Google vs. Kindle?

by: admin - Filed under: eReader News & Updates, General

Coming Sunday at Target:  The $139.99 iriver Story HD, a Google branded eReader, is all set to take on Amazon’s Kindle!  Side by side, the devices are very similar in appearance…both are Wi-Fi enabled, both have a 6″ eInk screen, and both have a Qwerty keyboard.  But that may be where the similarity ends.  Beacuse the iriver Story HD is the first eReader integrated with the Google eBooks platform.

Can Google compete with the dozens of digital readers already on the market?  Even more importantly, can it take down Kindle and Nook? 

 

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Best eReaders New Interactive Forum!

by: admin - Filed under: eReader News & Updates

At Best eReaders, we want to involve our readers as much as possible in our site!  We want to hear your thoughts, your ideas, your recommendations, and your questions about eReaders…and we want you to share your answers with other readers, as well.  That’s why we have created a brand new Question & Answer section, where you can Ask Your eReader Question, get answers from other readers, and even provide a few answers of your own! 

So, bring your questions, share your answers, and visit our new Question & Answer forum today!

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Ebook Readers

by: admin - Filed under: eReader Questions

Sandy asks…

ebook readers?

Please find ebook readers websites where readers can compare the information.

admin answers:

Um, WHAT?!?!?!?!

Mary asks…

Are e-books read on ebook readers more difficult to read than a normal paper book?

Hey, so I read really slow, and I know that reading text on a computer is slower than reading text on paper. But how about on ebook readers? I have a lot of reading to do over the summer, and I was wondering if reading books on my ebook reader would be slower than reading paper books?
Thanks!

admin answers:

Does your ebook reader use eink? If so, you won’t notice a difference compared to reading on paper. I owned the Kindle, which uses the e-ink technology.  I like it alot as it is really like reading books, and sometimes it feels that reading on my Kindle is even faster than reading books.

Nancy asks…

What ebook readers have password protection functionality?

I want to get a ebook reader. Is there any ebook reader devices that have password protection that prevents people from unlocking the device?

admin answers:

You can set a device password on a Kindle, so that you have to enter the password every time you turn it on.  You can password protect a Nook so that you have to enter the password to get the device out of sleep mode.  No doubt there are apps for the iPad which allow you to password protect that too.

Hope that helps :)

Steven asks…

Are there any eBook readers I can buy in either Shanghai or Hong Kong?

Locations of markets that might sell ebook readers? I don’t mind if they’re knockoffs (well they most certainly are going to be knockoffs). Any ideas of price points for them too?

admin answers:

I think so.  eBook readers are popular worldwide these days.  And, definitely since there are new electronics coming out all the time, you’ll be able to find one there.  However, if you want one that is functional worldwide, consider the Kindle – it comes with GLOBAL wireless access. 

 

Robert asks…

What are the ebook readers available in India?

I would like the know the ebook readers that I can buy from India since I stay in india. Besides it would be worthwhile if you tell if there are any shops in bangalore that sell ebook readers

admin answers:

There are two ebook readers available to India, the Sony Reader and the Amazon Kindle.  Of the two, I like the Kindle best.  The Amazon Kindle is better than Sony Reader because it has free wireless and text-to-speech function. There are more ebooks you can find available for the Kindle, and books on the Kindle are quite a lot cheaper too (tips: if you’re outside the U.S. All the Kindle books will have US$2 added, but when you choose to download to computer when you check out, the $2 will be waived, and you can copy the books to your Kindle through USB cable).  

 

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Kindle Beats iPad

by: admin - Filed under: Amazon Kindle, Apple iPad, eReader News & Updates

Amazon KindleLONDON, ENGLAND–(Marketwire – Sept. 6, 2010) – A survey of over 1000 US and UK users by news navigator http://www.onenewspage.com/ found the Kindle scored strongly over the iPad as an e-reader. 

Although OneNewsPage’s users admitted the iPad was “more compelling” than the Kindle because of the iPad’s multi-functionality, if it came to a straight head-to-head choice between e-readers, almost two thirds (64%) preferred Amazon’s Kindle to Apple’s iPad.

Interestingly, 16% of the OneNewsPage survey sample said they owned both a Kindle and an iPad, two of the best selling e-readers on the market.

Winning the e-reader popularity contest wasn’t the only good news for Amazon. Amazon was seen as the likely victor in an e-book marketing battle with Apple – albeit by a very small 2% margin. Fifty-one percent said their money was on Amazon to win the e-reader battle, versus 49% who were backing Apple.

Despite sales of e-books outselling hardbacks on Amazon for the first time, OneNewsPage users felt the physical book has a healthy future. Almost three quarters (73%) believe there is still a place for physical books.

But perhaps the most surprising finding of the OneNewsPage survey was that e-books are now more popular than paperbacks for reading on holiday. 

Again, while there was little in it, fifty three percent preferred to pack e-books rather paperbacks for their beach reading. 

Dr Marc Pinter-Krainer, CEO of One News Page, says:

“The e-book has come of age. The Kindle has built a strong position as a specialist e-reader. Its new version is considerably cheaper and lighter than the iPad, which may explain why two thirds of our users preferred it to the iPad as an e-reader. 

