# PC World: e-readers will be dead in a year



## tamborine (May 16, 2009)

I don't really post much, but this article really got my goat and I had to share : 
http://www.pcworld.com/article/199429/dedicated_ereaders_will_be_dead_in_a_year_if_not_sooner.html?tk=hp_new

Another guy singing the praises of the iPad as an ereader. I have to admit the iPad is pretty cool, and I plan on getting one as soon as I have an extra 5 or 6 hundred bucks to throw around. But the Kindle would still be my ereader of choice. My friend has an iPad, so I've actually handled one; besides being backlit, it's a pain turning the pages (so much easier just to press a button), and it weighs a figurative ton! I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and sometimes read for short periods: it's very annoying to have to move my finger to turn the page!  

Do these people get kickbacks from Apple for writing these articles?


----------



## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

No, they don't get kickbacks. They are just ignorant.


----------



## kmmkiwi (May 13, 2010)

I do not foresee myself giving up my kindle for an iPad anytime within the next year. Or anytime ever for that matter. I like having a dedicated eReader that is just for books. I don't need it to do anything else. I have a laptop computer for everything else I might want an eReader to do.


----------



## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

My phone and my kindle play music but I still have an mp3 player .... once the droid app is out, I'll be adding books to my phone ... I want a tablet - but not an ipad - but that doesn't mean I'm going to toss all my other gadgets out.


----------



## Taborcarn (Dec 15, 2009)

Funny thing is, I still use my Kindle daily, but I canceled my PC World subscription over 10 years ago...


----------



## AppleBlossom (Jul 9, 2009)

Yup.  My Kindle might be dead in a year...from overuse!


----------



## lynninva (Feb 7, 2009)

I continue to use my Kindle daily in addition to using the iPad I purchased in May.  My Kindle is lightweight & great for reading on the deck.  I usually prop the iPad on something (Peeramid pillow, chair arm, etc.) if using for an extended time period.

For just straight reading, I prefer my Kindle.  I have found a few uses where I prefer to use the Kindle app on the iPad:  
- group discussion of a book, where it was easier to scroll through the pages to find the page being discussed;
- books with images that are referenced in the text; I can enlarge them more easily on the iPad.

With the iPad, I get distracted more easily.  Especially if it tells me that it is my turn on Words with Friends.  

I can also see the benefits of a dedicated e-reader for children/students, versus the iPad with all the entertainment features.  And I think the price difference will continue to be significant for awhile.


----------



## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

I would never switch from Kindle's e-ink technology to reading on a device that is backlit.  My eyes can't take hours and hours of staring at a backlit screen.  If my Kindle is dead in a year I'll be replacing it.... with another Kindle!!


----------



## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

The only thing that will "kill" eReaders is some sort of technology that doesn't require the backlight and can read like e-ink while still delivering the speed and performance you need for a multimedia device.  And even then I wouldn't call eReaders dead so much as integrated.  It'd be like calling the cell phone dead when the iPhone came out.  It didn't die, it evolved.


----------



## David Derrico (Nov 18, 2009)

Oh my God.

The guy says that he'd rather read on an iPod Touch than a Kindle. Yeah, a backlit, 3.5-inch screen is really the same as the Kindle's 6" e-Ink screen (with 4x the screen real estate). That's like saying you're going to throw away your 46" 3-D LED-backlit TV and home theater system because you can watch TV on an iPad.

Second he claims the (old-model) iPhone is now down to $97 at Wal-Mart, which is the most misleading and just plain WRONG thing I've ever seen in an article. Yeah, $97 plus about $100 a month for TWO YEARS for the required plan = $2,500. That's why people pay over $1,000 for unlocked iPhones.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Heh: current thumbs up/down counts on that article: 25 "yes" and 97 "no".


----------



## David Derrico (Nov 18, 2009)

Scheherazade said:
 

> The only thing that will "kill" eReaders is some sort of technology that doesn't require the backlight and can read like e-ink while still delivering the speed and performance you need for a multimedia device. And even then I wouldn't call eReaders dead so much as integrated. It'd be like calling the cell phone dead when the iPhone came out. It didn't die, it evolved.


Absolutely correct. The next phase will be screens with the color and full video of LCD and the non-backlit nature and low power consumption of e-Ink. Like you said, e-readers won't be "dead," they will explode, since every phone, tablet, laptop, etc. will become a real e-reader (not just a computer you could read books on in a pinch).

The phase after that, IMO, is foldable screens, so you get a phone-sized device where you flip the screen open a couple of times and get a Kindle-sized screen.  As you said, then we'd have the "convergence" of a phone that can play video and read books on a good-sized screen.


----------



## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

David Derrico said:


> The phase after that, IMO, is foldable screens, so you get a phone-sized device where you flip the screen open a couple of times and get a Kindle-sized screen.  As you said, then we'd have the "convergence" of a phone that can play video and read books on a good-sized screen.


I want one of those. I'll use it when I don't want to pull out my laptop that projects holographs instead of having a fold up screen.


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I'm waiting for the phase when the 7G-compatible implant beneath my skull directly images the text onto the my brain's visual cortex.


----------



## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

pidgeon92 said:


> No, they don't get kickbacks. They are just ignorant.


I'm actually rather familiar with the author of this article. He's not ignorant. He's a pretty observant guy, but flat wrong in this case. I think he's fallen into the "I'm always connected, doesn't everyone want to be?" trap. When I'm on my kindle, I want to be disconnected. No distractions. Just gimme my story. The iPad utterly fails at that.


