Telephone Wires In 1890
I’ve seen a lot of press of late claiming this is the year of the ebook reader, and by extension the year of the ebook. Publisher’s Weekly recently ran a handy listing of the current most popular models on their website. If you want to do a quick (albeit fairly shallow) comparison go check it out. They have fifteen varieties to choose from – everything from dedicated ebook readers, to smart phones, to tablets.
If fifteen flavors are not enough to make your head spin you can go to Mobile Read Wiki, where they track no fewer than 45 makes and models of ebook readers – and those are only devices that use eInk. No smart phones, iPads, or color Nooks included. They have a separate pages for LCD ereaders (the Nook Color included), web tablets (such as the iPad), and smart phones. Yet another page on the wiki lists the ebook formats available – 60 of them!
It seems the only thing lacking in the eBook device market is clarity. If ever there was an industry in need of industry wide standards it is the eBook industry, both on the hardware and publishing side of the equation.
Despite this mass confusion ebook sales are surging, some say at the cost of hardback sales. Next year the New York Times will begin listing ebook Best Sellers, a sure sign the market is maturing. I can only imagine how much stronger the market would be if there was some semblance of clarity, some degree of certainty the consumer could count on. As it stands now the ebook market is as fragmented and confusing as the telephone industry once was.
Who will come out on top?
I wish I had that crystal ball. I think the best bet has to go with brand name recognition combined with product placement. Of course the Kindle has the best name brand recognition, and Amazon will begin selling the device in retail outlets this fall – that all important product placement. But they are late to that game. The Barnes and Noble Nook has quickly gained name recognition and has been available in their brick-and-mortar stores for just about a year now. A few others hover around the periphery, such as the Sony, which is available at Target and Best Buy. Of course, you can’t forget the iPad, which is an ebook reader and much more.
The Kindle, the Nook, the Sony, and the iPad: these are my four top bets. Consumers are wary of brands they don’t know, and despite online shopping still like to lay hands on a physical product at least once before making a purchase decision, even if they ultimately buy it online. You can now do that with all four of these ebook readers. That’s why I give them the edge.
I will likely get an ebook reader this season. (That does not mean I won’t get a Pad computer at a later date, just don’t tell my wife.) I am currently leaning toward the Nook Color. Why? Well, beside it being sort of a mini-pad, which I find intriguing, I still go to bookstores to look at (and buy) books. Specifically, I go to my local Barnes and Noble because it is very convenient to home. The thought of browsing physical bookshelves and then popping out the ebook reader to check digital availability really appeals to me.
How about you? Are you thinking of getting an ebook reader this season? If so, which one appeals most to you, and why? Or is this all much ado about nothing?
~jon