Sony Reader by Sony (2006)
- iLiad by iRex Technologies (2006)
- Librié by Sony (2005)
The first (left) and second (right) version of the Amazon Kindle
Key features of the Kindle:
Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback
Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
Paper-like Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images
Long Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging
Carry Your Library: Holds over 1,500 books
Read-to-Me: With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine, blog, and book out loud to you, unless the book’s rights holder made the feature unavailable
Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.
Large Selection: Over 300,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs available
Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise.
How does the Sony E-Book stack up?
Matthew Strebe from gadgetspace says “The Sony Reader, weighting in at slightly less than an actual paperback, is the reigning champ, and the Amazon Kindle—bigger, heavier (at almost 11oz), and stronger—is the contender. It’s actually pretty easy to tell whose going to win, but the fight isn’t as one-sided as the recent press around the Kindle might make it seem.”
According to Rob Enderle from TG Daily “The Kindle is, by any measure, a product that should be at least as popular as the original iPod. It does for reading material what the iPod does for music and the potential audience for both products is about equal in number, though the Kindle’s demographic probably trends older. Both products have compelling unique capabilities to enhance the experience; iTunes has music at $1 a track that easily transfers to the iPod and the Kindle has books at $9 each that does the same. You’ll likely only read the book once but it will likely consume as much time as you’ll use listening to nine songs.”
Consumer reports video is another avenue to compare the Kindle vs other products.
But maybe we are past this. http://www.booksinmyphone.com/ is a software that allows you to read book text on your phone. The convergence of all of these functions on one device like the ipod seems likely. Will this mean the same trouble for publishers that the newspaper industry is now facing? Are you using a e-reader? Let us know which one?
