Comments on: Why e-readers will never replace books (price isn’t the answer)

By: Blake Snow

Blake Snow — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:44:42 +0000

“I don’t think they’ll take off until they’ve been married … I.e. color displays, mp3’s, movies, TV shows, all in one. I suspect this will be what Apple will try to do.”

That’s the most interesting prediction of the iTablet I’ve heard, Nick. Much better than an oversized iPhone, which I’ve been calling it. Should be fun to see if the announce the next newton, cube, or pippin, or something with mass appeal as the iPod.

By: Nick

Nick — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:34:59 +0000

I can think of at least one special case … Textbooks! There’s a market for them just in schools if it alleviates students from having to carry 25-40 lbs of textbooks.

Still, I know a lot of authors and editors who swear by them … that is, people who read a LOT (a lots of different books.)

I don’t think they’ll ever completely replace books, and I don’t think they’ll take off until they’ve been married … I.e. color displays, mp3’s, movies, TV shows, all in one. I suspect this will be what Apple will try to do.

By: Tyson

Tyson — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:32:09 +0000

E-readers will be more popular than Segways. But just about every retail product is more popular than Segways. I think that e-readers have some functionality and will fill a niche market. More importantly, they will serve as bridge technology into something new (as mobile phones, netbooks, e-readers, and those ridiculous tablet rumors start to converge).

One thing that cannot be denied. When it comes to reading, nothing beats books. And for the foreseeable future, nothing ever will. Of course some people will disagree with that statement. Those people, however, are, in a word, wrong.

By: Russ

Russ — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:44:27 +0000

I thought a lot of the same things until I tried one.