----------



## zoewinters (Jun 18, 2009)

I think people who post things like that article have obviously either never read an e-reader or they just aren't big readers. I have no interest in an iPad. I don't like touch screens. I want something I can read outside in the sunlight (i.e. not backlit). I like clicking the button instead of the way you have to turn a page on the iPad. iPads are too heavy for extended casual reading. I just don't see the appeal in the iPad as an e-reader. I think the reverse will happen. I think people who have iPads and discover ebooks that way will discover it's not unlike reading off your laptop (it's just smaller), so they may start looking into a dedicated e-reader like the Kindle. If the price continues to come down on Kindle, they'll likely get one.  

My Kindle will play mp3's, but I still have an ipod. To me the iPad and Kindle are for totally different types of users. They aren't competitors in the truest sense. So one won't "win" over the other. They'll develop and find different markets.

Z


----------



## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

mrscottishman said:


> Sony has a patent on that NogDog: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2005-04-06-sony-patent_x.htm


So, there's no reason Kindle or Nook cannot pay royalties: that's what patents are for.


----------



## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

zoewinters said:


> I think people who post things like that article have obviously either never read an e-reader or they just aren't big readers.


I'm guessing his isn't a big reader. He thinks everyone will read little bites and then watch some media or something. I've got the Kindle and the iPad: I'm writing on the iPad now, but tonight I'll be reading on the Kindle.


----------



## stormmaster (Jun 12, 2010)

nogdog: the counts just keep getting more lopsided! 25 yes vs 112 no.

if you read the comments under the article, not one of them are in support of the article. all are in favor of e-ink and the kindle. (no mentions of the other ereaders interestingly.)

appleblossom: i bet my kindle2 won't even make it to the end of the year. it'll be replaced by a kindle3! =D


----------



## hberninger (Jul 21, 2009)

I have both a Kindle and an iPad.  I have the Kindle app on my iPad and the two units automatically sync to where I am in a book whether I read on the Kindle or the iPad.  Today I went to the doctor.  I took the Kindle since I was just going to read while waiting.  Most generally when home I read books on the Kindle.  When I travel (sometimes by motorcycle) I usually take the iPad.  Carry only the one item.  Love them both.  Use one or the other depending on the situation.  I don't think they are mutually exclusive. The iPad has reduced my use of my laptop much more than it has reduced my use of the Kindle.


----------



## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

mrscottishman said:


> I remember Kim Komando with the computer radio show said when she tried to sell CBS radio the idea of a weekend computer show years ago he said that computers were just a fad!
> 
> Do you think Country Music is here to stay?
> 
> Scott


Yay, Scott! Someone else who knows who Kim Komando is!

I have both an iPad and a Kindle, and as much as I love the iPad, I'd much prefer to read on my Kindle. There's no question in my mind as to which is easier on my old progressive-lensed eyes.


----------



## fuschiahedgehog (Feb 23, 2010)

I have RA; the Kindle is at the upper weight limit of what I can comfortably hold for a long period of time when my hands are acting up.  iPad at its current size/weight would be out of the question, as are most regular books during a flare.


----------



## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Unfortunately these blogs that have somehow become news networks for the masses rarely take into consideration anyone but themselves when writing things like this, and this guy is a great example of that.  If I wanted to read a bit of a book over the course of a year when I was bored, the iPad would be great.  And like the delightfully colored hedgehog points out, some people just can't handle the weight of the iPad.  But that isn't even a consideration because it's not something he, the author, has to deal with.  Some people, like me, just don't want to deal with AT&T... or really Apple if I can help it.  But all they see is technology.  They see that it has a reader on it so it must be better than anything else because of all the other things it can do.  If it could make phone calls he'd probably call cell phones dead.

Most people don't read anymore.  Heck, most are proud that they don't read.  It makes you a nerd or a geek or means you have no life if you read books.  People look at you strange when you pull out your Kindle and wonder why you're so obsessed with a world that they just refuse to understand.  They read magazines, they read blogs... they read little bits of bite sized content an article at a time throughout the day.  It's just a measure of our fast internet lifestyle I guess.  I just hope readers aren't evolving into these information scanning drones, but more and more the kids (geh, I feel so old) in my college classes are like that.  I guess for that sort of "reader" the iPad looks like a Kindle killer, but for them the spark that makes the Kindle a magical thing was never alive to begin with.


----------



## Dellaster (Jun 18, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> I guess for that sort of "reader" the iPad looks like a Kindle killer, but for them the spark that makes the Kindle a magical thing was never alive to begin with.


I like the way you phrased that. Indeed, I feel it unlikely that the author of that PC World piece - and the many others with similar views - are the type to stay up till the wee hours with their nose in a book as a regular occurrence. For someone who can count on one hand the full-length novels they've read in the past two years, even an iPod Touch looks like a Kindle killer.

-- Ted


----------



## WilliamM (Feb 10, 2009)

tamborine said:


> I don't really post much, but this article really got my goat and I had to share :
> http://www.pcworld.com/article/199429/dedicated_ereaders_will_be_dead_in_a_year_if_not_sooner.html?tk=hp_new
> 
> Another guy singing the praises of the iPad as an ereader. I have to admit the iPad is pretty cool, and I plan on getting one as soon as I have an extra 5 or 6 hundred bucks to throw around. But the Kindle would still be my ereader of choice. My friend has an iPad, so I've actually handled one; besides being backlit, it's a pain turning the pages (so much easier just to press a button), and it weighs a figurative ton! I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and sometimes read for short periods: it's very annoying to have to move my finger to turn the page!
> ...


I learned long ago to take everything read in PC World and PC magazine with a grain of salt.


