How many e-book readers do you think are out there right now for you to choose from? If you did a little digging, I bet you’d find 50 or so. Maybe 10 really worth checking out. But right now is a bit of a weird period in e-reader history. The Kindle cemented e-readers in the consumer headspace, catapulting them from weirdo alternative technology to mainstream gadget. That’s what the iPad threatens to do with tablets — we’ll see about that. But the Kindle and the iPad are two important forces in the current e-reader wars; the question, upon the answer of which depends the success of many a device, is whether “bonus” features like second screens and weird form factors in e-readers will be enough to differentiate them from the high-profile devices pressing them on both flanks?
Take a second to imagine it as a battle between three armies. On one side of the field is the steadfast Kindle Corps, seasoned and numerous. On the other is the glorious Apple Brigade, untried in e-reader combat but veteran of other battles. In between them is a menagerie of Sony, Asus, and miscellaneous independent mercenaries, bristling with foreign and barbaric weapons, gathering together only because they don’t stand a chance by themselves. In real life, they are not gathered at all, but that doesn’t work with the metaphor. Maybe they have a non-aggression pact or something, I don’t know. Regardless, the battle is about to begin.
See, the vast majority of e-readers were designed as a response to the Kindle, not to tablet computers, which may or may not obsolete e-readers altogether. It’s a bad situation: the whole time you’re improving your competitor’s product, someone else is skipping your entire device class on the grounds that it will be made ridiculous by their awesome gadget. Some of the special features developed to combat the Kindle will stay, and some won’t live to see their own first birthday.
Personally, I think e-readers will stick around next to tablet computers, since it’s just as much of a problem for a device to do too much as it is for it to do too little. You may not want your e-mail and browsing device to be the same as your reading device. And of course the Kindle isn’t the end of all readers: the generation currently being released has among its members a few interesting features… and a few duds. Let’s take a look.
The nook is what people think of when this type of e-reader is brought up, and for good reason. It’s a sexy little bugger. Now, compare it to its rivals: the upcoming Spring Design Alex and the Entourage Edge. What do you see? A larger secondary screen. Better, right? Unfortunately, the secondary screen does two things that pretty much sabotage the idea.
First, it takes away from the readable area (the main screen); 90% of the time you are using an e-reader, you are reading. That is the device’s stated purpose. When you put in a secondary screen, you are subtracting from the functional part of your device. I think it’s an unstated but obvious goal of design that your device should primarily do what it does.
Second, it implies uselessness on the part of the e-ink screen for UI stuff, and suggests to the consumer “If you want to do stuff other than read e-books, you’re better off with a device that’s all secondary screen.” It’s like admitting a strike against your product before the consumer even sees it. Bad idea.
Not to mention having a color LCD screen raises the cost of the device considerably. It is for these reasons that I think the secondary screen is a one-generation fluke, not likely to be seen again after 2010.
There actually aren’t many that fall under this category, but they are on their way, and I believe this is something that will stick around. Depending on the technology used (Mirasol, pigment pores), there may be no downside to having a color screen other than cost. That is to say that reflectivity, weight, responsiveness, contrast, and resolution will remain the same, except now you have color (however washed out in these first devices).
As I said, there are practically none of these devices on the market right now. Asus has an OLED-based one it wants to push, but at six inches it’s not very tempting, and of course it’ll be expensive. And it’s more of a tablet anyway, so it gets ignored. But you can bet that Amazon, Sony, and every other company is pushing display R&D like none other trying to get color e-ink to work for a decent price. We’ll probably have a few announcements this year, but no products until next CES.
On the other hand, we already have Pixel Qi, which may beg the question of color e-ink before the latter is even viable. On that front, we have the popular Notion Ink Adam, demoed here, which is one of the few devices which genuinely falls under both the e-reader and tablet categories. Personally I’m bullish about it, though I’m afraid it may crumple under the combined pressure of Amazon and Apple, both of which will be gunning for it.
At any rate, color is here to stay. Whether it’s an unexploited e-ink technology or a hybrid like Pixel Qi, you better believe that color will huge in the next year. Not only does it open up capability for running some applications, but it also lets the device and creator tap into the huge academic book market, which needs color. Believe me, I wouldn’t have passed my Neuroanatomy classes with a black and white textbook.
Are you kidding me? Almost every interactive device in the world is going to be touchable by the end of 2010. Any e-readers that don’t have this feature by the holidays are going to be laughed at long and hard. Touchscreens you can write on are going to be key as well; if your e-reader can replace the “back of the napkin” sketches, diagrams, and calculations you do already, then hell, why not?
