iPad might kill Kindle, but will it force Reading into extinction?

Here’s an interesting if somewhat pessimistic article over at TechCrunch called “NSFW: I Admit It, The iPad Is A Kindle Killer. I Just Wish It Weren’t Going To Kill Reading Too.” 

The author is afraid the iPad’s multifunction features will not just make it a more popular device than Kindle, but will make ‘reading’ a thing of the past as the reader struggles to focus on an eBook with all those exciting bells and whistles waiting to be played with.

It’s funny. I’ve heard a similar argument for iPad’s success over the less spectacular eBook readers like Kindle, the nook, Sony Reader, etc.; but it always comes with a reiteration that the iPad’s screen is not as easy on the eyes as its E Ink relatives. Books are not video games, movies or email. There is a huge audience of E Ink readers waiting for an affordable single-function device to read their eBooks on. See Kobo’s $150 eBook Reader here. That’s coming this summer. Then we’ll see if people are willing to commit a reasonable amount of money to a single-function device.

I’m not convinced that eBooks are just an accessory for commuters and people on the move. Many of us set aside a time to read in a place free of distractions. We just need a device that won’t break the bank, and won’t have to be insured against Uncle Harry sitting on it.

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