On Sat, 28 Nov 2009, Walter van Holst wrote:
Michael S. Hart schreef:
300 Euro nowadays. When I got my iRex iLiad a few years ago, you could only get it at a specific bookstore chain, not mention at a somewhat different price point. To me this means that e-readers are becoming 'normal'.
I don't consider it "normal" when someone pays 300 euros for a dedicated eBook gizmo at the same time I pay 275 dollars for a full Windows netbook.
A full Windows netbook is in terms of eye strain nowhere near such a dedicated e-ink gizmo.
I'm reading this in white on black, no eyestrain.
Besides, loads of people spend orders of magnitude more on television screens, blueray players and other consumer electronics. Not to mention what is being spend on vacations etc.
Just because millions of people do it doesn't mean it is a good solution.
300 Euro is not cheap yet, but perfectly within reach for a massive amount of consumers in the Western world. Basically you are going to hit the point that it becomes feasible to start producing them in larger quantities which in itself will cause a price drop.
I still don't understand why anyone would pay so much for "dedicated hardware" when the full featured computers are even less money.
Because the 'full featured computer' (which a netbook actually isn't) doesn't provide the functionality some people (myself included) require from an e-reader.
I don't know about your netbooks, but around here you can get them with the DVD drive in the box with them, or separately, as you choose, which makes them full featured enough for me.
I just can't see a world where people are walking about with dedicated readers the same way they walk around with iPods, and I also notice that iPods will be more and more full functioned as the generations progress.
I don't expect them to become as ubiquitous as iPhones, but even that could be possible, especially when schools and universities start to use them. I would have loved to have my e-reader when I was at university, especially since it also doubles as a notepad.
I wonder what it would signify if people were reading as much as listening to music?
The iPod and iPhone will become full tilt computers long before the world will turn to dedicated ereaders, except for specific situations.
They already are in a sense. Nonetheless you'll see none going around and using an iPhone for word processing. I use my iPhone for reading while on the subway/tram/bus, but for longer train trips I prefer my iLiad.
Actually, I still have my Palm fold-up keyboards, and would LOVE new ones to come out for iPhones, iPods, etc., via USB connections. I have type a lot of articles, speeches, etc., on those keyboards, taken copious notes, in classes and conferences, etc., then just put it back in my pocket.