The Entourage Edge needs another mention here, since it has that book-like format, but as I noted before, that actually ends up being a weakness. You’re splitting your functionality and essentially the user can only use half the device at any given time, and is all the while thinking “Man, I wish the other half of this thing didn’t exist right now.” The Courier, which obviously is not e-reader but tablet, solves this by having both sides active at all times. Not possible for the Edge.
Here’s a tough one: the Samsung E6. Its slider form factor reminds one of their slider phones — this thing in particular. But there are plenty of objections here. You see it and immediately think, “an e-reader with moving parts? No thanks.” I mean really, simplicity is key with a device that’s meant to replace a paperback. And anyone will be able to tell you’re doing something wrong when you need a whole huge sliding mechanism just to reveal a D-pad and a couple buttons that could easily have been put where the Samsung logo is. And the speakers are on it too! What the hell, guys? Well, we can all agree that the E6 is going to sell about three units. I think sliders are out.
But what about a sliding QWERTY keyboard? I haven’t seen one of those yet, but I’m afraid it might have the same issues as the E6. Besides, better displays means better on-screen keyboards. These things aren’t meant for typing anyway. Leave it to tablet computers to figure this out.
What about ultra-slim? Hey, why not? My favorite e-book reader out there is the Plastic Logic Que, for no other reason than that it’s slim and handsome, just like me. Seriously though, a touchscreen (however primitive) and a thin, refined design will sell against the most robust competitors, and the Que is refined as all hell (though sadly, delayed). If someone really and truly just wants to read books and magazines on an e-ink screen, they don’t want or need anything else, but they do care whether it looks like they’re reading a gigantic BlackBerry or not. Slim, buttonless designs will stay. You can be sure the next Kindle will have one (though will likely keep its signature side buttons).
Flexibility? The Skiff is working at this, and it’s something e-ink and (kind of) OLEDs are uniquely capable of at the moment, but I get the feeling it’s going to end up on the low-end devices. See, as long as a consumer is paying $400 or so for a device like this, I think that for the time being, they are going to want build quality that suggests that. They want glass, metal, rigidity, sturdiness, all that. Until you can actually roll or fold up your e-reader, I don’t see this being a big selling point. But don’t count it out completely; this feature isn’t dead, it’s just sleeping.
Another tough one. I don’t have a problem with Android on e-readers — it adds a little credibility somehow, and I’m sure there are going to be a few apps (if there aren’t already) that are meant to run only on e-readers, for customizing this or that, or finding free books. If Android is to be the de facto OS of e-readers, so be it. I feel that Chrome OS will be too much for an e-reader, so it doesn’t pose a threat, nor any of the other mobile or free OSes. They could just as easily run a different Linux-based OS, but Android has name recognition and probably some handy 3G and mobile wi-fi stacks.
There is the issue, however, that in some devices Android does more to show what the device is not capable of than what it is. Look at this little thing from Gigabyte. The OS looks completely out of place there, and is a mess to navigate.
As for Apps in general, well, I think we’ll see a basic stable of apps develop — things that are applicable to e-ink screens, probably features that the creators should have included. Most e-readers don’t have the kind of displays or usage patterns as other Android devices, so lots of the Marketplace will be pointless. And as for other apps, I guarantee anything worth getting will be integrated into the second generation of the reader as a native function. Color screens and better responsiveness might change this (as would a Pixel Qi rout) but for now I’m saying Apps aren’t going to win any battles. Besides, Apple’s got them licked there.
It should be noted that there are plenty of perfectly nice-looking e-book readers out there that are not “special” in any way. Look at this Asus one. Doesn’t it look nice? Yes. But the competition will bury it unless it’s stupid cheap. The Kindle clones will disappear because the vanilla Kindle form factor and feature set will start to show its age to casual consumers this year, especially as alternative and open book stores begin to proliferate (options!) and alternative e-readers penetrate the collective attention bubble. And of course you can expect a totally new device from Amazon this year as well, though they got a bit of a late start.
And what will be the effect of the iPad on all this? I don’t want to say much on this, because there’s still a lot to be learned about that device. I said earlier that e-readers will exist alongside tablets for some time, and I stand by that. If people really like to read books on a device of this form factor, I doubt the iPad (or similar devices) will be their only device.