----------



## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

If I had an iPad, I'd use it as a computer, not an ereader. Too many distractions to use it as a reader, plus I agree that the weight would bother me. I can't say enough about how I feel about the advantages of a dedicated ereader and I also like a dedicated music player. Multiple functions aren't for me. In fact, I think my writing output would increase substantially if I turned off Internet access on my computer. Unfortunately, I'm hooked, so I have to rely on setting a writing schedule for myself and sticking to it. The person who wrote this article probably doesn't do much ebook reading or he wouldn't be comparing ereaders with iPad.


----------



## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

Well stated, Scheherazade, and others.  Maybe if more people read books on noise-free devices like Kindle, there would be more websites like this one with posts worth reading.


----------



## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I love reading the comments on articles like this.


----------



## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

It's almost like they look at the Kindle and say "what ELSE does it do?" instead of noticing that it does the one thing it was designed to do really well. 

I don't WANT it to do anything else. If I want to play games or surf the web, I have a laptop, and I have my phone (and heaven knows I can't SEE websites on the phone unless I bump up the text size a few notches. I never play music thru it, and the only surfing I do is to buy books, and usually I do that via computer, too.

There are people who love to read, and read for hours...and I doubt if this guy is one of them.


----------



## Carld (Dec 2, 2009)

An iPad would be nice, and I wouldn't mind having one, but you can't beat E-Ink for reading. Unless Android tablets suddenly overwhelm the market I don't see e-readers going anywhere.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

37 yes, 180 no.


----------



## Sunnie (Apr 3, 2010)

Only a couple of months in, and already, you'll have to pull a Kindle from my cold, dead hands.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

While I agree that "older" folks read more, I don't agree that kids are not reading.  My grand kids are reading a lot and they have video games, too. I'm also a mentor to a 13 year old boy who is quite the athelete and loves video games.  When he was 6, I encouraged him to read and now he's a very good reader.  No one calls him a geek for reading either.  Parents, teachers, and others set the example for reading.  Reading will continue as long as that example setting continues.  Even people who read only on their "computer screens" had to learn to read somewhere.  For those who like to read, ereaders will continue to meet a specific need.  We have over 250 channels on Dish and we read far more than we watch TV.  We don't read blogs, news, etc. on our laptops because we are becoming resentful about how much time we are spending in front of the damned things.  Have you noticed that the main critics of "dedicated" ereaders are the ones who don't own one?


----------



## cheerio (May 16, 2009)

i love how the E-Reader is going ot be gone in a year, but new models are constantly coming out


----------



## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> Most people don't read anymore. Heck, most are proud that they don't read. It makes you a nerd or a geek or means you have no life if you read books.


Gosh, I sure hope people still read! I have been an avid reader my entire life and I've never, ever been told or made to feel that reading makes me a nerd. Then again, maybe people have been saying it all along behind my back and I've just been blissfully oblivious because my nose has been stuck in a book.  I guess everyone has a perspective, but that just (thankfully) hasn't been my experience as a reader at all.

Regarding the article, I can only give a shrug and a great big "whatever". I'm another who has both a Kindle and an iPad, and I cannot imagine giving up my Kindle for reading. I very rarely read on my iPad for so many reasons (weight, backlighting, etc.). There will be, I think, still plenty of people a year from now who want a device strictly for reading books.


----------



## Madeline (Jun 5, 2010)

I have both an iPad and a Kindle (well, the family shares the Kindle and the iPad is mine) and I enjoy them both.  I will admit, at first, I wondered if the iPad would kill the Kindle, but now that I have both, I don't think that's the case.  They both have things that I use...for example, I use the iPad at work but the Kindle at home (especially while outside in the pool cause the iPad won't work well in the sun).

I DO like reading on my iPad, the weight doesn't bother me, and it almost makes me feel like I'm holding a hardback book...but I don't agree that it'll kill the Kindle.

Also to the OP...the page turning annoyance on the iPad is optional.  I agree, it's pretty annoying when you are reading to have to slide the page to turn it.  However, I have that setting turned off and all I have to do is tap the screen and the next page instantly loads.  Just wanted to make sure you understood that...


----------



## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> The only thing that will "kill" eReaders is some sort of technology that doesn't require the backlight and can read like e-ink while still delivering the speed and performance you need for a multimedia device. And even then I wouldn't call eReaders dead so much as integrated. It'd be like calling the cell phone dead when the iPhone came out. It didn't die, it evolved.


They have that tech now, it's called Mirasol. It's in color too. However, I can see it being incorporated into e-readers, not replacing them.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

41 yes 199 no. Just to keep us up to date


----------



## stormmaster (Jun 12, 2010)

The count just gets more and more lopsided.

I'm with gwennie: you can have my kindle when you pry it out of my cold dead corpse! =D


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

48 yes 223 no...
With numbers like that one would think maybe the author might start rethinking his stance.


----------



## padawan0620 (May 10, 2010)

My wife and I went to the beach on Saturday and I read on my Kindle for about 5.5 of the 6 hours we were on the beach. I had no eyestrain and did not have any problem seeing the text. Anybody want to try that with their Ipad and not feel stiff or their eyes bothering them? BTW I'm no kid; Friday I become AARP eligible.


----------



## DLs Niece (Apr 12, 2010)

I'm extremly light senitive. Out of a 1-100 brightness scale, I have my computer monitor set at 3. I cannot imagine reading an entire book on a backlit screen.

I have Kindle for PC on my computer, but it was primarily to check out my uncle's books.  I have bought a few ebooks in the past week or so, but they are for the Kindle I will be buying hopefully next week.

