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Posts Tagged ‘personal tech’

Growth In E-Book Reader Market Spells Good News For Independents

January 27, 2010

Electronic book readers have been available for quite some time now. The Franklin eBookman is generally considered to have been the first and launched in 1999, over a decade ago. Other readers slowly appeared – the Sony PRS launched in 2006 and the first Amazon Kindle hit the streets in November of 2007.

2009 was however, the year that e-book readers seemed to really catch the public imagination. A great deal of the credit for this must go to Amazon. The Kindle 2.0 launch in February, rapidly followed by the launch of the large format Kindle DX in June created a real buzz around e-book readers and established them as the “must have” gadget of the year. Very rapidly, the Kindle became Amazon’s best selling product. Over the 2009 festive period it became Amazon’s “most gifted” product ever. On Christmas day, Amazon sold more Kindle books than they did hardbacks and paperbacks combined. Both Barnes and Noble and Sony had launched new readers in advance of the 2009 Xmas rush – but concerns over delivery combined with the fact that the Kindle was already so well recognised meant that Amazon’s dominance continued.

There is no shortage of e-book readers to choose from right now. There is a long, and impressive list, of manufacturers who now have their readers on the market, or who are developing them for release in the very near future. Industry analysts are anticipating that 2010 will be a big year for e-book readers and the level of sales is expected to increase.

It is effectively a brand new market sector which didn’t exist, at least not in any meaningful way, until very recently. Apart from the companies who manufacture e-book readers, there are implications for publishers, educational institutions, independent suppliers and of course, the reading public.

The sudden creation of this sector has been very good news for companies like M-Edge, who supply a wide range of accessories for the Kindle, including reading lights, covers, chargers and such. There are many other suppliers of this type of accessory who also stand to profit. Currently, much of the focus is, quite understandably, on the Kindle reader. However, as the market expands and other readers establish themselves there will be further opportunities for the third party accessory suppliers.

The e-book reader market is still nascent. It is growing and developing at an incredible rate. Amazon has been instrumental in the development of the market to date and enjoys a 60% share of the American market as a result. Their dominance will be strongly challenged in 2010, as will Sony’s current second place (with a 35% market share). However, this new market offers plenty of opportunity for companies with the vision and innovative skills to establish themselves at this early stage.

Check out Amazon’s Kindle reader and learn how you can save money by downloading free Kindle books – right from Amazon’s website.

2010 – The Year Of The E-Book Reader

January 17, 2010

For the first time ever, the organisers of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), being held in Las Vegas, have set aside a dedicated area for e-book readers. Not without some justification – there are at least two dozen different companies showcasing e-book readers at the event.

The heightened level of interest, both from the public and from electronics manufacturers is perfectly understandable. After all, 2009 was a bumper year for e-book readers. All the signs are that 2010 could be even bigger.

A great deal of the credit for this must be given to Amazon’s Kindle reader. The Kindle 2.0 launch in February, followed by the launch of the larger DX in June, created a tidal wave of publicity for e-book readers as a whole and, of course, for the Kindle reader in particular.

The Kindle quickly went on to become Amazon’s number one selling product and, during the festive season of 2009, the Kindle became Amazon’s most gifted product ever. Sales of Kindle books made up 35% of all book sales (where a Kindle edition existed). On Christmas day 2009, for the first time ever, Amazon sold more Kindle books than traditional books.

The market for both e-book readers and e-books was well established and seemed set to take off. At this time, Amazon has 60% of the American market and Sony has 35%. Clearly there are plenty of other manufacturers who want a share of this new market. On the face of it, they will have a difficult time considering Amazon’s dominance – but the market is new and developing rapidly. Exponential growth seems probable in the short term and the right product at the right time could change everything overnight.

Neither are electronic hardware manufacturers the only businesses with a vested interest in the expansion and development of the e-book reader market. Third party manufacturers of various accessories – covers, chargers, clip on reading lights (e-book readers use e-ink technology displays, which are not back-lit), screen protectors etc. – also stand to gain from a brand new market that simply did not exist until very recently. Currently most of these accessories are aimed at the Kindle reader – but as other readers begin to emerge and increase in sales volume these will also be catered for.

2010 is going to be an important year for both e-book readers and e-books. Next year’s CES will almost certainly retain an area specially for e-book readers. It may be somewhat larger in size than that set aside in 2010 – and it will be interesting to see which manufacturers are participating in 2011.

Learn more about Amazon’s amazing Kindle reader – and don’t forget you can save a lot of money by getting free Kindle books – straight from the Amazon website.

Amazon’s 2009 Success – Due To Highly Gifted Kindle Reader

January 13, 2010

Amazon must be absolutely delighted with the performance of its Kindle reader family in 2009. The Kindle 2.0 was launched in February and the large format DX followed shortly afterwards in June. The Kindle very rapidly became Amazon’s top selling product – even before the international launch of the Kindle 2.0 in October.

During the course of the 2009 festive season, the Kindle achieved the status of “most gifted” product ever for Amazon. More Kindle books were sold on Christmas day than traditional paperbacks and hardbacks. That was most likely due to all the lucky new Kindle owners who found one of Amazon’s readers in their Christmas stockings of course. Having got it out of the box, it would have been only natural for users to want to test their new toy. This would probably have taken the form of logging on to the Amazon Kindle store (wirelessly of course) and downloading a few Kindle e-books.