Personally, I’m sticking with books, and looking forward to tablets as a way to read newspapers and magazines, which obviously require color and a net connection, neither of which is a guarantee with the current or impending generation of e-readers. I’ll be interested to see how my predictions fare against reality, but I think I’m on solid ground with most of them.
I think purchases will mainly come down to an even mixture of price point, ease of purchase and attatched marketplace. Everything else is just gimmicky and will help those who can’t decide. But without all three of those requirements, no gimmick(s) will convince the mass of consumers.
It’s really just a competition between the nook and kindle at this point, I think. The extra screen gimmick will capture a few, I’m sure, while the kindles well earned reputation alone will ensure it a long-term victory.
[you've been warned about spamming links... -devin]
I have a nook and I’m really happy with it. I’m considering getting the iPad, not for reading books, but for taking notes in classes. It’s too much of a bother to lug my MacBook with me all day.
I would think that a physical keyboard would be better for taking notes? Perhaps look into getting a netbook instead. It would save you some cash while offering much more in a very portable form factor.
That or trade in the nook for a kindle and use the keyboard to take notes with.
Another idea; turn on your webcam and just record class. That way you can review later and give your full attention at the moment.
I just don’t see the reason to buy an ipad for note taking?
Note-taking on the virtual keyboard? Not for me. I find that I actually feel nauseated (similar to seasickness) if I type very long emails on the iPhone’s keyboard. I don’t think it’s the size that gets me; it’s the lack of tactile feedback and the way I have to use visual feedback instead.
I think kindle 2 is still one of the best e-book readers around, like some of the people here, I pre-ordered an iPad not to replace my kindle, but to use it for other purposes (replacing my coby, PMP devices, and iBook)
[seriously, this pinoytutorial shit has got to go. i'm putting every account you guys make into moderation status. if you want to include a link, there's a field for that. quit trying to game us for google juice. -editor]
Very well thought-out and written article, by the way. I appreciate the amount of effort you put into this piece. Thanks!
Keep up the great work.
I second that. This is one of the best tech opinion pieces I’ve read in a while. Informative and balanced, keep it up!
I agree. This is a really good (albeit lengthy) article. I believe both e-readers and tablets serves different purposes. Even the commenters here seem to agree.
I got hold of a BeBook Neo recently (Kindle, Nook or Sony Reader don’t ship o my location) and I’m loving it so far. It may be my first e-reader (I know I will upgrade to more in future) but I don’t doubt that e-reader technology is here to stay.
right. because cook books and photography books and art history books and and children’s books and DIY books and how-to books of all kinds… none of them are real books because they’ve got color pictures in them.
been to a borders lately? i’d bet you’d find more books with lots of 4-color process printing than plain black and white. and most of the black and white books would be in color if 4-color process wasn’t so expensive.
the future of eBooks will be in color.
I don’t think anyone is arguing that it isn’t or won’t be? I don’t see the point of your post, could you be more clear?
I think I’m the perfect demo of monsterofNone’s concept:
I have literally hundreds of books and articles on pdf. Almost all of them are image rather than text files, showing full pages of technical articles and books in my field, music scores, etc. Consequently, none of them are readable on anything smaller than a netbook. The only device that’s going to lure me in is a netbook with a keyboard and a flip-around screen, so that I can do ALL of my work on one compact and efficient device. Right now, my netbook is serviing that function, but it’s awkward on the bus.
What you say here support the idea, though, of a continuing place for a reader more like Kindle for people who primarily want to read novels, history books, etc.
I don’t need my cookbooks on an electronic device. What I appreciate is being able to get on an airplane with my 5 in-progress 300+ page books without carrying 20 lbs.
In the end, monochrome eReaders are going to be throw-away product like them LCD wrist watches.
yeah you’ll get em out of those little plastic bubbles too
I think the one you can read on a sunday on the beach will win. I am sorry but the ipad’s glossy screen is a killer for me. When it comes to reading it is all about stress to eyes. I don’t give a dam what it costs as long as it will not fry my eyes when I am on the beach or outside.. and have a big sign on the back saying I don’t want any of your dam trinkets beach hawkers..
One thing you forgot to mention is that those little 2nd screens really diminish battery life. One thing I love about the Kindle is that you can go for several weeks without needing to recharge the battery. Which by the way reminds me is going to be a key factor in the Ipad’s success. Videos and 3G/Wifi connection will require a lot of battery power.
I realize none of us have had the opportunity to spend a bunch of time nuzzled up to our iPad yet, but let me speak to why the iPad will never replace my Kindle DX….
