As civilization progresses, so does the tools that man uses.
See history for the evolution of tools, transportation, apparel, and communication.
For all this, the humble book hasn't really changed much in the last few millennia, aside from printing techniques and being bound. Of late, digital readers have begun to take off.
I going to assume that you know what a digital reader is (if you don't read here), so we'll move forward from there. Digital texts aren't anything new, nor is reading via PC or laptop (currently my method of reading digital texts). eReaders are fancy simple purposed devices that make the task of reading said etexts/ebooks that much easier. eReaders typically have an LCD screen (better on battery life, offers ease of reading comparable to actual paper) and buttons to navigate, but this is rapidly changing to offer greater versatility.
In what could be consider it's first real year, the Kindle sold over 1.1 million units (party due to Oprah's magic touch). This same trend leads up to a predicted 12 million units in 2011. This should be compared to the rising trends of laptops finally exceeding desktop sales in 2008. Portability or versatility, take your pick; either way, people want their digital media ready to rock and roll quickly.
So now that the stage is set, will the Kindle and Sony Reader become a hot commodity among readers and college students alike? Will the iPad fill that niche between singular purposed luxury devices and watered down laptops?
Go ahead; post that comment.
FOLLOW UP (29 Jan 2010): Doing a bit of roving around on the net, I came across this article from the CES show a while back. Basically this ol' boy is stoked about his Barnes & Noble Nook, but goes through and lists some really functional e-Readers as well, many of which aren't mentioned here (as of yet...). Worth a quick read for sho!
Shazam!
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1 comment:
I have to give kudos to the Kindle, it has blaze a trail for the next gen gadget. When I first saw one of these, I really didnt give it too much attention, just thought it would be a fad but after several million in sales and new copycats coming in to get a slice of the pie, it has made its mark.
But its funny how technology works and the different ways people adopt and use that technology.
For example, several years ago when I worked for a company that developed a internet tablet (circa 1999). Wasnt touchscreen but it did have wireless capabilities. It was a solid built device that included many capabilities and should have been accepted by mainstream but it didn't due to it being "Ahead of its time". Yes, it could connect to the internet wireless but WiFi was not yet a household name so the product bombed and was shelved. What it did do though was paved the way for future tablets; hence here we are today with the new crop of tablets, slates, and yes, the Ipad.
The Kindle is a great gadget, I have several friends that have one or the other or both, small & big, last gen, new gen! Its has many nice features and such, but the price is at a point where I could just buy myself a notebook or a high end netbook. One feature on the Kindle that stands out for me, is the 3G modem that is built into the reader with NO service charge to download files that you buy. What this means, is that wherever you have a cell phone signal, your Kindle is able to download files that you have bought. You only pay for the file, not for the downloading services. This will give the Kindle a competitive edge over its competitor.
The built in 3G modem is not enough for me to buy one, it has to have more capabilities that just that to justify to cost. Give me a Asus or Samsung netbook any day over the kindle. Yeah, I pretty sure the college kids, wanna be geeks, and the rest of mainstream will flock and buy these e readers. Your uber geeks will just continue buying their netbooks over these readers.
I am very proud that Apple is an American company and that it showcases our ideas and innovation. But I hate their arrogance and their pompous attitude, both the company and apple product owners. The reason why Apple is so successful in their product is that they have made using their gadgets idiot proof. Apple products have a great reputation for making things easy to use and very PnP aka plug and play.
**NOTE** I'll continue this rant later, the coffee has worn off and I need to go to bed. I'll post later in morning.
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