The IPad is cool, but I really have no use for it.


----------



## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

planet_janet said:


> Gosh, I sure hope people still read! I have been an avid reader my entire life and I've never, ever been told or made to feel that reading makes me a nerd. Then again, maybe people have been saying it all along behind my back and I've just been blissfully oblivious because my nose has been stuck in a book.  I guess everyone has a perspective, but that just (thankfully) hasn't been my experience as a reader at all.


When I was in High School, granted this was years and years ago, I got harried for being a reader. People would routinely take my books and throw them off the second floor balcony because it was funny that I liked to read so much. Even my teachers got on me about it. I'd finish my work or quiz or whatever and read quietly and they'd tell me to stop. I guess they'd prefer I disrupted the class like other folks or took a nap with my head down.

In college right now I can tell you the majority of people in my classes scoff when reading comes up. Less so in my English courses of course, but even in my History courses and especially in this Spanish class I'm in now, people have seriously bragged about not reading a book except when forced to in high school and it's sad. Of course there are still kids reading out there, and maybe I'm just more sensitive to it than I was before, but it seems more and more like not reading is the cool thing to do.


----------



## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> I guess for that sort of "reader" the iPad looks like a Kindle killer, but for them the spark that makes the Kindle a magical thing was never alive to begin with.


I just have to quote that because it's beautifully said.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

49 yes, 237 no.


----------



## KeRaSh (Jun 7, 2010)

> people have seriously bragged about not reading a book except when forced to in high school and it's sad.


I have to admit I felt the same way about books I had to read in school and kind of still do nowdays.
Just because I don't enjoy reading Goethe's Faust or some weird Franz Kafka stuff doesn't mean I dont enjoy reading books at all.
German literature is just not the kind of litearutre I enjoy reading in my free time.


----------



## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

I think what I find most amusing is the publishers claiming they have no idea what the readers want. I guess they don't listen very well because it's been said many times. We want books available in our preferred formats in a timely fashion at reasonable prices (and reasonable is NOT $12-14 for a book that was published years ago and only costs $6-7 in paperback now). We want an open format that can be read on mulitple devices (Amazon, are you listening?). 
We like bargains but are willing to pay for our books instead of getting illegally off the internet. 
And I personally want my e-reader for reading. I'll use something else for music, movies, audiobooks, games and the internet.


----------



## TLM (Apr 8, 2010)

I ordered my Kindle the day I-pads went on sale.  Yep, I got what I wanted, needed and knew I would use - a Kindle.  I already have a PC for web surfing and it does more than a I-pad.  Why pay $500+ and then still have to pay $15 to $30 for the conections?  I would rather spend the money on more books.


----------



## drafter69 (Mar 21, 2009)

Apple fans have adopted a cult mentality from day one.  The idea that "it's us little guys against the big bad giant" has created people who think that every word out of Steve Jobs mouth must be held as sacred.

The Ipad is nothing more than a laptop/phone without a cover.  Apple is so bent on controlling the apple fans that they refused to even put a SD Card slot for fear people might use something not controlled by Apple.  

The author of the article seems proud that as a journalist he has read 1 book this year.  That by itself speaks volumes.

The Kindle does one thing and it does it well.  The screen is easy to read.  That is the reason I bought it.


----------



## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't see myself as a cult member. I have been an Apple user since 1987, and I just like the way everything integrates nicely; from my iMac to my iPhone to my iPods to my Apple TV to my iPad. I buy them because, for me, they are the best products out there.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

52 yes, 250 no


----------



## stormmaster (Jun 12, 2010)

The readers have spoken! First it was about 1:3, then 1:4, now its reached 1:5. Wonder if the author of the article is rethinking his view, in light of the responses?


----------



## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

Just exchanged a couple tweets with the author of the story - he's got a follow-up article coming soon (he didn't say when) elaborating on his points. His feeling is basically "this is how I think it's going to shake out, here's why, but I guess it's just wait and see."

And, frankly, that's what we want in an article, right? Obviously, we think he's wrong, but he's not the kind that slobbers at everything Apple does. (He's a Linux guy, primarily.)


----------



## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

Basilius said:


> Just exchanged a couple tweets with the author of the story - he's got a follow-up article coming soon (he didn't say when) elaborating on his points. His feeling is basically "this is how I think it's going to shake out, here's why, but I guess it's just wait and see."
> 
> And, frankly, that's what we want in an article, right? Obviously, we think he's wrong, but he's not the kind that slobbers at everything Apple does. (He's a Linux guy, primarily.)


The follow-up has been posted. (http://www.itworld.com/tech-amp-society/111941/better-readability-today-wont-save-e-readers-tomorrow)

He seems to be basing his opinion on the fact e-readers are black & white. And that technical books need color. What I don't think he's getting is that e-reader purchases are driven by people reading novels, not technical books. He even dismisses novels as a factor in this second article.

Sadly, this one's even further off base.


----------



## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

KeRaSh said:


> I have to admit I felt the same way about books I had to read in school and kind of still do nowdays.
> Just because I don't enjoy reading Goethe's Faust or some weird Franz Kafka stuff doesn't mean I dont enjoy reading books at all.
> German literature is just not the kind of litearutre I enjoy reading in my free time.