1 – I cannot stand reading on a computer screen – I wanted to die reading this lengthy blog post and comments :-)
2 – As someone pointed out – battery life
3 – Digital ink works at the beach on a super sunny day – as also someone pointed out
I am sure the iPad will flourish for certain purposes, just as the Kindle will continue to flourish for what it was perfectly designed for – READING.
The ipod touch is great and does lots of things besides play music, but the shuffle still sells and sells enough for apple to keep it around. There will be a place for e-ink and e-readers. It just won’t be at the top of the charts.
This article was so long (and a bit disorganized) – that i forgot what i read, by the time i finished reading it.
Smart Alec says: This article has knowledge without information.
If you didn’t read it, and forgot what you did read, what can you possibly have to say about it that’s worth a second of anyone’s time?
Bingo. Trolls, go away.
I’m not sure why you’d say that the eDGe’s two screens can’t be active at the same time – that’s one of the major selling points of the device, that is, the ability to embed video/audio links in e-books, look up words in the e-reader side with an on-screen dictionary, Wikepedia, etc. on the LCD side. I’m typing this message on the eDGe, have a Kindle 2, and see them both as helping me be productive, depending on the context (I’m in academia, where I see devices like the eDGe or others of its concept having a strong future). I think comparing it to a dedicated e-reader is kind of a false choice.
well they’re both active in that they’re both on, but I feel that it has its primary use is diluted by the constant presence of an entire screen used only for sub-tasks. I mean, if it works well for you, that’s awesome and I’m glad, I just don’t see it sticking around for long.
I have to agree with Batman here. It’s kind of like you’re saying all the entourage eDGe is supposed to be is an e-reader meant to read only ebooks without links to web-sites or videos. Most of the pdf files I own have links to web-site, so having a way to see those sites while I’m readying an ebook is important to me. And many of them have links to videos as well, so it’s nice to see those in color. So I’d have to say the author is wrong about this one. On a single screen device, it if were able to open an embedded web-page, the web-page would replace or “cover” the ebook page, so you couldn’t look at both at the same time. To me the second screen adds value rather than detracting from it.
On another note, it’s important to me to be able to draw pictures and hand-write notes (which on the eDGe can then be saved as pdf files), so the resistive screen with stylus on the eDGe is better for me than an iPad, which with it’s capacitive screen meant to receive gestures isn’t designed for drawing or hand-written notes.
Agreed.
It’s like the difference between this device and the Courier. The Courier uses both screens at the sane time. You’re actively using both of them. There are two screens but it still feels like one device. The eDGe feels like two divices attatched together. It’s kinda inconvenient.
All i want is a crunchpad!
Agreed. :’(
One of the secondary features that is missed by the article is ruggedness. Consumers read books on the beach and in the bath, and lug them around on the seat of the car or in the bottom of a bag.
Therefore, the single most important secondary feature that will differentiate an e-reader is surely its physical resilience.
The e-reader that is built to be waterproof and scratchproof (sand, OMG) will be the device that mainstream consumers will readily substitute for paper books. E-readers need to become tougher!
sure, show me that rugged e-reader and I’ll put it in the list! :)
Show me that rugged e-reader and I’ll buy it :-D
You article was Informative and balanced.
Good Stuff. and thanks alot
As a student I would really like an ereader device which I can take notes on in class. That would sell me right away, one device instead of six notebooks. The refresh rate has to get better and so does the writing ability before that happens though.
You didn’t mention the BeBook. It’s a great device and a basic reader with formidable specs-best of all it supports multiple languages which is a big deal seeing that the entire world does NOT read in English.
This was a well-researched piece you wrote here and very well done! I too am very impressed with the Plastic Logic Que. I agree with most of all you said-the dual screens, slider functions etc are distracting. Most people who want an ereader, want just that. A reader and nothing else.
I just got myself the new BeBook Neo. Loving it so far. It’s simple, open source, handy and good quality.
Though a lot of work obviously went into this post, it is almost completely worthless because the era of dedicated devices is over. Why would I want a device with one function when I can carry a multi-use device that weighs 1.5 lbs, has a ten hour battery life, connects to the cloud anywhere and provides both access to info and the ability to create? The only real device (not Plastic Logic vaporware- type of things) out there is the iPad. As usual Apple has leapfrogged past everyone. And this is not fanboy talk- they are the only ones with a completely touch-based OS that is proven. The rest are primitive devices by comparison.
