What in the World is going on with e-readers?

Mark (Admin)

Jan 06 |20:00 PM

Last Updated on Friday, 08 January 2010 18:46

You might remember that small online bookstore last week announcing the Kindle being the most gifted item ever, as well as huge eBook sales. Now the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) predicts e-reader sales will double in 2010. Shawn DuBravac, director of research at the CEA said, "Expect to see significant offerings in the e-reader category over the next few days" (source). He was right, a bunch of companies are announcing e-readers during the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week.

Skiff

A company named Skiff has teamed up with Sprint to provide newspapers, magazines, and e-books. Their new device is a whopping 11.5 inch FLEXIBLE touchscreen. Yes, you can actually bend it. This is a unique device that really is different than the current round of e-Readers from Sony, Amazon, and B&N. It still uses the same eInk display but with a new design by LG Display. They used stainless steel foil instead of glass to support the display. This made the device thin, light and more flexible! The Skiff Reader is a quarter inch thick with an eleven inch 1,200 by 1,600 pixel display. Too big for me but ... "WOW!"

Want to know more about the Skiff?

Alex

Spring Design's Alex e-Reader (which like the nook uses Google's Android OS) announced a partnership with Google for e-Books and provided more hands-on time with the device. It's very similar to the nook but seems to be much more responsive and has a nicer, larger screen. This device looks great but I wonder how many people want this size with TWO screens. Bookstore integration with Google Books is nothing to brag about lately. They aren't happy with B&N since they feel they stole the design for the nook from them. You can't deny the similarities!

Click here to read a great review on Gizmodo with more pictures!
Alex deal with Borders... Drops price to $359... WOW!

Cooler

On a more traditional e-reader note, Interead is showing off their "Coolreader". This one puzzles me. It's not much different than the current devices and in the same price point. Cute colors though!

cooler e-reader picture

Copia

DMC Worldwide unveiled two new e-readers - the Copia "Ocean" and "Tidal". These e-readers integrate content, social networking and e-commerce. Scratching your head yet? Well, you enjoy books right? How about blogs, magazines, Internet sites? What about sharing what you think about them with friends, family, and the world. These new readers sport an "open platform" in order to allow publishers and users to connect and collaborate. Blog and Wiki meet your e-Reader!

Other Noteworthy Updates

The QUE? Read some of the first details on the mysterious Plastic Logic’s QUE. Uses B&N Bookstore, $799.
Liquivista colored ePaper. Tech demo, short on information.
Samsung includes Handwriting? Samsung will be releasing two e-Readers, both more than the nook, 6" ($399) / 10" ($699). It's just ugly, sorry.
Mirasol color display Review suggests we'll see a color Kindle using this 3Q? Open the pocketbook, but very interesting.

Forget the nook?

I still think price is a major consideration for buyers. In the e-Reader market people want to read books, and not spend a lot of cash on the device. A $99 device would really grab consumers. Don't confuse this will new multi-purpose devices like the yet-to-be-unveiled Apple Tablet. This is a different consumer that wants web, movies, reader, email, and more on one device - maybe even to replace a laptop. I think these users will pay upwards 1K and are not the same group of consumers that want a nook!

I still think the nook is an awesome device. After the software bugs are worked out it will take it's place as a top devices. It's an open platform, has one of the better e-Bookstores integrated, and is that killer price-range.

So do you have a nook or considering one - how does this news all affect you!

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Comments

0 #5 2010-01-10 00:55

Reading about the Alex it sounds like a far superior device compared to both the nook and the kindle. I think I will cancel my preorder on the nook to wait and order a Alex. It plays video and browses the web. I can get a data service through t-mobile for $15/month and get books from borders. I'm SOLD!

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0 #4 2010-01-09 15:52

Thanks for your input! The more I look around the more I lean towards the Nook. The one I played with at B&N worked great. Hopefully I will be joining you guys as a fellow Nook owner!

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0 #3 2010-01-08 19:08

Got the Nook last week and I really like it. I've read one book and am in the middle of another. Will be traveling out of town this weekend and usually take 3 to 4 books with me. Not this time. Only taking the Nook. Also, I don't have a problem with the page turning speed. I turns faster than when I manually turn a paper page.

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+2 #2 2010-01-08 10:58

Very happy with my Nook

I got it for the holidays and a lot of the "bugs" seemed to have been fixed when I charged it and when I went into B&N and seem to have up graded and re fomated on its own.The price was right, bought the warrenty and I've been reading with it ever since.Would love the B&N sight to have more ebooks and have since put in a request, interested to see how they handle.I don't think its as sluggish as I have read, or maybe it was before the firmware upgrades, but didn't notice. Friend has a Sony and put it up against hers and it's maybe a nano second slower, but thats it!They were pretty much turning pages together.Love the Nook and love being able to carry my library with me and enjoy buying books for less money and with this economy this goes a long way. I guess to each his own, it's what ever the consumer is really looking for which is really what it comes down to.

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0 #1 2010-01-08 00:46

I was waiting to see what types of ebooks would be announced and how they would compete against the Nook and Kindle. Some of the technology seems nice but its expensive and I just want something reasonably priced and mainly to read books well.

So I am back to thinking of getting the Nook. But I want to wait just a little bit longer to see if they improve the UI any more after the next update.

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