Oh don't get me wrong.  I hated just about every book I had to read in High School and also didn't read many of them. That doesn't mean I didn't read at all though.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

You know, I don't know why I bother reading articles from other people who I know are clueless. I know it's just gonna upset me because they just don't "get it". I know I love my Kindle, and DH is getting an iPad. I don't care that he is, and he doesn't care that I have my Kindle.
less stress by not reading articles from idiots.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I wouldn't be so hard on the author of the piece....For people who are lucky<?> enough to have jobs as columnists, they HAVE to produce something every day or week or whatever the requirement is. Whether there is news or a story or inspiration or not. And it never stops, if you stop doing it, the checks that support your family stop coming in. So they sometimes produce stuff that may not be the absolute best, if it is the best that they can do. Most are delighted to have something that produces a lot of views and a strong response, too. The author of this piece probably loves the page views our thread here has produced!


----------



## kb7uen Gene (Mar 13, 2009)

I'd say this also has to do with the need for instant gratification.  For me the Kindle goes back to a time when all devices where dedicated to what they were designed to do.  Turntables, cassette decks, portable radios, and so on, did what they did very well because they only did one thing.

Also, there was virtually no learning curve with dedicated devices of the past and Kindle of the present is no different.

Gene


----------



## originalgrissel (Mar 5, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> In college right now I can tell you the majority of people in my classes scoff when reading comes up. Less so in my English courses of course, but even in my History courses and especially in this Spanish class I'm in now, people have seriously bragged about not reading a book except when forced to in high school and it's sad. Of course there are still kids reading out there, and maybe I'm just more sensitive to it than I was before, but it seems more and more like not reading is the cool thing to do.


Well, don't lose hope about the next generation just yet. My son is 15 and is a voracious reader. He finished "Atlas Shrugged" a few months ago and has a stack of political/history/philosophy books he plans to read over the summer. He's currently reading "Guns, Germs & Steel" as the prelude to his AP World History course next year. My daughter (13) is also an avid reader and read 3 of the Series of Unfortunate Events books in two days when she was 11. I think the problem lies both in parents that would rather park their kids in front of the tv than encourage them to read & kids that haven't found anything to read that really interests them. There are still plenty of kids out there though that realize that the best way to educate yourself and learn to think for yourself is to read. ;-)


----------



## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

originalgrissel said:


> Well, don't lose hope about the next generation just yet. My son is 15 and is a voracious reader. He finished "Atlas Shrugged" a few months ago and has a stack of political/history/philosophy books he plans to read over the summer. He's currently reading "Guns, Germs & Steel" as the prelude to his AP World History course next year. My daughter (13) is also an avid reader and read 3 of the Series of Unfortunate Events books in two days when she was 11. I think the problem lies both in parents that would rather park their kids in front of the tv than encourage them to read & kids that haven't found anything to read that really interests them. There are still plenty of kids out there though that realize that the best way to educate yourself and learn to think for yourself is to read. ;-)


I <3 _Guns, Germs and Steel_. I'd highly recommend _Rats, Lice and History_ too. I used both pretty heavily for one of my big papers on the plague. Hans Zinsser just has this way about him that makes it a pleasure to read about people dying horrible deaths. Good to hear you have readers up and coming! I think it really is more of how we're brought up than anything. Reading was important to my mother and grandfather so we had books around for me to begin with and it became important to me. If you're in a house without readers then there are no books so it's harder to spark that interest.


----------



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> I <3 _Guns, Germs and Steel_. I'd highly recommend _Rats, Lice and History_ too.


I've read both. Was reading Rats... On lunch break at work once, and totally boggled a coworker who couldn't believe I was reading that for fun!

A good companion to GGS is a book called Ecological Imperialism, by a guy named Crosby.


----------



## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

originalgrissel said:


> Well, don't lose hope about the next generation just yet. My son is 15 and is a voracious reader. He finished "Atlas Shrugged" a few months ago and has a stack of political/history/philosophy books he plans to read over the summer.


Sounds exactly like my 14 yo DS! He's in the middle of _Atlas Shrugged_ right now, and has several other political/environmental/current events books waiting.


----------



## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

BTackitt, I hope you included me as a no!  

It's interesting reading what others have to say about reading.  When I was growing up in the sixties, my mother was always trying to pry the book from my hand to get me to go outside and play.  I sat in dimly-lit rooms reading while other kids played outside in the sunshine.  My mother was worried about me, and I don't blame her.  Reading can be just as much of an escape as watching TV or playing video games.  Still, my reading abilities paid off in school, where my grades were pretty good, despite a bit of a social phobia and staying home "sick" a tad too often.  And ultimately, scholastic achievement did help me gain some confidence.  However, even 40 years later, I always have a vague feeling of guilt when I'm reading, especially when I'm reading novels!  Which, of course, is what I enjoy most and read most of the time.


----------



## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

My poor basketball coach. After a long time figuring out how to compensate for my learning disabilities (it is an impressive list) and ADHD, I was a straight A student. He wasn't suppose to have to worry about benching me for Academic reasons, unlike the rest of the team. Then I get an Academic Progress report sent home. I had a 5 in citizenship (the worst possible score) due to my debating politics with my best friend in AP English. I had an A in the class but a 5 in citizenshio. My poor Coach suddenly was faced with losing his starting center who was a straight A student because she couldn't shut up. 

I was encouraged to read in class because it stopped the debating. 

I should have been in more AP classes but I wasn't tracked into them young enough because of the learning disabilties and I would have had too much ground to make up. The regular classes were, well, boring and easy. My Russian History teacher allowed us to play Risk in the back of the class.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

FancyNancy, Those numbers I have been posting are from people voting on the article at the articles website. If you voted there, you have been included. I found it very enlightening that there was no way to vote NO on the second article. Seems some people do learn from mistakes. 

--
Edit to add : count is now 53 yes 274 no. The gap keeps widening.