Big words for a device that no one has touched yet! I’ve held a Que in my hands and can attest to its practicality, can you say the same for the iPad? Dedicated devices are far from over. Specialization is important; the iPad will never be as good an e-reader as the best e-reader out there. And the best e-reader will never be as good a tablet as the iPad. There’s room for both until some serious advancement happens on the tablet side.
Simple. Show me a device that does everything just as well as the separate devices.
That and there will always be people who like glossy LCD screens, matte LCD screens and e-ink screens separately. Even if and when e-ink becomes just as colorful and responsive as regular LCD screens.
Hurray for books!
Buy a paperback you idiots. It looks good on a shelf.
@martin
ROFL – why would you want such a device?
Read my comments above.
No one considers portability and small size as an important feature. I think that simple, inexpensive, 5″ screen with no much around it, single function book readers will boom like netbooks, maybe even better
No one? Why do I, then?
I mean among current manufacturers, are you one of them?
My dream is a device, what i can switch from e-ink to normal lcd, and have internet connection. The long standing battery is also important, and physical resilience, and have to be cheap. I plan to buy a device like this in ten years, so come on engineers. :)
The Notion Ink Adam is like that with Pixel Qi, which is better than e-ink. I almost pre-ordered the ipad when I found this: http://www.slashgear.com/notion-ink-adam-hands-on-0969281/ (The video shows the features of the Adam well). I like that it has a 3 MP camera that swivels. It is supposed to come out in June of this year. It has so many awesome features. And it’s probably going to be cheaper than the ipad.
I REALLY want an Adam! I think it will effectively compete with the iPad, especially since you can see FLASH videos on it.
sronti – I completely agree!
I was so praying the iPad could do some type of e-ink conversion – I guess that must be a real superhard thing to pull off.
Perhaps check out Pixel Qi. Not quite the ability to switch between the two, but a sort of hybrid.
Some of the commenters seem to be missing the point regarding functionality of an EBook reader.
Easy to read. (Like a tactile book) Colour is irrelevant. Easy to navigate (like a book) Easy to read in any light conditions – within reason.
If it’s lightweight, can store lots of content and is easy to navigate at an affordable price it meets the design criteria. Don’t over-engineer it!
- Mike
If you leave out color, it can’t be a true eBook reader since it leaves out whole categories of books that depend on color.
these tablets are ‘hardback’ tablets I think people are waiting for you guys to create the soft back version – the flexible tablet please :-) – I will sit here on this thread and wait for said invention to appear
Great article…. I just want to put in a plug for using a simple phone such as the iPhone (my choice) or a blackberry, android phone, etc. I use 3 different readers on my iPhone, am 48 with the appropriate not great eyes for my age, download books from Amazon to Kindle for iPhone and love it completely.
No lag (no latency turning pages), good font selection, a small device that sits in my pants pocket, and I am good to go. I’ve played with each generation of the Kindle, and I’ll admit that I haven’t looked at the iPad yet, but even though I’m a serious techie and early adopter, I can’t see changing my reading habits from using the iPhone.
I love to read, I read constantly, with the iPhone I can read all day, swipe a page at a time, jump over to checking my gmail through the web, and get back to my book all in a matter of seconds.
Any other enthusiasts of just using the iPhone or similar screen to read with?
yes i am also agree with this Comment.I mean among current manufacturers, are you one of them?
I have worked my way through all the above comments with interest. I have a blog about ereaders, and am thus always intrigued to see what people are saying). One point that seems to be getting overlooked a lot of the time is that a lot of people simply want a handy, tough and well designed device to read books on, not a complete electronic administration device.
However, happily there is room for us all, and as long as manufacturers continue to provide and develop devices for both major groups all will be well.
I tend to agree with those who ask for colour e-ink, this is an obviously good idea, and will certainly appear before long, at which point eReaders will more or less have come of age,and be the perfect answer for those of us who enjoy the advantages of simple eReaders.
In passing I would mention that M-edge ( http://www.medgestore.com) make a rather astonishing plastic water proof cover for Kindles, so the beach and bath are possible places to read without destroying your Kindles.
Hardback vs. paperback, E-reader vs. ipad vs. netbook vs. notebook. The bigger the range of devices the better. People all have different requirements, likes, dislikes etc. The more options you have in price and performance the better it will allow you to make a good choice you are comfortable with. Articles and posts like these point out those options for those of us shopping. Thanks to all for the info and opinions.