Nevertheless, selling more Kindle books than paperbacks and hardbacks is still a significant milestone. Whilst some may think that the way this was achieved was slightly artificial then perhaps that simply confirms the Kindle’s suitability for the Amazon way of doing business.

Needless to say, Amazon’s competitors have been keeping a watchful eye on Amazon’s success and taking steps to ensure that they secure a share of the developing e-book reader market. There’s a long list of companies who have their own e-book readers under development right now. It reads like a role call of electronics manufacturing giants. Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Sony are just a few of the big names who will compete with Amazon during 2010. Barnes and Noble, the book selling giant, have also launched their own “Nook” reader.

Many of the next generation of e-book readers will incorporate features which will make the current Kindle offerings look out of date. Color displays, touch screen functionality and the adoption of a standard e-book reader format which will allow e-books to be transferred across different readers, or even borrowed from digital libraries, are just a few of the options that users can anticipate.

You can be sure that Amazon will not rest on its laurels while their competition enters the market which Amazon has worked so hard to develop. The current Kindles, as innovative as they were just a few short months ago, probably bear little resemblance to what e-book readers will be like in the (very) near future. Amazon probably already has their next generation Kindle under development (the Kindle 4?) and, considering the level of drive and innovation that they have displayed thus far, Amazon will be probably be looking forward to even greater success during 2010. Kindle users can look forward to an updated, enhanced Kindle packed with new features – probably in the first half of 2010.

Learn more about the amazing Amazon Kindle reader and have a look at the full range of Kindle accessories available to help you customise it to suit your taste.

Digital Textbooks – Saving Money And Benefiting Students

December 16, 2009

The world of academic publishing is perhaps not the first thing that many people would think of when considering new and innovative technology. So it may be somewhat surprising to learn that it is exactly this very arena which is driving huge changes in the way that we read books.

The Amazon Kindle ebook reader was first launched in November 2007. At that time, it didn’t really register in the academic community. When the new Kindle 2 was released in February 2009 there was perhaps a little more interest – but not that much.

It was only with the announcement of Amazon’s Kindle DX that it became clear that our reading habits were about to be subject to major modification. The large screen of the DX, coupled with its native pdf file handling ability, made it ideal for academic textbooks containing large quantities of graphs and pictures.

Educational establishments quickly cottoned on to the fact that they could save money by using digital textbooks and e-book readers. Without the cost of paper or ink, and with none of the distribution fees which would normally be required for a physical product, e-books are a much cheaper alternative to a conventional paper book. Considerable financial savings could be made by schools, colleges and universities by making the switch to electronic textbooks.

In addition to financial considerations, updating of electronic media is much faster and easier. Currently, there is an average gap of seven years between revisions of standard textbooks. A change to digital textbooks would allow much more frequent revision and help to keep textbooks up to date and current.

Another benefit which is of interest to many academic establishments is the environmental aspects of electronic books and e-book readers. Even considering the materials used in the manufacture of the readers and the electricity required to operate them they are much more eco-friendly than the normal paper based alternative.

Whatever way you choose to look at it, the introduction of electronic textbooks makes perfect sense. They are already in use in many educational establishments and, when you look at all the potential benefits outlined above, it seems highly likely that their usage can be expected to increase rapidly in the near future.

Find out more about Amazon’s Kindle reader – including how to save money by downloading free Kindle ebooks.

What Does The Future Hold For E-Book Readers?

December 12, 2009

Amazon have had a very good year in 2009 – and a lot of the credit for that must go to their Kindle e-book reader. The original Kindle was released in November of 2007. It sold out in less than six hours and no new stock was available until April of 2008.

In February this year, Amazon released the Kindle 2 which featured several enhancements over the original. The large format Kindle DX followed shortly after in June. Amazon now had a Kindle “family” and, aided by a lot of free publicity from bestselling authors like Stephen King, partnerships with colleges and universities plus a lot of discussion in political circles, the Kindle became virtually synonymous with e-book readers.

Unsurprisingly, a number of other manufacturers were casting their eyes over the developing e-book reader market and considering how best to get their share. Right now, the list of manufacturers who have their own e-book readers under development is impressive and includes such names as Microsoft, Apple, Asus, Barnes and Noble, Sony and Plastic Logic.

Any e-book reader which displays potential is instantly dubbed the “Kindle Killer”. The technical features of each new reader are scrutinised and reported upon, especially when it incorporates a feature lacking from the current Kindle – the touch screen control of the Sony Daily Edition reader for example.

However, whilst the technical aspects of e-book readers are certainly important, they are not the be all and end all. Some of the key factors in the Kindle’s success to date were the large choice of books on Amazon’s website, the freedom to download books in under a minute wirelessly – without the need for an internet connection and without monthly fees – and Amazon’s highly trusted brand name.

Many of the new readers will have wireless connectivity, and Barnes and Noble’s Nook will offer users a choice of over 1,000,000 titles. However, the single unifying theme that seems to be developing is the emergence of a standard e-book format.