----------



## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

This guy just doesn't get it.  Some texts work great in black and white, too, but that's not the issue.  I still can't read for hours straight on anything but a DTB or Kindle.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Martel47 said:


> This guy just doesn't get it. Some texts work great in black and white, too, but that's not the issue. I still can't read for hours straight on anything but a DTB or Kindle.


Sorry, I'm just not getting it. What is bad about reading in black and white? For pictures, I agree that color would be preferable, but I don't think novels need pictures.. I'm thankful for not having the glare of a backlit screen. If you gave me a choice of a K2 with a backlit color screen or an e-ink reader, I would choose the latter with no hesitation. Want color? Get an ipad. If you must have some color on your screen to keep from feeling deprived, get a nook. Something about the right tool for the right job?


----------



## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Most of the books I read are in black and white. Color might be nice for magazines but that is not why I bought my Kindle.


----------



## ayuryogini (Jan 3, 2010)

I wonder what he means when he says he "like the Nook and Amazon's Kindle"? I can't imagine he has used one for any length of time; also, he discounts the price difference as if that has little to do with anything.
I love my iPad, but I don't use it for reading books; for me there's nothing that can replace my Kindle for that. 
So many of these articles talk about different technologies in such black and white terms. 
It's not an either/or decision; it can be both/and.


----------



## happyblob (Feb 21, 2009)

In my reading it's just another intentionally polarizing, link baiting article. A well known PR maneuver that uses controversy to get more blog readers. It never fails.


----------



## tamborine (May 16, 2009)

happyblob said:


> In my reading it's just another intentionally polarizing, link baiting article. A well known PR maneuver that uses controversy to get more blog readers. It never fails.


I'm the OP. So basically, you're saying he played me like a violin!


----------



## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

Shastastan said:


> Sorry, I'm just not getting it. What is bad about reading in black and white? For pictures, I agree that color would be preferable, but I don't think novels need pictures.. I'm thankful for not having the glare of a backlit screen. If you gave me a choice of a K2 with a backlit color screen or an e-ink reader, I would choose the latter with no hesitation. Want color? Get an ipad. If you must have some color on your screen to keep from feeling deprived, get a nook. Something about the right tool for the right job?


My point exactly. There's nothing wrong with it, except in a few instances. I don't think the kindle will replace pop-up books and certainly not touch and feel books for infants, but it does great for novels and text-intensive schoolbooks and other academic works. This guy just doesn't get it, so he sets up straw-man arguments, and weak ones at that.


----------



## MetalDragon (Mar 27, 2010)

I have been reading ebooks for over 12 years now. When the first erocket reader was out,, i was there. When the 1100 came out, i was there. 

I remember a similar article over 10 years ago that said ebooks would never get off the ground.

The kindle, which i purchased in march, is the best one i have had. My daughter has the NOOK and she loves it.

There is more electronic books now than ever.

Ebooks over in a year?      not

I bet he never owned one.


----------



## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I keep thinking of things like legal books and medical texts. Can you imagine how much info a doctor could have at his fingertips? Or a lawyer in court could look up president cases in seconds. 

And I kind of agree with the whole baiting people thing...after all more than 200 people may have voted no, but they all visited the site and read the article...


----------



## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

After conversing a tad with the author, I believe that the article does in fact state his opinion. His statement was, in effect, "that's how I'm thinking, let's see what the market decides."

And, hey, dude's gotta eat - iPad killing off <insert technology of your choice> articles are hot stuff right now. So I don't blame him on the timing. It just stings a bit when one of your favorite technologies is marked for the dustbin in sometimes sensationalist articles.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Still say he's brainless to be judging something he has no real experience with.  

Oh and current score on first article is now 55 yes, 282 no.


----------



## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

Several years ago, Ben Bova wrote a novel about the development of electronic books, and a conspiracy against the inventor. It was called Cyberbooks. Some of this reminds me of it.

Cyberbooks


----------



## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

MAGreen said:


> I keep thinking of things like legal books and medical texts. Can you imagine how much info a doctor could have at his fingertips? Or a lawyer in court could look up president cases in seconds.


There aren't that many president cases. Just one or two involving Nixon I believe. 
Just kidding. Couldn't resist.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

fancynancy said:


> There aren't that many president cases. Just one or two involving Nixon I believe.
> Just kidding. Couldn't resist.


There will probably be more in the future; The old ones will set a precedent...Er Uh, I mean president.


----------



## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

LMAO... And the sad thing is, I can't remember if that was a typo that the spell check changed, or if I really typed that without thinking.  Now I don't know if I should fix it or just let it stand...


----------



## ipaddle (Jun 26, 2010)

EReaders are really nice I guess but especially for people who would otherwise have to carry a bunch of books.
Medics, lawyers, or for travelling. In fact, the more books you need the better it gets.
I could imagine some kind of school only eReader.

The advantage of e readers is that you know what theyre good for.
ipad and friends are multfunctional and man people are not quiete sure what to do with them exactly, but
nevertheless I believe that both readers and pads still have a way to go and especially the pads
have a lot of potential left for the future.

For the kindle2 in specific it would be great to implement foreign literature.
Its nice that I can buy a kindle2 in Germany (order from the US) but from what I read in the web there's not much german
available...too bad.


----------



## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

MAGreen said:


> LMAO... And the sad thing is, I can't remember if that was a typo that the spell check changed, or if I really typed that without thinking. Now I don't know if I should fix it or just let it stand...


