April 01, 2010
 Kindle defined the eBook
readers category the way that the iconic iPod
defined the MP3 players. But after it had the field all to itself, it
now encounters some serious competition. Before we get into details, we
must say that eBook readers are not for everyone. If you like to slowly
savor your way through one book at a time, you probably don’t need one.
But if you travel a lot and/or like to always have a choice of what to
read, the concept of having 100’s of books in a small package is
appealing. In considering an eBook reader, the most important factors –
in addition to price - are access to content, and features such as
display and connectivity.
Barnes & Noble’ Nook offers a great selection
of books and
publications from B&N’s ebookstore and excellent connectivity (both
3G and Wi-Fi). The screen is on purpose less reflective and easy to
read. You can select different font sizes depending on your eyesight.
There is a touchscreen just under the main screen which allows for easy
navigation. With 2GB of storage (same as Kindle 2), the Nook will
easily store over a thousand of books. It has a book-lending capability.The Nook uses the Android OS,
which may present future opportunities. The Nook went through some
growing pains when it came out in 2009, but it seems that most of the
bugs have been worked out. Price-wise, the Nook costs essentially the
same as Kindle 2. Overall, it’s a great eBook reader and a difficult
call between the Nook and Kindle 2. The Nook is available for $259
shipped from Barnes & Noble.
The Sony Reader PRS-600 has the same screen size but is smaller and
lighter than Kindle 2 or the Nook. It has good touchscreen and
supports many different formats, giving users access to more sources of
content. At 512MB it’s storage is smaller
although it will be sufficient for 300-400 books. It has no
wireless
connectivity and its dedicated content store is not as extensive as the
one
behind Kindle or Nook. PRS-600 has roughly the same pricepoint as
its competitors: $267 shipped at Buy.com. If you are looking
for a lighter eBook reader with access to more free sources of content,
PRS-600 might be for you. The
PRS-900 model adds larger screen and wireless capability but it’s
pricier at $399 shipped.
Samsung's eBook reader E60 is coming out shortly. It is roughly the same size as Kindle, the Nook and PRS-600. It comes with 2GB of memory and it will have Wi-Fi but no 3G connectivity. Samsung is going to partner with Barnes & Noble for content, so expect an extensive catalog. The main distinguishing feature of E60 is the ability to annotate text and write notes. To do so, the E60 includes an electromagnetic resonance stylus pen. The announced price point is $299, so you'll pay extra $40 for the writing ability.
There are other eBook readers on the market, such as Cool-Er and BeBook
Neo. But without massive ebookstores to back them up, they are
disadvantaged. The picture will be incomplete without mentioning
"portable" eBook readers such as Sony PRS-300 Pocket Edition ($163 shipped at
Buy.com). With only a 5" display we find these to be not as good of a
"book replacement" but they are cheaper and lighter. For an even
smaller screen (and better eyes than ours), there are eBook readers apps for iPhohes (e.g.,
Eucaluptus) and other mobile devices.
And of course we don’t know what impact Apple iPad will
have on eBook readers market. Given all the intricacies involved in
creating a good user experience, we are not sure how successful it will
be against dedicated platforms. But the attraction of having a
multifunction device should not be underestimated.
What's next technologically? For some time now, a number of companies
have been promising to bring to market flexible eBook readers, which
you can bend and manipulate the way you do magazines. While prototypes
have been demonstrated, we are not aware of a mass-market commercial
implementation yet.
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