“That said, it’s clear the iPad as an e-book platform is already giving Amazon a stiff challenge and there’s everything to play for as Apple only launched the iPad in March this year.”

Notes

The e-reader market is dominated by Amazon’s Kindle, which is believed to have a between 60% and 80% share (the total market size is difficult to quantify). 

Article courtesy of Marketwire.

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Sony Price Drops!

by: admin - Filed under: eReader News & Updates

Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition - RedSony has dropped the price on it’s electronic readers to match recent price drops by Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Price drops are: 

The Daily Edition drops to $299.99 from $349.99. 

The Touch Edition drops to $169.99 from $249.99.

The Pocket Edition drops to $149.99 from $169.99.

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eReader or iPad

by: admin - Filed under: eReader News & Updates
Published: April 22. 2010 12:01AM

Can e-readers still compete with the iPad?

Can e-readers still compete?

When Apple Inc. launched its touch-screen tablet device known as the iPad earlier this month, some analysts began ringing the death knell for so-called e-readers — most notably, the popular Amazon Kindle.
After all, the two devices seem hardly comparable. The Kindle uses a black-and-white screen and is designed primarily for reading books. The iPad is a full-on portable computing device capable of reading, watching video and playing games as well as sending e-mails and typing up documents — all from a high-definition, 9.7-inch LCD touch-screen.
On top of that, Apple managed to surprise the market by bringing in the iPad at a starting price of $499 — well below most estimates before the product was announced in late January.
“The iPad makes things much more difficult for e-reader devices,” said Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Lazard Capital Markets who has followed the e-reader market. “Especially when you’re a higher-priced e-reader, then the value proposition becomes less clear.”
Still, many companies are making bets on the e-reader business. And analysts say those bets could still pay off, depending on how they are executed. IDC estimates that about 2.5 million e-readers were sold in 2009, and that number is expected to double to 5.1 million this year.
Those estimates have attracted several players to the market, with more coming.
Worries about the iPad’s effect on the Kindle have helped to weigh down Amazon’s stock this year. The shares are up 4 percent since the first of the year — an underperformance compared to the Nasdaq Composite, which has gained more than 8 percent in the same period.
“The market fears that the iPad will materially undermine the value proposition and growth prospects for the Kindle,” Mark Mahaney of Citigroup wrote in a note to clients on March 25.
Many analysts still see a strong future for dedicated e-readers — depending on price, content and other factors that could help them stand out to consumers.

–wire report

Source:  http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100422/BUSINESS05/304229989/-1/business

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LG Joins the eReader Fray!

by: admin - Filed under: General

LG reader“LG has shown off some innovative technology for e-readers like solar power, but hasn’t gotten a device to market yet. According to reports, they will join the e-reader marketplace with a new device due to arrive at the same time as Apple’s iPad.

The new e-reader is set to debut in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) in April. Their CEO for MEA KW Kim didn’t exactly say that the product is an e-reader. He only said that “[the product] will compete with Apple and Amazon.” The only other thing that Amazon makes besides the Kindle seems to be money.”

Read the rest of the article at: http://taintedgreen.com/green-gadgets/lg-jumps-into-the-ring-with-kindle-ipad-in-e-reader-melee/000543

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KOBO eBook Service!

by: admin - Filed under: General

Hidden in the news this week that Borders has confirmed it won’t enter the eBook fray with it’s own electronic reader,  we did pick up a very interesting tidbit…

Borders is partnering with the new Kobo e-book service, and intends to make its book collection and content available to as many e-readers as it can. Kobo is set to launch in March, and Borders owns a 20 percent stake in the venture.   Kobo would include a library of approximately two million purchasable books, 1.8 million free books, and subscriptions for newspapers and magazine.   Kobo will be compatible with the Nook, Sony Readers, iPhones, Android devices and BlackBerrys, but no information has been given regarding compatability with the Kindle. 

We think it’s just a matter of time before ALL ereaders become more compatible with technology, and eBooks from ANY source will work with ANY reader…consumer demand will force this change.

 

Informational credit for this post:  http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/21015.cfm

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The Future of Print Media?

by: admin - Filed under: General

Several media outlets are reporting today that The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post have exclusive subscription deals with Sony through their newest electronic readers.

The Reader Daily Edition, brand new & offered by Sony at around $400, will be the only eReader that carries the New York Post, and readers will pay $9.99 a month for the subscription.  

The Wall Street Journal is already available on Amazon’s Kindle for $14.99 per month, and for an additional $5.00, Sony subscribers can subscribe to the after-market update.

The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post have joined Time, Cosmopolitan, and Sports Illustrated in working to improve their digital offerings….could eReaders be the saving grace for the failing newspaper industry?

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Flexible Readers?

by: admin - Filed under: General

Yes!  Plastic Logic, manufacturer of the QUE, already has the plastic components inside their QUE reader to provide flexibility!  Look for flexibility in 2010, and full color readers as early as 2011.

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