Don't change it. It's cute. And you wouldn't want to set a president for changing your posts after they've been quoted.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I'm sure as time goes by, Amazon will have worked out all of the details with foreign publishers to get books in those languages. At least German uses pretty much the same alphabet as English, unlike some of the oriental languages. I did see a gentleman reading a book in (I assume) one of the Japanese character-based languages on my last airplane flight. At least I know he was speaking Japanese to the Lady sitting next to him. (I may not read it, but I speak enough to know that's what I was hearing.)


----------



## Jponte55 (Jun 26, 2010)

Jdhsksncnxm

Oh sorry I was blind for a second due staring at an LCD screen for over a half hour. Kidding aside, I think the article is a little extreme. Heck, whats it cost $200 or so?  Thats a modest night out in the city so cost is surely on the side of the ereader. I would go buy one in a heart beat but alas it comes down to redundancy (as one Alton Brown so eloquently communicates in the culinary arena)  

Ereaders aren't going anywhere but I do think they were doomed before they ever really took off. Amazon found a great niche with an older brick and morter demographic. A generation that really isn't interested in multiple stimuli and are familiar with dedicated devices. The reality is the younger generations are evolving to become master multitaskers and won't have the same desire to shut out the world to read a book. That's why devices like the iPad are perfect for the younger crowd. You can read until your blind but you always have access to that stimuli and it's actually a great change of pace when reading a book. My point is, if you think tablets won't eat into Kindle sales your crazy but I do think it will be a gradual process mainly as the customer gets younger. 

Look, I'm a trader and stare at Bloomberg and PCs 12 hours a day. My vision is fine and I don't get headaches. It's actually great to be able to read with no external light. Maybe thats also a younger generation thing too and well all have impared vision when we're 50  I'm also not sure the issue with weight but I do understand justifying purchases which almost everyone does. I read a few posts up about how upset he was after reading the article. Enjoy your device, this guy does not have a crystal ball and neither do any of us. Should be interesting to see how it shakes out nonetheless.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

Jponte55 said:


> Jdhsksncnxm
> 
> Oh sorry I was blind for a second due staring at an LCD screen for over a half hour. Kidding aside, I think the article is a little extreme. Heck, whats it cost $200 or so? Thats a modest night out in the city so cost is surely on the side of the ereader. I would go buy one in a heart beat but alas it comes down to redundancy (as one Alton Brown so eloquently communicates in the culinary arena)
> 
> ...


Great job in expressing your point of view. You make some interesting points. In our "current time", I've seen a number of kids reading dtb's. Some have been so immersed to the point of not wanting to be disturbed. Even though some may be avid "gamers", they are still interested in books. Your comments about the multitaskers are correct, IMHO.

When I was your age (which I'm sure is much younger than me), I could spend longer hours in front of the monitor also. There are certain "physical inconveniences" that come with getter older that the Kindle has helped some with. The baby boomers are a fairly large population segment and the ereaders will appeal to them and keep the demand going for awhile....again IMHO.


----------



## bvlarson (May 16, 2010)

What is dead is PC World as a print publication. Here is a video demoing EInk's new, magazine-sized color display (which is also flexible, lighter and faster than the ones our kindles have now).


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

bvlarson said:


> What is dead is PC World as a print publication. Here is a video demoing EInk's new, magazine-sized color display (which is also flexible, lighter and faster than the ones our kindles have now).


Oh yeah, the technology will just keep coming. Our current Kindles will be outdated in a few years or maybe sooner. I think it will be quite awhile before we have "forced upgrades" though. No argument from me about the big difference color makes for magazines and text/technical/ heavily illustrated books. Right now, I'm pretty lucky because there are only 1 or 2 magazines (that I know of) that I ever look at. Emagazines and Enewspapers will become more and more popular. Perhaps they will be in the form of blogs or something like that? Hey, I'm an old geezer, what do I know?


----------



## originalgrissel (Mar 5, 2010)

Jponte55 said:


> Ereaders aren't going anywhere but I do think they were doomed before they ever really took off. Amazon found a great niche with an older brick and morter demographic. A generation that really isn't interested in multiple stimuli and are familiar with dedicated devices. The reality is the younger generations are evolving to become master multitaskers and won't have the same desire to shut out the world to read a book. That's why devices like the iPad are perfect for the younger crowd. You can read until your blind but you always have access to that stimuli and it's actually a great change of pace when reading a book. My point is, if you think tablets won't eat into Kindle sales your crazy but I do think it will be a gradual process mainly as the customer gets younger.


While I agree that a lot of younger people (and when I say that, I am talking about teenagers/20-somethings as I am only in my 30's) like gadgets that perform multiple tasks, I don't agree that the desire to read a good book to the exclusion of all other stimuli is something that future generations are growing out of. As long as there are adults that love to read there will be children that love to read as well. It's a learned behavior. That aside though, I think ereaders have far more potential to be used as teaching tools than a lot of people are giving them credit for. Yes, I love to read novels on my Kindle, but as a parent I would love to see my kids bringing home their Kindle (or other ereader) that contains all of their text books rather than hauling around a literally 30lb bookbag. Every year school systems shell out millions on new text books, and two or three years later shell out a few million more for revised versions. With an ereader all the students would have to do is download the revised edition. It would save the schools money (even after the initial cost of the ereaders),it would save trees and it would save kids from gettin curved spines. There are already schools testing this out and the advantage of using a dedicated ereader rather than a regular laptop/tablet would be that those distractions and other stimuli aren't there. The kids can't just switch from reading their homework to checking their facebook status on the device. So, when you think about it that way, maybe ereaders aren't as doomed as some folks think. ;-)


----------



## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

That's my favorite thing about the Kindle.  It doesn't feel like technology.  It doesn't need to be flashy or demand to be stroked to get it to do what you want.  It does exactly what it's supposed to do.  It disappears and all you're left with is the story.  That's why eReaders will continue despite our desire for our phones to broadcast televisions and our televisions to allow us to make long distance calls.  It kind of makes you wonder when this will come full circle and multi-tasking toasters that can send email will be a thing of the past and the new hip thing will be dedicated devices.