I would use an eReader program on my netbook today, but Windows 7 will not allow me to rotate the screen.
i’m sure there’s a way, i’ve been rotating my screen on xp for years. look for tools that work with you video card – Nvidia, use NView, can’t remember what the AMD equivalent is.
I think ebook readers are one trick ponies, they just do one thing. Like Alten Brown would say “uni-taskers are worthless”. If someone has a choice to pick a color slate that they can listen to music, watch videos and read, and just an ebook reader that only does one thing. I think most people are going to pick the slate.
That being said I think as color e-ink comes out and the refresh speeds become faster, I think ebook readers will turn into slates. A good slate with color, fast response and Google Android or Chrome OS would be really nice. But I also think in time they’ll get the e-ink readers to be as fast as LCD’s…or I hope they can do this…then even laptops and monitors…I don’t think TV’s, not sure if they can make a good 60″ TV with e-ink…will sell well. Only gamers would want LCD’s or OLED’s because of response time which I don’t think e-ink will be able to beat…plus I don’t know if colors would look as nice on e-ink rather than LCD or OLED, never know though. I really don’t know enough about the technology, I’m just giving a big IF. I guess as time goes on we’ll see the limits of e-ink.
The main negative with LCD or even OLED screens is they take up more juice while e-ink takes up so little. I think thats the plus of ebook readers now.
“A one trick pony”? Well yes, but then, so is a paper book too, and no one is unhappy with that situation.
Whilst I appreciate that a lot of people seem to desire that every electronic device is capable of doing a million different things, I dont really think that this is some sort of universal law.
Surely there is room for a device that does one thing (plus possibly sensible side functions such as being able to notate, search books and other logical reading related functions) and does it well and comfortably.
I use my very simple Sony reader a lot, as I travel a lot, but feel no need for all those other functions. If I want to watch videos, I use one or other of my various computers perfectly happily, I listen to music on a minute MP3 Player when traveling and am perfectly content with this arrangement.
So I repeat my comment, there is room for all of us in this respect. Some eReaders are complex devices that can do all manner of things (but they still make a lousy cup of coffee) and others are simply a convenient form of book, and i truly hope that this diversity continues.
Ummm well books have no other choice but be one trick ponies. Electronic equipment can do more than one thing. I’m just saying that if someone has a choice to pay for something that does one thing and something that does that one thing plus more, people are going to pick the plus more. Most people aren’t going to want to carry a cell phone, slate…or laptop and ebook reader. Or are you trying to say people who carry laptops don’t also carry books?
I think the next…if not the version after…Kindle will even be more of a slate. I’ll have a touch screen, and color display. It will depend on if they can get the refresh rate fast enough what other apps they’ll put in it. Amazon is smart, they sell books music, games, and movies, they’ll want them all to play on they’re kindle slate where you can buy them from their market place. I think books, then maybe music…depending on battery life and sound quality. As color e-ink displays get faster they may add games and movies…if e-ink can ever get fast enough to run them. Amazon may make an LCD slate, but I think they’re waiting to see if slates catch on. Amazon doesn’t seem like the type of company that just jumps into things.
I realise that books are only really capable of one thing, but they do that one thing very well.
I also understand that for a lot of people, multifunctionality is very important, all I was trying to say really is that there should be room for us all, and products that meet all our needs.
I have no need or wish for all manner of Apps in my books, I simply want to read them, and the other stuff I do on other machines. Most of which I also have no wish to cart around with me.
I have an ipod and a phone, but I have 2 only because my phone can’t hold all my music and I don’t want to have to pick and choose what I want to listen to on a day to day basis. But if I can get a phone that has 120+ gigs of storage you’d better believe I’d get that over having to carry 2 things around.
I see what your saying I’m just thinking its probably around a 80/20% 80% wanting an all in one and 20% wanting just a reader…especially if the all in one costs about the same and acts as a reader just as well as a stand alone. Now if a reader get 15 hours of battery life and the slate gets only 5 hours or so then I can see more people buying the stand alone reader.
I couldnt agree more with what you are saying Robert, Which is why I argue for a relatively cheap, simple eReader as well aas more expensive multi-functional devices to meet all our varied requirements.
whether your feeling about the 80/20% is correct or not, there will always be those (like myself) who don’t want all those extras. for instance, I loath listening to music through ear phones, so never carry any sort of MP3 player around with me.
At any event, it is all fun, and I am enjoying the passions that this discussion is causing in people’s hearts.