Apr 21

Kindle’s Mission – Amazon Goes on the Offensive

You can bet all the hype around iPad has not fallen on deaf ears over at Amazon.com, makers of the Kindle and leader in the eBook Reader market. That while they were trying to find a way to compete across the digital divide between the online and bricks and mortar world. With Sony and Barnes and Noble landing their respective readers on store shelves, how does an online giant like Amazon compete?

Today in Tech: The Working Guy over at Yahoo News Blog has a story here about Amazon’s plans to put Kindles on the ground, with rumored distribution deals at Target and Best Buy.

I’m glad they’re staying focused on an exploding E Ink market that already has lots of opportunity and competition. While they must have been tempted to dive into color displays to compete with iPad, it’s likely Amazon’s long experience with books, eBooks and readers gives them a better understanding of the hardcore reading market’s needs, yah?

Apr 20

Writing eBooks: It’s a Living.

Thanks Jorgen for a link to a Galleycat post about Jack Daniels series author J.A. Konrath who claims to be making a living on royalties earned from the sale of his eBooks. It’s an interesting article that points out the flaws in the traditional print system and sings the praises of the digital age. Also some interesting sales stats and promotional ideas. It’s worth a read.

Apr 19

What Does the Future Hold for Dedicated eBook Reading Devices?

Here’s a link to a post at eBookmagazine that talks about the future of dedicated eBook Readers (like Kindle, Sony Reader, nook etc.) in a world of multi-function iPads and tablets.

In the article, author Martin Hoscik predicts that despite their practical natures,  the sole purpose devices have a difficult future in  a multi-tasking world.

I think the key is price. Rather than compete with iPad and turn eBook readers into more expensive televisions and music players, make them CHEAPER and sell them everywhere. The high price of (most) E Ink Readers is the greatest threat to their existence.

Apr 18

Kobo’s $150 eBook Reader Review

The National Post offers a review of Kobo’s new $150 eBook Reader due out this summer. I’ve called this machine a ‘game changer’ and I’m sticking to it.

It’s great for the first adopter or curious and it’s priced for the mainstream.

Apr 17

Apple IPad Review

Starting to see these popping up all over the net, and I expect it’s just the beginning. People have had their iPads long enough to start making some knowledgeable comments. Here’s a link to an iPad Review at Tech with Tom at The City Wire.

Pretty thorough. Well worth the read.

(I’m still not sure about the logic behind Apple’s Flash shut out. You know, they offer all the bells and whistles in a full color web experience but disable about 90% of the web sites out there. It makes no sense.)

Apr 16

Huge Jump in E Ink Display Unit Sales – the eBook Revolution Explodes!

Many thanks to our friend Jorgen for digging up this link to an interesting post at Global SMT & Packaging about the explosive state of sales in the E Ink display market where they’re reporting a 417% increase in sales from 950 thousand units in 2008 to a whopping 5 million electronic display shipments in 2009. With the ongoing shift to digital publishing, this trend is expected to continue into 2010.

This sudden explosion in sales was first driven by the Amazon Kindle’s popularity, but has since branched out to cover devices from several competing technology companies. Check out the article here. It’s a fantastic read that is very exciting news for the eBook Revolution. (Great find Jorgen! Have you been over to Jorgen’s World, yet? Beautiful photography!)

Apr 15

The Barnes and Noble nook is now available through Best Buy.

ZDnet says that Barnes and Noble’s nook eBook reader is available for order now at Best Buy, earlier than the April 18 launch date they originally set. With the same $259 price tag you’ll find at B&N’s site, they’re obviously planning to coast on the active interest and stick with the pack of similarly priced competitors. (Sony Reader, Kindle…) That pricing will likely change in the summer when lower priced eBook readers are expected to arrive from various technology companies.

Read the rest of ZDnet’s post here.

Apr 14

Developments over at Barnes and Noble

You can see by a MarketWatch.com article that Barnes and Noble continues to think ‘off the shelf.’ In this case, the eBook and book retailer is utilizing its bricks and mortar locations to encourage nook owners to interact with in-store features, exclusive digital-content and specials. Read the post here. I’ve personally seen how eBook reading devices sell themselves once they’re actually in a reader’s hands (the conversion can be immediate) so this move by B&N should pay off as nook owners interact with the in-store features and the as-yet unconverted who will be drawn to the events out of curiosity.

This also gets nook owners into stores where (good readers that they are) they might buy a title or two from the hard cover or paperback shelves.

It’s hard to believe that Barnes and Noble’s eBook store was closed when eBook Rumors first started up a year and a half ago.

Apr 13

3-D eBook Reader?

Ok. Now we’ve got a post at CrunchGear that says Sharp has announced the upcoming release of a 10.6-inch 3-D LCD display that can be experienced without 3-D glasses.

The 3-D touch-screen is still at the prototype stage, but Sharp says it’s perfect for eBook readers, tablet PCs and digital photo frames.

I get the tablet PC and digital photo frame application, but eBooks? Please tell me they mean atlases and illustrated books! I can’t imagine needing 3-D to read a novel.

Apr 12

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.