----------



## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I wish my kids' backpacks only weighed 30 lbs. Both of my sons were taking AP/Honors/Dual credit classes, and their backpacks weighed close to 60. No lockers, and backpacks with wheels not allowed unless you are handicapped.


----------



## mdovell (Feb 7, 2010)

Jponte55 said:


> Jdhsksncnxm
> 
> Ereaders aren't going anywhere but I do think they were doomed before they ever really took off. Amazon found a great niche with an older brick and morter demographic. A generation that really isn't interested in multiple stimuli and are familiar with dedicated devices. The reality is the younger generations are evolving to become master multitaskers and won't have the same desire to shut out the world to read a book. That's why devices like the iPad are perfect for the younger crowd. You can read until your blind but you always have access to that stimuli and it's actually a great change of pace when reading a book. My point is, if you think tablets won't eat into Kindle sales your crazy but I do think it will be a gradual process mainly as the customer gets younger.
> 
> Look, I'm a trader and stare at Bloomberg and PCs 12 hours a day. My vision is fine and I don't get headaches. It's actually great to be able to read with no external light. Maybe thats also a younger generation thing too and well all have impared vision when we're 50 I'm also not sure the issue with weight but I do understand justifying purchases which almost everyone does. I read a few posts up about how upset he was after reading the article. Enjoy your device, this guy does not have a crystal ball and neither do any of us. Should be interesting to see how it shakes out nonetheless.


Younger generation doesn't always multitask. If time has given us anything it's show us that things happen in bubbles. Remember aol? pretty much dead...remember myspace? same thing. ipad might sound like it's better for youngers but it's not exactly an open platform. Apple can't have the backbone of unix and THEN say all apps are up to them. That's great you are a day trader..I've used computers and video games since probably 1984. eink is better on the eyes hands down. Old video games were often impossible to have good text because it was old analog ntsc...getting to hdtv makes better but it's STILL the idea of light to the face.

Here's the other block to the ipad. What EXACTLY can it do that a laptop can't? Touch screen? I attend the largest public college in massachusetts (you know like loaded with schools) I haven't seen one ipad..iphones sure. The school has a laptop policy and program so everyone has a laptop...so why would anyone want a ipad on top of this?

Ok so ipads aren't for students...so who are they for then? don't get me wrong it could be a nice device if it was open but it also can't be used in sunlight either. Also it's tied to only one network provider (at&t) and has security holes..I just don't see their marketing plan here..

For years and years it was said that apple products were good but pricey. Now they come out with something that's basically a touch screen on a laptop that's half the price of their laptops..how is lowering the price of your entry level product by 50% a good indication of anything?

I wouldn't say that the ipad is a contender against the kindle. I wouldn't be surprised though if either sony adds new features or if there's a larger nook in the future.


----------



## Shastastan (Oct 28, 2009)

originalgrissel said:


> While I agree that a lot of younger people (and when I say that, I am talking about teenagers/20-somethings as I am only in my 30's) like gadgets that perform multiple tasks, I don't agree that the desire to read a good book to the exclusion of all other stimuli is something that future generations are growing out of. As long as there are adults that love to read there will be children that love to read as well. It's a learned behavior. That aside though, I think ereaders have far more potential to be used as teaching tools than a lot of people are giving them credit for. Yes, I love to read novels on my Kindle, but as a parent I would love to see my kids bringing home their Kindle (or other ereader) that contains all of their text books rather than hauling around a literally 30lb bookbag. Every year school systems shell out millions on new text books, and two or three years later shell out a few million more for revised versions. With an ereader all the students would have to do is download the revised edition. It would save the schools money (even after the initial cost of the ereaders),it would save trees and it would save kids from gettin curved spines. There are already schools testing this out and the advantage of using a dedicated ereader rather than a regular laptop/tablet would be that those distractions and other stimuli aren't there. The kids can't just switch from reading their homework to checking their facebook status on the device. So, when you think about it that way, maybe ereaders aren't as doomed as some folks think. ;-)


Excellent post and a url cited above shows some ideas on how ereaders can be made better to withstand kids.


----------



## MarthaT (Mar 3, 2009)

Agreed, great post


----------



## pacificd (Apr 24, 2010)

I hope the standard 6inch e-ink becomes the standard for e-readers. linux based units would be a great addition. I would love competition of platforms, which hopefully would lead to more universal publishing standards. 

The thing I love about the Kindle is the fact that I don't feel like I'm using an electronic. Sure, the minimal eye-strain is nice, but the fact that it lasts a long time on a charge, and is a straight forward device tickles my simplicity bone which I feared humans would evolve out of.

So let the device wars continue. I think amazon should focus on making a bullet-proof e-reader and possibly try and forge alliances with apple, b and n, etc to make content more free-flowing.


----------



## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

More likely his career will be dead in a year 
then again history has proved it doesn't matter how often these pundits are wrong.

How many of the dozens of "kindle killers" we read about over the last 2 years made it to market? I can only think of the iPad and the Nook.

The Plastic Logic Que appears to be vaporware along with countless others


----------



## Vyrl (Jun 7, 2010)

With the ipad being the best advertising vehicle yet to promote the Kindle, I think not . 

I'd be willing to bet more ereaders sell this year than the last...


----------