The large majority of the new readers seem to be adopting the ePub format. The Kindle however, uses a proprietary format which means that Kindle books can only be used on the Kindle reader.

Currently the Kindle is so dominant that it isn’t much of a problem. Nevertheless, it’s possible to imagine that, in the not too distant future, users may want the ability to lend books to friends and family or to port them from one type of reader to another.

The Kindle is now Amazon’s top selling product. It currently has a 60% share of the U.S. market and has recently been launched internationally. Amazon won’t be giving up their top position without a struggle. Perhaps 2010 will see the release of the Kindle 4? It will certainly include a number of functional improvements – but might it also adopt the ePub format?

Find out more about the Amazon Kindle reader and learn how you can save money by getting free Kindle ebooks direct from Amazon’s website.

Is The Kindle Cost Effective?

December 1, 2009

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past ten months or so, you’ll be aware of the huge buzz surrounding the Amazon Kindle ebook reader. Amazon’s Kindle 2 was launched in February of this year and they then followed up just a few short months later with the large screen Kindle DX.

The Kindle has now, in a very short time, become Amazon’s number one selling product. At the moment it is lapping up an incredible 60% share of the American e-book reader market. Amazon have now launched the Kindle 2 on the international stage – selling to more than 100 countries worldwide. A similar high level of success in the global market seems very likely.

Amazon’s Kindle is now virtually synonymous with e-book readers – but it is far from the only show in town. Consumer electronics manufacturers such as Apple, Microsoft, Sony and Barnes and Noble – to cite just a few examples from a very long list – all have their own e-book readers due for release in the immediate future. There is going to be cut-throat competition in the e-book market. In a way, it’s a compliment to Amazon that virtually any e-book reader in development which shows the slightest promise is immediately named the “Kindle Killer”.

Currently the Kindle 2 has a sales price of $ 259. Tha may be $ 100 lower than the launch price of $ 359 – but it’s still a fairly high price tag. Many analysts seem to think that a retail price of $ 150, or thereabouts, would be the magic number which would let e-book readers move from the high tech gadget arena into the mainstream marketplace. Higher levels of competition will surely force prices lower and 2010 could very well be the year that we see that $150 price tag.

If you’ve been considering treating yourself to a Kindle but have been holding off due to the cost of the device, then it might be worthwhile looking at the overall financial picture. E-books generally cost a fair a bit less than traditional paper books. They don’t use paper, ink or bindings and have no delivery costs. If you get through a book a week then you could recoup the price of your Kindle in just a few months.

Even better than cheap e-books, you can download a large selection of totally free e-books direct from Amazon’s Kindle store. Many of the free books are classics which are now out of copyright – Gulliver’s Travels, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Sherlock Holmes are just a few examples. You will also find more recent releases, possibly on special offer from publishers. In addition to completely free e-books, there are many books included among Amazon’s 360,000 Kindle titles which are available for a purely nominal fee – $ 0.01 is really quite common. You could very easily get the cost of your Kindle reader back just by using free, or low price, books for your Kindle.

Find out how to quickly and legally download free Kindle books and make your Amazon Kindle reader pay for itself in no time.

E-Book Readers – What Does The Future Hold?

November 25, 2009

In February 2009, when Amazon updated their Kindle e-book reader with the release of the improved and enhanced Kindle 2 reader, it was the only reader offering the facility of wireless connection. It took until June of this year for another reader to offer a similar wireless connection service. Even then, that competing reader was Amazon’s large format Kindle DX, which was specifically aimed at the newspaper, magazin and academic textbook audience.

It looked like the only competition to Amazon was Amazon itself. There were certainly no other serious challengers in sight.

Even now, in late November 2009, there are no readers outside of the Amazon Kindle family which offer wireless functionality. Amazon have enjoyed a commanding lead for some time now.

But that is about to change. Sony will be launching their new Daily Edition reader around about the middle of December and Barnes and Noble’s Nook is planned to hit the stores at approximately the same time.

Both of these readers have wireless functionality and some additional features, such as touch screen controls which will, in many people’s eyes, put them ahead of the current Kindles. The Daily Edition reader even allows users to borrow e-books from participating public libraries.

The Nook will allow its users to access a collection of over 1,000,000 e-books on the Barnes and Noble website. Users will even be able to lend e-books to friends and family – just like a real book.

Whether you consider the situation from the viewpoint of technical specification or from the user features and usability angle, the Kindle may find itself in the unaccustomed role of the second, or even third place option.

Next year competition will increase even more as manufacturers start to launch large format readers to slug it out with the Kindle DX. The good news is that consumers will benefit from increased competition which will tend to force prices lower. Considering that the Kindle has now become the number one selling product for Amazon, it seems highlylikely that they will respond to this competition in a positive manner. Expect to see further device enhancements and quite possibly new services. 2010 will see convergence on a standard e-book format – probably ePub – and this, combined with reduced prices and improved functionality – should be enough to allow e-book readers to morph from high tech toys into mainstream consumer products.

Discover the Amazon Kindle reader and see the full range of Amazon Kindle accessories.